Under the direction of Henry Wishcamper, the high school-set play officially opens June 19 and will run through July 26.

The four-member cast features Helen Hayes Award nominee Ben Diskant (The History Boys) as Solomon, Jee Young Han as Diwata, Carl Holder (Home and Away) as Howie and Eva Kaminsky (The Syringa Tree) in the roles of a school teacher and newspaper reporter.

In Speech & Debate, press notes state, "three high school teenagers in Salem, Oregon are drawn together when a scandalous story threatens to erupt in their community. Despite having their own secrets, the students pull together a unique 'Speech & Debate Club' as a means of airing the school's dirty laundry. The resulting gossip spreads from classrooms to chat-rooms and beyond."

The design team includes Luke Hegel-Cantarella (sets), Jenny Mannis (costumes), Matthew Richards (lighting) and Bart Fasbender (sound). Tony nominee John Carrafa staged the dance sequences.

Tickets to Speech & Debate at TheaterWorks, 233 Pearl Street in Hartford, CT, are available by calling (860) 527-7838. For more information visit the TheaterWorks website at theaterworkshartford.org.