ABOUT THE SHOW

SPEECH is a poisonous love letter to cancel culture. The show isn't just happening on stage. It's happening in your DMs. And in your kid’s eye rolls. In your hook-up agreements. In your attempt to actually compost this year. During your daily subway cry. It's all the things we don't say about the things we DO say.

Lightning Rod Special offers a satirical scrutiny of the free speech debate and the rapidly shifting terrain of civil discourse within our hyper-visible social-media-centered world. Characters careen through different microcosms of American culture in a searing look at how trepidation and performativity infect all aspects of our lives. 

SPEECH was part of the 2022 Philadelphia Fringe Festival

CREATIVE TEAM

Creators: Shayok Misha Chowdhury, Scott R. Sheppard, and Alice Yorke

Writer: Scott R. Sheppard in collaboration with the ensemble

Director: Shayok Misha Chowdhury

Assistant Director: Andalyn Young

Creator-Performers: Fernando Gonzalez, Yuki Kawahisa, Jaime Maseda, Terran Scott, Scott R. Sheppard, Alice Yorke, Jehan O. Young

Additional Development: Billy Griffin Jr., Saori Tsukada

Scenic Designer: Peiyi Wong

Prop Designer and Scenic Assistant: Victoria Gill-Gomez

Lighting Designer: Oona Curley

Sound Designer: M. Florian Staab

Costume Designer: Kimberly Redman

Production Management and Technical Direction: Lauren Tracy, Flannel & Hammer / Joe Daniels, Flannel & Hammer

Photos by: Friday Anderson and Johanna Austin