There’s one enormous, gigantic, annoying problem that hamstrings Dobama Theatre’s new production of Speech and Debate, a dark comedy about progressive teens stuck in a conservative Oregon town — its lame audience.

This is a funny, funny, gay, gay, gay — did I mention gay — show that begins with a teenage boy engaging in an online sex chat with an older, as yet unidentified man. And as the conversation becomes more explicit, with the student stripping to take photos of himself, I couldn’t help but squirm as I glanced around at the much older, much straighter, less hip-and-happening crowd who seemed to simply "not get it."

So my instruction to you, Spangle readers: buy tickets, pack the house, save the poor actors at this quite good, often amusing, occasionally hilarious show that feels as if it were ripped from last week’s headlines.

Because the cast deserves much better.

In January, Spangler Maria Miranda became a producer through her new performance art collective, Whisper to a Scream. Later this spring, she’s mounting a new production that she’s intending as a performance and advocacy event.

And women of Northeast Ohio, your participation is needed. Read on.

Sometimes you love her. Sometimes you hate her. You call for her when everything goes wrong, and sometimes you blame her for everything that has gone wrong. She cured scrapes with kisses, and she gave you enough issues to send you to therapy.

Moms rock.

Regardless of your view on our youth-chasing culture, Northeast Ohio theatergoers can’t ignore the crackling energy brought to Cleveland Play House shows that feature its master’s program young acting corps.

Such is the case with its new production of Jane Austen’s Emma, which includes among its cast the entire 2010 graduating class of its graduate program.

The story, as Austen lovers (and fans of the loose, modern adaptation Clueless) well know, Emma is the tale of an unmarried, somewhat spoiled wealthy woman whose high opinion of herself and her talents leads her to meddle in her friends’ love lives, usually to their (and her) detriment. It’s an early feminist tale, with Emma encouraging women to choose men with more to offer than just their looks — or in Emma’s case, not to choose a man at all.