SPEAK

Sponsored by George Kaiser Family Foundation and hosted by Tulsa Debate League, Circle Cinema is proud to host a FREE screening of this acclaimed new documentary about the competitive world of speech and debate competitions. Admission is free and open but RSVP is required as seating is limited for the public. Click the 'buy ticket' button to begin your free ticket registration.

Includes post-film zoom Q&A with director Jennifer Tiexiera and two debate students featured in the film, Sam Schaefer and Noah Chao-Detiveaux. Q&A moderated by Dr. Kristopher Copeland, Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs at Tulsa Community College and Tulsa Debate League board chair. About the film: 1h44min - Documentary - Not Rated - Engilsh SPEAK. follows five fearless teenage orators fighting for glory at the NSDA Nationals — the Super Bowl of public speaking — where 1,000 words can change everything. Over nine high-stakes months, they face nerves, biased judges, and each other, while their coaches battle to keep speech programs alive amid budget cuts, book bans and an America splintering right before their eyes.

Meet Noor, a small-town Texan wielding her voice for disability rights; Noah, a sharp-witted outsider turning personal tragedy into a plea for mental health awareness; Sam, a proudly queer Minnesotan calling out our political culture’s obsession with nostalgia; Mfaz, a Sudan-born TikTok sensation challenging stereotypes about Muslim representation and “lunchbox shame”; and Esther, the reigning two-time champ chasing a record-breaking three-peat. Together, they follow in the footsteps of NSDA alumni like Oprah Winfrey, Paul Rudd, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, Justice Stephen Breyer, Bruce Springsteen, Senator Elizabeth Warren, Jordan Peele to name a few — and in Esther’s case, attempt to dethrone the current record holder and the film’s Executive Producer, Josh Gad.

They rehearse in kitchens, classrooms, buses, even beside a pet pig, while still being teenagers: screaming at Taylor Swift concerts, managing TikTok fame, navigating crushes, awaiting college letters. One moment they deliver inspired indictments and insights; the next, they’re debating prom outfits.

Equal parts competition documentary, coming-of-age narrative, and rallying cry, SPEAK. is a hopeful wake-up call: for these fraught times, programs like this aren’t extracurricular luxuries. They’re training grounds for empathy, critical thinking and the courage to bridge divides — the stuff that might just make America listen again.

About Tulsa Debate League: The Tulsa Debate League is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit supporting students and teachers in Tulsa Public Schools. As an urban debate league, we are dedicated to expanding access to the activity to schools and students who have traditionally lacked access. We organize competitions, fund programs and summer camps, and provide professional development to teachers and coaches. Learn more at TulsaDebate.org.