A few elderly people in the audience of the Kitchen Theatre’s production of “Speech & Debate” seemed not at all amused by the premise, outcome and action of the ballsy, controversial play.

When the lights went up on a shirtless boy typing sexual messages on www.gay.com, they looked at each other with appalled, confused eyes. When Lady Gaga blasted during scene changes, they shifted awkwardly in their seats. But when the characters in the show each had introspective realizations of the hardships in their lives, they seemed moved, touched and inspired.

That’s just what “Speech & Debate” does for an audience. Regardless of gender, sexual preference, background or age — though this one isn’t for the kids — the play has some minute details almost anyone can relate to. The production is definitely more accessible to the “now” generation that spends hours on Facebook and communicates in 140 characters or less, but it’s nevertheless a hilarious, insightful, feel-everything theatrical experience. Don’t let the bland title fool you.

Written by emerging playwright Stephen Karam and directed by Samuel Buggeln, “Speech & Debate” follows three teenagers, Howie (Adam R. Deremer), Solomon (Conor Tansey) and Diwata (Alison Scaramella). Their lives intertwine when they become aware of a sex scandal involving their high school drama teacher.

They form an eccentric debate team under Diwata’s leadership. Their mission to uncover the truth behind their drama teacher’s alleged sexual excursions with teenage boys ends up involving a gay retelling of the Cain and Abel story, a musical version of “The Crucible” and nude body suits. Needless to say, the play thrives on controlled, methodical chaos.

Appropriate for the intimate Kitchen Theatre, Abigail Smith’s set — complemented by junior Max Doolittle’s lighting — reflects the interwoven structure of each scene. The back wall is decorated with a web of MySpace, YouTube, Facebook and Twitter logos and symbols, while headphones, cell phones and other forms of technology line the walls, ready for the actors to pull from and use as props.

The projections of images on the center of the wall keep the action of the play moving. Videos of a hand writing the name of each scene on a colored sticky note keep the audience in tune with the rhythm of the play.

The three young actors, along with adult Renée Petrofes as a teacher and reporter, hail from New York City and bring powerful energy with them. Deremer accurately plays a gay teen trapped between his perceptions of himself and how others see him. Tansey’s rigid portrayal of the nerdy journalist Solomon seems artificial at first, but with time his character becomes more than his geeky quirks. His starched shirts are perfect for his character. And Petrofes plays a good middleman as the only “normal” character of the bunch.

But the clear star of the production is Scaramella, who sustains caffeine — or cocaine — induced energy through the entire one-hour-45-minute show.  

“How am I supposed to make it as an actress if I can’t even get work in my school district?” she grumbles before proceeding to sashay across the stage. Her Diwata bears striking resemblance to Molly Shannon in “Superstar” combined with Rachel Berry from “Glee.” She’s promiscuous — in a frumpy way. Moreso, she’s a girl with more issues than her oddball video blog personality conveys.

“Speech & Debate” can bring out laughter just as easily as it forces out tears. Like most teenagers’ lives, it’s an emotional roller coaster that somehow always finds its way back to sidesplitting comedy.  A tweet or short blog post won’t be enough to do this show justice. Audiences will be talking about it long after they leave the theater and keeping with the Kitchen Theatre’s motto, the show starts a heck of a conversation.

“Speech & Debate” will be showing at the Kitchen Theatre through March 14.