Actor. Playwright. New Yorker. Lefty.
Vince Gatton
Plays
Find me on New Play Exchange at: https://newplayexchange.org/users/3190/vince-gatton
Full Length:
Alexandria
In a small town library in the Deep South, two librarians share an unlikely close friendship, despite being on opposite sides of the culture war. But when a young runaway, global events, and the Sweep of Human History come crashing through their front door, what will it take for that friendship to survive?
Alexandria is a play about relationships that cross deep divides of belief and conviction: what those relationships are worth, and what they cost.
2 women, 3 men
Winner - Sanguine Theatre Company's Project Playwright Festival
Find it here.
Wake
Dan and Eric have a new marriage license, a new baby, and a new house in the country. As they settle into their new life, Dan, the older of the two, is having what seem to be sleepwalking episodes. A ghost story told by a young visitor leads Eric to suspect that Dan's sleepwalking incidents are actually something far more sinister -- but are they what he thinks they are? Or are there other forces at work?
WAKE is a ghost story for the post-AIDS generation, a play about marriage, expectations, and the power of narrative to both heal and harm.
1 woman, 4 men
Finalist - Mystery/Thriller Festival, Vintage Theatre Productions
Finalist - Futurefest 2016, Dayton Playhouse
Semifinalist - PlayPenn 2015
Get it from Next Stage Press here.
You Have Earned Bonus Stars
Danielle has survived a shocking act of workplace violence; her quiet older co-worker Jimmy has not. A small act in his final moments becomes a clue that sets Danielle off on a quest on his behalf, a quest that sends her down a rabbit hole of secrets, lies, and questions about her own place in the moral universe – and the state of the moral universe itself.
You Have Earned Bonus Stars is a comedy about tragedy, an exploration of the judgement we all face – from the great beyond, from each other, and from ourselves..
3 women, 2 men
Find it here.
Short:
Better
Two women working along the line of a poultry-processing plant in Arkansas share many things, including their views about personal improvement; but when those views unexpectedly diverge, old cracks break wide open.
2 women
Winner - Samuel French Off Off Broadway Short Play Festival
Finalist - City Theatre National Short Playwriting Award
Get it from Samuel French/Concord Theatricals here.
Protocols
Two adult siblings on a video call attempt to manage a crisis. Or two. Or several.
2 actors, any gender
Get it from Smith & Kraus here.
The Oktavist
In a small church in Imperial Russia, Father Kirill is approached by the scion of a prominent local family for a favor: the young man is convinced it's his divine calling to be an oktavist, one of the legendary ultra-deep-voiced singers in Russian liturgical music. That calling, and much else, will now be put to the test.
2 men
Winner, The Gary Garrison Playwriting Award for 10-Minute Plays
Find it here.
Hey
A boy's quest for a safe harbor leads him unexpectedly into the most terrifying danger of his young life. A comedy (sort of?) about shopping for underwear.
Finalist - City Theatre National Short Playwriting Award
1 woman, 2 men
Find it here.
Jam
A malfunctioning piece of office equipment brings out the worst in a diverse group of co-workers.
2 women, 2 men
Winner - Best Play, 2015 LIC Short Play Festival
***One of six standalone shorts that also serve as companion pieces to the full-length YOU HAVE EARNED BONUS STARS.
Find it here.
Status Update
In a sunny suburban kitchen on a Saturday afternoon, a mother's last nerve is getting trampled on by her teenage son's loud music. But underneath their argument over iTunes, a sudden loss and an unspoken fear are waiting to be revealed.
Status Update is about youth, middle age, the relentless passing of time, and the small acts of love that make up our days.
1 woman, 1 man
Winner - Kentucky Playwrights Workshop New Play Series, 2021
***One of six standalone shorts that also serve as companion pieces to the full-length YOU HAVE EARNED BONUS STARS.
Find it here.
Cassie Strickland is Not Under the Bed
Trapped in his bed, Clay makes a desperate call for help.
2 men
Winner - Two-Hander Slam, 2021
***One of six standalone shorts that also serve as companion pieces to the full-length YOU HAVE EARNED BONUS STARS.
Find it here.
Things are Looking Up
Three nurses on a run to 7-11 encounter a stroke of good luck -- and other surprises. A play about cynicism, compassion, and sudden reversals of fortune.
2 women, 1 man
***One of six standalone shorts that also serve as companion pieces to the full-length YOU HAVE EARNED BONUS STARS.
Find it here.
She's Blown Away
An eager high school boy enlists his friends' help in coming up with the perfect "big gesture" to win the heart of the girl he loves. The help he gets, though, isn't the help he wants -- and for reasons he can't seem to understand. A play about romance, boundaries, control, and consequences.
2 men, 1 woman
***One of six standalone shorts that also serve as companion pieces to the full-length YOU HAVE EARNED BONUS STARS.
Find it here.
Janmadin
Having to set up the dumb office "surprise" birthday party is tedious enough, but now Nathan also has to contend with the weirdly skittish janitor and a mysterious stranger occupying the conference room. Janmadin is a (dark?) comedy about our complicated American relationship to work, and to the people we work with. Also: cupcakes.
3 men, 1 woman
***One of six standalone shorts that also serve as companion pieces to the full-length YOU HAVE EARNED BONUS STARS.
Find it here.
In The Whole History of Hi-Q
One the eve of the last tournament of the year, three high school trivia nerds must confront the real reasons for their losing streak.
1 woman, 2 men
Finalist - City Theatre National Short Playwriting Award
Find it here.
Neon Glowing New
On the eve of the millennium, a teenage girl attends her first rave and envisions a potential future that rejects the rules and restrictions of her parents' middle class values. But she soon finds that the freedom the rave promises is not just for her, in ways she finds deeply threatening.
2 women, 2 men
Find it here.
Hair Tuck, Half Smile
A series of nested dreams, exploring how our celebrity obsessions both flatter and condemn us.
Might as well be titled: What We Dream About When We Dream About Katie Holmes
2 women, 5 men
Find it here.