Things Are Looking Up by Vince Gatton

[SHORT] 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.

*****This is one of a set of related plays, varying in length, genre, style, and setting but all connected in some way to a central, singular event. These plays each stand alone, so there’s no need to have read one to understand the...
[SHORT] 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.

*****This is one of a set of related plays, varying in length, genre, style, and setting but all connected in some way to a central, singular event. These plays each stand alone, so there’s no need to have read one to understand the others; but if you’re so inclined, the short pieces can be read together in the anthology The Thing That Happened, along with the companion full-length You Have Earned Bonus Stars.

• JAM [One Act]
• Status Update [Short]
• Cassie Strickland Is Not Under the Bed [Short]
• Things Are Looking Up [Short]
• She’s Blown Away [Short]
• Janmadin [One Act]

• You Have Earned Bonus Stars [Full Length]
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Things Are Looking Up

Recommended by

  • Ryan Vaughan:
    4 Aug. 2023
    “ A lot of plays that pack an emotional punch hit you from the get go. What I respect about this piece is that is lets you sit with these characters in their day to day lives. Lets you get to know them and care about what monotonous thing they're doing. And then it pops you. It makes the emotional sting that much more powerful. Well done piece. ”
  • Christopher Soucy:
    4 Aug. 2023
    “ Lulled into a rhythmic normalcy of idle chat and becoming familiar with characters you relate to and grow fond of, Vince Gatton has set the stage for a subtle turn toward tragedy. But it is an all too commonplace tragedy that we sense around every corner in today’s world. Bravo Mr. Gatton for sneaking up on me with that baseball bat. And while I watched you slowly wind up, I could not make myself get out of the way. ”
  • Robin Rice:
    2 Aug. 2023
    “ I don't know that I ever got chills reading a play before. It's a 90-degree day in my office, but reading this play, in the moment of realization a chill hit me like a wave. Beautifully observed, wonderfully specific, gorgeously understated. Excellent! ”
View all 14 recommendations

Character Information

  • Colleen
    20s to 40-ish,
    Any
    ,
    Female
    20s – 40s-ish female nurse, any ethnicity. New hire in the Emergency Department.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      20s, 30s, 40s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Female
  • Adam
    20s to 40-ish,
    Any
    ,
    Male
    20s – 40s-ish nurse, any ethnicity, of large build. Could have played defense on a football team at some point, now he’s a nurse in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      20s, 30s, 40s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Male
  • Paula
    60s-ish, Array,
    Female
    70s-ish female nurse, probably white. Veteran nurse in Pediatrics.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      60s, 70s+
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      White
    • Gender: 
      Female