She's Blown Away by Vince Gatton

[SHORT] 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.

*****This is one of a set of related plays, varying in length, genre,...
[SHORT] 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.

*****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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She's Blown Away

Recommended by

  • Alli Hartley-Kong:
    4 Mar. 2024
    “ Gatton captures the awkwardness of life as a teenager with perfect accuracy, capturing not only the language of teenagers but also the way teenagers cross boundaries they don't realize exist. I read this play months ago and the devastating reveal has stayed with me. It's an achingly beautiful play that all high schools should consider. ”
  • Evan Baughfman:
    5 Dec. 2023
    “ This excellent script features high school characters, but their conversation is one that every adult should also hear. Vince Gatton packs a lot of important subject matter (and some humor, too, which is also important!) into a short amount of space! Recently published in THE BEST TEN-MINUTE PLAYS 2023! ”
  • Lisa Dellagiarino Feriend:
    27 Aug. 2023
    “ Vince Gatton always takes you on an unexpected emotional journey! This short about figuring out how to get that girl who doesn’t know you exist to notice and to love you is a wonderful study on boundaries, infatuation, and male entitlement. And also how often guys hear women but don’t listen to them (poor Mika basically repeats herself for ten minutes) - But with jokes and teenagers to keep it from being overly heavy, and to make the heavy moments hit harder. Such a great play! ”
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Character Information

IZZY, teen boy, any ethnicity, deep in the throes of love
RUPE, teen boy, any ethnicity, his eager sidekick
MIKA, Asian-American teen girl, their cool-headed friend

  • Izzy
    Teen,
    Any
    ,
    Male
    Eager, confident, and fun (despite maybe being a bit of a nerd), and trying to come up with the perfect move to impress his crush.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      Teens
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Male
  • Rupe
    Teen,
    Any
    ,
    Male
    Helpful, thoughtful, doesn’t have all the answers but is intuitively kind.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      Teens
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Male
  • Mika
    Teen,
    East Asian descent
    ,
    Female
    Whip-smart, witty, and playful, she finds herself increasingly frustrated with the boys’ inability to listen to her advice about boundaries. Mika’s insights come from a place of tragic experience, a secret she has kept to herself.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      Teens
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Asian, Pacific Islander, or Asian American
    • Gender: 
      Female