You Have Earned Bonus Stars by Vince Gatton

[FULL LENGTH] 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, sending 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.

*****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, they can be read as a unified larger work as well by reading this and its companion anthology, The Thing That Happened. That play includes:

• 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]

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You Have Earned Bonus Stars

Recommended by

Jillian Blevins:

11 Nov. 2023

“ What makes a good person? Vince Gatton’s darkly comic existential road trip play doesn’t offer easy answers, but it does one better: it allows us to wonder.

YOU HAVE EARNED BONUS STARS is most powerful in its theatrical dream sequences, revealing its protagonist’s repressed shame and self-recrimination alongside a+ visual punchlines (a priest, a rabbi and an imam walk onto a plane…).

Surviving violence—or not—doesn’t erase your past or wipe clean your karmic slate. The beauty of YHEBS is in how it not only contends with nuance and moral ambiguity, it revels in it. ”
Christian Flynn:

1 Oct. 2023

“ Conventions of good taste in theatre would tell you you shouldn't make a play this plotty. They'd say plays that have this many twists and turns are tedious and would work better on the screen. Pay those "well-made-play" rules no mind. Upon reading "You Have Earned Bonus Stars", the reader's glad they're being pulled along through a journey rather than sitting through another living room or debate play. It forces the actors, and director to take chances, make decisions. The play snakes into dark places—places darker than one would expect. But I like that kind of thing. ”
Nora Louise Syran:

9 Apr. 2023

“ What a road trip! Gatton pulls us along through this nightmare of gun violence and the heaviness of being human and the weight of the moral obligation of a debt to be repaid. These are beautifully crafted, complex characters; Morrison's "Love is never better than the lover” came to mind. Gatton wraps us up in the nightmares so much so you'll need to take a deep breath at the end of each and every one. ”

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Character Information

The play is performed by five actors, but has a total of 25 characters. All actors play multiple roles, except for the actress who plays Danielle.

Danielle

30-ish,
Any
,
Female

Danielle, vaguely 30-ish, any ethnicity. She appears to be the very model of a “good girl”, but that is not her whole story. As a survivor of a shocking act of violence, Danielle is experiencing the dissociation, sleeplessness, nightmares, anxiety, and distress associated with Acute Stress Disorder. Danielle is a plus-size woman, which ideally would be reflected in the casting.
Can be played by:
- Age:
  30s
- Race/Ethnicity:
  Any race/ethnicity
- Gender:
  Female
Beverly

40s-ish,
Any
,
Female

Beverly, vaguely 40-ish, any ethnicity but with a lean toward African-American. She is the mother-hen to her work friends, and is older that Danielle in temperament, if not actual age. Also plays Stephanie, a high-school girl, an Imam, and a Traveler.
Can be played by:
- Age:
  30s, 40s, 50s
- Race/Ethnicity:
  Any race/ethnicity
- Gender:
  Female
Victor

Late 20s,
Any
,
Male

Victor, vaguely late 20s-ish, any ethnicity but with a lean toward API or Latino, gay. He thinks with his mouth, lacking much of a filter; he is younger than Danielle in temperament, if not in actual age. Also plays a high school Teacher, a Flight Attendant, and a Traveler.
Can be played by:
- Age:
  20s, 30s
- Race/Ethnicity:
  Any race/ethnicity
- Gender:
  Male
Actress to Play Multiple Roles

Any age -- will play characters from teens to 60s,
Any
,
Female

This female-identifying actor of any age or ethnicity plays multiple roles:
Maryanne, a corporate executive
Danielle’s Mom
Barista DeeDee, a single mom
Courtney, a high school girl
Betty, an aging beauty who’s led a hard life
A Rabbi
An Airport Barista
A Traveler
Can be played by:
- Age:
  Any adult age
- Race/Ethnicity:
  Any race/ethnicity
- Gender:
  Female
Actor to Play Multiple Roles

Any age -- will play characters in their 30s through 60s,
Any
,
Male

This male-identifying actor of any age or ethnicity plays multiple roles:
Ed, a corporate executive
Danielle’s Dad
Jimmy, a quiet older office worker
James Richter, a kindly artist
Paul, a nice vanilla guy, living a nice vanilla life
A Priest
Nick, a criminal
Can be played by:
- Age:
  Any adult age
- Race/Ethnicity:
  Any race/ethnicity
- Gender:
  Male

Development History

Reading
,
Naked Angels NYC
,
2020

Production History

Fringe
,
Madlab Theatre, Columbus
,
2022

New Play Exchange