The Great Gaffe by Jennifer O'Grady

Published in THE BEST TEN-MINUTE PLAYS 2016

(10 Min) Pulitzer-Prize-winning novelist Edith Wharton gives a tea party for F. Scott Fitzgerald, struggling young author of THE GREAT GATSBY, with disastrous results.
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The Great Gaffe

Recommended by

  • Toby Malone:
    6 Aug. 2020
    “ A quippy, to-the-point recreation of a tea engagement between literary titans gleaned from a single, caustic line in Wharton's diary. Terrific work. ”
  • Rex McGregor:
    5 Aug. 2020
    “ I love the scintillating dialogue and the contrast between the characters. ”
  • Doug DeVita:
    11 May. 2020
    “ Ah, the self-involved impatience of youth! It’s the perfect foil to the gravitas of experience. And in the hands of O’Grady, it proves a delightful opportunity to pit the callow F. Scott Fitzgerald against the august Edith Wharton in a mismatch of wits — guess who prevails? Read this gem of a play and find out. Tea has never been so satisfying. ”
View all 9 recommendations

Character Information

  • Scott Fitzgerald
    28
    Author of THE GREAT GATSBY.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      20s, 30s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Male
  • Edith Wharton
    63
    Pulitzer-Prize-winning novelist.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      50s, 60s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Female
  • Teddy Chanler
    23.
    A music student and Wharton family friend.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      20s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Any gender

Development History

  • Reading
    ,
    Caravan Theatre (U.K.)
    ,
    2020

Production History

  • Professional
    ,
    Monster Box Theatre (MI)
    ,
    2016

Awards

Selection
,
Publication--The Best Ten-Minute Plays 2016
,
Smith and Kraus