←Recommendations of But Soft

The undertones of this short piece are those of the unspoken but ironclad rules of teens and boarding school life, but are universal in all ages and situations: do not speak the truth out loud but let other ways or words make it clear. We all know this, and Vince Gatton uses the moment to show the shields and the armor-chinks in a way that rings so true for these two boys who are learning how to confront their own feelings for themselves and each other through the immortal words of Shakespeare's meter and joy.

These boys warmed my heart in a way I honestly should have expected, given the pedigree of the playwright. Vince Gatton captures the pre-audition jitters and heart-fluttering excitement of youth with remarkable expertise. "But Soft" is a well-measured delight.

Weird and amazing. As a habitual Benvolio, I felt this scripts a hundred ways from Sunday. High praise to Vince Gatton, who is galloping apace to becoming one of favorite playwrights on this site, or in general really.

And just like that, I want to direct Romeo and Juliet. Gatton gets the love portion of R&J but more importantly, he gets the adolescent perspective. There are some sharp references about meter and truth. And yearning.

This is the best Scott Sickles play Scott Sickles didn't write.