←Recommendations of A Grove, Again

Going into this with zero knowledge of its content, I was carried along so effortlessly by the tone, the humanity, and the heart of this play. The revelations of the plot, the pain of this family, and the depth of love exhibited by these characters are profound and moving. Lovely work.

I once received the greatest compliment and today, I pass it on to Vince Gatton: "Fuck you for writing this play." No one writes about gun violence with his intimacy and economy. Each line, every moment, is perfectly naturalistic poetic realism. From repeated phrases to repeated movements. Dissertations could be written about the smallest beats. And the heart of this play is as impossibly delicate as it is infinitely vast. Even the title: three words and a comma devastate in restrospect. Perfect!

A play with a strong theatrical symbol - the puzzle on the table - that does not get in the way of the characters. This requires skill, intelligence . . . and heart. Vince Gatton's play "A Grove, Again" is yet another snap shot into the tortured world of the American family. Nicely done!

Vince Gatton's A Grove, Again is tender, poignant, and masterful, resonating in its simplicity. What begins as a simple activity eventually reveals so much more under the surface. I knew, understood, and wanted to embrace all three characters. How quickly a life/lives can change in an instant. . . even for the lucky ones.

This is a perfect example of what a 10-minute piece should be. A problem, a conflict, a resolution, and someone is changed. And we (and the characters) move on with life. A Grove, Again also provides a misdirect at the beginning to begin expectations in one place, then everything changes in a heartbeat. Very well, done, easily presented.

A perfectly shaped puzzle-piece of a play. In a world, like a dark forest where we have lost our way, Gatton is here to help guide us. There is pain. There is loss. But there is also selfless giving and the hope of finding what's lost to complete and free us from this puzzle, again.

Vince Gatton reminds us that after the climax of a tumultuous event, there's still the resolution to navigate. "A Grove, Again" doesn't build false hopes for a happy ending; it's far more humane than that in showing that life is a process. Audiences will enjoy this good, subtle story.

Such heartbreak. Such pain. Such love. VINCE GATTON has created a world where memories haunt and the current moment loops. We hurt for this family. Tragedy and trauma keep them in the grove of hope and grace. Beautiful work.

If you know and love Vince Gatton's work, then you're familiar with a very particular, beautiful sort of mounting dread - of wondering when the spell of poetic, perfectly realized daily life is going to be shattered by the Horrible Thing that's lurking around the corner. In A GROVE, AGAIN, Gatton has a story and theatrical structure that perfectly fits his puzzle box style, all in service of a gut-wrenching tale of a family caught in a never-ending loop of putting itself back together again after tragedy. Remarkable as always!

What a poetic, satisfying little gem of a play—and those who know Gatton's work get an extra level of satisfaction as they figure out where this "puzzle piece" fits into his larger body of moving, quirky, gorgeous, and timely work. Curiosity and confusion give way to profound sadness, which gives way to hope, all in ten pages of surprisingly spare dialogue. Gatton trusts the audience to "put the pieces together" and construct the story of this family. I love the sense of play in the early staging choices, the intimate relationships, and the way it comes full circle.