An extraordinary tale of camaraderie, duty, and determination on the high seas. This sea is rising fast as the boat is going down. In yet another ten-minute masterpiece (truly, it is), Gatton knocks our heroes and his audience to and fro as emotions surge, buffeted by revelation and circumstance. The way he navigates our expectations and hopes for these characters is equal parts comforting and cruel. A perfect play that gets bonus points for a much discussed pop culture Easter egg. I wish I had written it.

Like many a great short play, the setup is a grabber and the stakes are immediately recognizable if not fully revealed. (There's an iceberg metaphor here somewhere.) As a ship is sinking, two men discover and exhibit true courage. A simple enough idea, but conveyed with tremendous heart, nuance, and tension. Beautifully done.

Vince Gatton knows that a person's true self is revealed under duress. And "Courage, Lads" places Enright and Carter into immediate duress even before the lights go up on the scene. You want a play about courage and duty and friendship and revelations of true selves in a highly theatrical, pulse-pounding, open-hearted script? "Courage, Lads" is your choice.