I and You

I and You by Lauren Gunderson

(48)
Productions (290)
Drama
|
90 - 100 minutes
1 W, 1 M, 
Content Notes: Optional adult language.
Set: A realistic teen girl's bedroom.

One afternoon, Anthony arrives unexpectedly at classmate Caroline's door bearing a beat-up copy of Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass, an urgent assignment from their English teacher. Homebound due to illness, Caroline hasn't been to school in months, but she is as quick and sardonic as Anthony is athletic, sensitive, and popular. As these two let down their guards and share their secrets, this seemingly mundane poetry project unlocks a much deeper mystery that has brought them together. I and You is an ode to youth, life, love, and the strange beauty of human connectedness. Read More

Play Details

One afternoon, Anthony arrives unexpectedly at classmate Caroline's door bearing a beat-up copy of Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass, an urgent assignment from their English teacher. Homebound due to illness, Caroline hasn't been to school in months, but she is as quick and sardonic as Anthony is athletic, sensitive, and popular. As these two let down their guards and share their secrets, this seemingly mundane poetry project unlocks a much deeper mystery that has brought them together. I and You is an ode to youth, life, love, and the strange beauty of human connectedness.

Website: IAndYouPlay.tumblr.com

  • Drama
  • |
  • 90 - 100 minutes
  • 1 W, 1 M, 
  • Content Notes: Optional adult language.
  • Set: A realistic teen girl's bedroom.
  • Standard Edition ISBN: 978-1-62384-277-2

Published Reviews

"...sharp and funny. Gunderson taps into a buoyant spirit...the touching 'barbaric yawp' (Whitman's phrase) of these two deeply engaging kids."

Nelson Pressle, The Washington Post

"By the close, Gunderson has guided us toward a sublime transfiguration that encompasses 'Leaves of Grass,' John Coltrane, Jerry Lee Lewis, space and time, bodies and spirits, death and rebirth."

The New Yorker

"...a validation of the human experience, and of the triumph of life over death. Gunderson's gift is the best thing a play can offer: we might be better people after seeing it."

Tim Treanor, DC Theatre Scene

"The striking twists and turns along the progression of the rapid-paced work are astonishing, breath-taking, and mind-blowing."

Amanda Gunther, DC Metro Theater Arts

"Unforgettable. The end will leave you gasping."

Patricia Leslie, Washington Speaks

"I'm not sure when the last time I went to a live theater performance and left it thinking 'I need to tell everyone about this!' That's the way I feel about I and You."

Jane Sutter, Democrat & Chronicle

"There's no way to reveal why I and You is phenomenal, because it happens so fast you almost don't know what's happening. Which makes the ending even more stunning."

Leah Stacy, (585) Magazine

"A charming, thought-provoking surprise."

The North Bay Bohemian

Production History

JUL 27, 2023 - AUG 06, 2023
Rochester Repertory Theatre
Rochester, MN United States
Rochester Repertory TheatreRochester, MN United States
JUN 09, 2023 - JUN 24, 2023
Iron Horse Theatre Company
Leetsdale, PA United States
Iron Horse Theatre CompanyLeetsdale, PA United States
JUN 09, 2023 - JUN 18, 2023
Theatre Charlotte
Charlotte, NC United States
Theatre CharlotteCharlotte, NC United States
APR 06, 2023 - APR 16, 2023
World Stage Theatre Company
Tulsa, OK United States
World Stage Theatre CompanyTulsa, OK United States
MAR 24, 2023 - APR 02, 2023
Western Edge Theatre
Nanaimo, BC Canada
Western Edge TheatreNanaimo, BC Canada
MAR 23, 2023 - MAR 23, 2023
Rome Little Theatre
Rome, GA United States
Rome Little TheatreRome, GA United States
MAR 17, 2023 - MAR 26, 2023
Rome Little Theatre
Rome, GA United States
Rome Little TheatreRome, GA United States
FEB 03, 2023 - FEB 26, 2023
Valley Center Stage
North Bend, WA United States
Valley Center StageNorth Bend, WA United States
JAN 16, 2023 - FEB 18, 2023
VM Theatre Productions Ltd
, AL Austria
VM Theatre Productions Ltd, AL Austria
DEC 03, 2022 - DEC 03, 2022
Celebration High School
Cocoa Beach, FL United States
Celebration High SchoolCocoa Beach, FL United States
1 of 29
No upcoming productions.
JAN 16, 2023 - FEB 18, 2023
VM Theatre Productions Ltd
, AL Austria
VM Theatre Productions Ltd, AL Austria
AUG 17, 2022 - SEP 04, 2022
Peninsula Players Theatre
Fish Creek, WI United States
Peninsula Players TheatreFish Creek, WI United States
MAR 30, 2022 - APR 17, 2022
Portland Stage Company
Portland, ME United States
Portland Stage CompanyPortland, ME United States
JAN 18, 2022 - FEB 13, 2022
Bristol Riverside Theatre
Bristol, PA United States
Bristol Riverside TheatreBristol, PA United States
OCT 13, 2021 - OCT 30, 2021
Boise Contemporary Theater
Boise, ID United States
Boise Contemporary TheaterBoise, ID United States
MAR 08, 2021 - MAR 21, 2021
The Public Theatre
Lewiston, ME United States
The Public TheatreLewiston, ME United States
NOV 22, 2020 - NOV 25, 2020
The Tampa Repertory Theatre
Tampa, FL United States
The Tampa Repertory TheatreTampa, FL United States
APR 14, 2020 - APR 26, 2020
Alabama Shakespeare Festival
Montgomery, AL United States
Alabama Shakespeare FestivalMontgomery, AL United States
AUG 22, 2019 - AUG 31, 2019
Chemainus Theatre Festival
Chemainus, BC Canada
Chemainus Theatre FestivalChemainus, BC Canada
JUL 17, 2019 - JUL 18, 2019
Oak Park Festival Theatre
Itasca, IL United States
Oak Park Festival TheatreItasca, IL United States
1 of 5

Awards (2)

Winner of the Harold and Mimi Steinberg / American Theatre Critics Association New Play Award ( 2014)

The Susan Smith Blackburn Prize (Finalist, 2014)