Can't Live Without You by Philip Middleton Williams

Scripts and production rights are available through Next Stage Press.

Full-Length: (2002) Donny is a successful writer of romance novels living in the Florida Keys with his girlfriend, Anna, a successful realtor.  Both have what they think is their dream life.  To make things even better, Donny’s agent Barbara arrives to offer him more money by turning his bodice-rippers into made-for-TV movies...
Scripts and production rights are available through Next Stage Press.

Full-Length: (2002) Donny is a successful writer of romance novels living in the Florida Keys with his girlfriend, Anna, a successful realtor.  Both have what they think is their dream life.  To make things even better, Donny’s agent Barbara arrives to offer him more money by turning his bodice-rippers into made-for-TV movies.  But then, Bobby Cramer appears.  He is the main character in the novel that Donny abandoned to write romance novels.  Bobby asks Donny: “Why have you left me in the bottom of your desk drawer?  I’d like to know what happened to me.”  This leads to a series of confrontations between the author and his fictional character who is, in many ways, the guy Donny wishes he could be.  Meanwhile, Anna begins to look at her life and wonders if just selling real estate is all there is for her.  She’d like to start a family.  Donny must choose between Anna and their comfortable life or Bobby and the unknown.

Three monologues are included in The Best Men's Monologues 2019, published by The Applause Acting Series.
  • Recommend
  • Download
  • Save to Reading List

Can't Live Without You

Recommended by

  • Jan Probst:
    28 Jun. 2022
    “ An entertaining and beautifully crafted play. With the sharp, precise dialogue we have come to expect from Williams, and a character who literally leaps off the page, this intriguing story comes to life. An unpredictable romantic comedy that packs lots of laughs, Can't Live Without You is right on target for anyone who has ever wondered what happened to their big dream. ”
  • Donald E. Baker:
    12 Apr. 2022
    “ What more could you want? One set, small cast, well-rounded characters, engaging story, all put together by Williams’s sure hand. Donny, a writer of bodice-ripping romances, has always allowed other people—his girlfriend, his agent—to make major life decisions for him. Now Bobby, a character from Donny’s never-completed work of serious fiction, manifests himself, demanding all of Donny’s attention. But working on Bobby's novel would require Donny to make radical changes in his relationships and income. Reality and inspiration collide in this excellent work. ”
  • Lisa Dellagiarino Feriend:
    10 Jun. 2021
    “ What a terrific play! "Can't Live Without You" finds Donny, a writer of successful if uninspiring romance novels, working to meet his deadline when Bobby, the protagonist of his unfinished Great American Novel, shows up and makes him take a long, hard look at his life. The characters are rich and layered, the dialogue is engaging, and I love all the the little theatrical moments, especially the scene in which two of Donny's characters appear, interact, rewind, and start again as Donny writes and deletes, writes and deletes. Then Bobby starts interrogating them, and it's pretty much perfect. So good! ”
View all 14 recommendations

Character Information

The character of Nick needs to be handsome and well-built; in one scene in Act II he plays a romance-novel hero. Bobby Cramer is also described as physically attractive since he is Donny's idea of his idealized self.

  • Bobby Cramer
    21-25,
    Any (but probably white)
    An attractive young man who is a character in a novel. In good physical condition.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      20s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      White
    • Gender: 
      Male
  • Anna Morgan
    30-35,
    Any (but probably white)
    Business-like and but can also be a romantic.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      30s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      White
    • Gender: 
      Female
  • Donny Hollenbeck
    30-35,
    Any (but probably white)
    A writer of romance novels; laid-back but also still searching for his true calling.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      30s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      White
    • Gender: 
      Male
  • Barbara Solomon
    40's, Array
    Large (not necessarily physically), loud, all business.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      40s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      White
    • Gender: 
      Female
  • Nick Wilson
    30-35,
    Any (but probably white)
    Handsome, well-built; a former high school football hero and not a deep thinker.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      30s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      White
    • Gender: 
      Male

Development History

  • Reading
    ,
    SoBe Arts, Miami Beach
    ,
    2014
  • Reading
    ,
    University of Miami Theatre Department
    ,
    2005

Production History

  • Professional
    ,
    Willow Theatre - The Playgroup LLC, Boca Raton, Florida
    ,
    2019
  • Professional
    ,
    Manhattan Rep
    ,
    2008

Awards

Finalist
,
The Playgroup LLC 2017 Playwriting Contest
,
The Playgroup LLC of Pompano Beach, Florida
,
2017