←Recommendations of Cabana Boy

This interesting romantic comedy/tragedy has you rooting for all four characters as the play unfolds and that is a wondrous thing to be able to do when writing. I had the pleasure of watching a filmed reading of this play from Philip's time in Alaska at the Last Frontier Theatre Conference. Gay themed but universal in its ideas.

A brilliant set-up, peopled by utterly realistic, nuanced characters in complex and fascinating relationships... Philip Middleton WIlliams never fails to surprise us with the endless voyeuristic joy of watching believable people living complicated lives on stage. In "Cabana Boy," he is at his best.

Cabana Boy is another gem from Philip. One of the hallmarks of Philip’s work is the humanity of his characters. Each one is well-drawn, believable and interesting. The story is compelling and relevant, filled with humor and empathy. This is a romantic comedy you can really sink your teeth into.

Cabana Boy is another gem from Philip. One of the hallmarks of Philip’s work is the humanity of his characters. Each one is well-drawn, believable and interesting. The story is compelling and relevant, filled with humor and empathy. This is a romantic comedy you can really sink your teeth into.

Cabana Boy made me laugh and made my heart melt. Philip Middleton Williams has excellently crafted a thorough story with four fully fleshed-out and believable characters.

A gentle, insightful story of a young man experiencing love and loss as he is compelled by circumstances to make important decisions about his future. The four characters all have nice depth. The dialogue is engaging with both comic elements and profound observations.

it seems obvious and inevitable that CABANA BOY will get a production and soon. With only four characters and a single simple set, the play does more in 90 minutes than any romantic comedy you are likely to see this year. A gay cabana boy virgin, a closeted movie star, the movie star's wife and colleague, and another cabana boy waltzing on and off stage alternating longing and professionalism, Williams gives us more hilarity, wisdom, depth of feeling and thought, with his four fully dimensioned characters than most romantic comedies accomplish with 50. Bravo

I had the great honor of directing Cabana Boy at the 2024 Valdez Theater Conference. And this play is an absolute feast of a show for a director. A story with heart and humor, compelling and conflicted characters, all set in a visually charged location. A must-see play for anyone who has ever fallen in love, fallen out of love, and struggled to understand both.

What would in other hands come off as acidic and cruel - the tale of a closeted Hollywood star and his affair with a young student working the off season at a resort - becomes in Williams' hands something far more wise and wistful. CABANA boy is a sweet and deeply compassionate romantic comedy, its quartet of characters - all quirky and smart and filled with longings their quirkiness and intelligence can't rationalize away no matter how hard they try - a delight to be around.

What a stellar romantic comedy Phillip Middleton Williams has crafted here. A frank, compelling story about an affair between unlikely lovers. The dialogue is crisp and the comedy is invigorating. Philip has you rooting for a multitude of outcomes while ultimately delivering the right one.