←Recommendations of Cabana Boy

A fun romantic fantasy with 4 great characters that actors will enjoy playing. This is a story that doesn't go where you think it is going to go, it's better than that.
I love a unique single-set location that allows a set designer to be creative. This show deserves a full production.

"Cabana Boy" submerges us into a poolside drama that ignites with enticing sensuality from its opening scene. The narrative revolves around Mitch and Ben, a duo of young gay men on a voyage of self-discovery. These intricately crafted characters adeptly navigate the complex tapestry of sexual intricacies, subtleties, strategies, and vulnerabilities, consistently holding our attention throughout their captivating journey. The buoyant and playful setting creates a charming juxtaposition to the profound evolution the characters undergo. Love to see it performed!

They call them trappings for a reason.

When an action star sets his sights on the hot, young Recreational Facilities Supervisor at a Florida resort... Traps, traps, traps! But not only for the titular cabana boy...

While Death in Venice is prominently referenced, the dynamics reminded me of The Age of Innocence: the triangle of a spoken-for man exploring passion with an "improper" inamorato. But here, that passion isn't love, it's possession. The movie star is a narcissist and the younger man... is trusting.

Still in early drafts, I'm excited to see where Williams takes these characters and us!

Philip's craft and outstanding storytelling once again blow me away. This is a brilliant piece, with a story that grabs you from the start and continues to keep the reader committed to the content. It has everything you hope for: a compelling story, well-drawn characters, and outstanding dialogue. This is just a fantastic example of what we playwrights should all strive to execute -- a great play.

Philip's craft and outstanding storytelling once again blow me away. This is a brilliant piece, with a story that grabs you from the start and continues to keep the reader committed to the content. It has everything you hope for: a compelling story, well-drawn characters, and outstanding dialogue. This is just a fantastic example of what we playwrights should all strive to execute -- a great play.

Pure entertainment from the outset; the conversation flows, and the depth of the characters' personas increasingly draws you in. Surprising subplot twists had me anticipating, "Now, how will he respond to that?" Cabana Boy does all this while teasing in the right ways at just the right moments.

Cabana Boy is brilliantly essential if only because it makes Florida GAY again. PMW crafts a poolside drama that crackles with sexual tension from the opening scene. I feel in love with all the characters, especially Mitch and Ben, young gay men coming of age in a world of frat houses, hotel room trysts and Hollywood backrooms. Cabana Boy generously imparts a health dose of Queer culture and history tucked into a red speedo. I loved it!

There are only three things to do in the Keys: drink, fish, and have affairs. Miriam and Alex are interested in the first and third. PMW drops hints from the beginning with literature jokes and references. A treatise at times on dramatic narrative, this play certainly tickles some intellectual fancies. That said, this is some of PMW's most accessible writing as it walks the tightrope from tension to comedy. Hitchcock said something about playing seduction like a murder. That watching these fully-developed characters navigate the complexities, subtleties, tactics, and vulnerabilities of sexuality is so engaging is PMW's major accomplishment here.

Cabana Boy is a perfect example of what a truly talented writer can do when they use their skills to develop a story and characters we grow to care about. It’s funny where it needs to be funny and dramatic when it needs to show that side of the coin. This is an authentic look at storytelling and characters, and I am thrilled to recommend this piece. And I am glad to have read it. It is just a wonderful play. I would love to see this performed. Excellent work!

Pancakes do have this terrible tendency: they're delicious and smell great, but sometimes, when you're finished eating, they leave you with a terrible, terrible sadness. When we remember it, do we remember those first fluffy bites, the anticipation of the batter in the pan, or do we mostly remember the pain? Do we wonder what it could have been if we built it into a full cake, covered in sweetness and icing and fruit?
Cabana Boy shows us a pancake. It's delicious and funny and sweet. Then it hurts our stomachs. But then, at the very end, the aftertaste.... Brava.