←Recommendations of Watercolors

Watercolors never lets you down. It's engaging from start to finish as it introduces us to real people in complicated relationships. These characters navigate through memories that are both warmly and unhappily recalled, taking us on a journey we think we see the end of only to have it take an unexpected turn. The play features four excellent parts for men, and calls for a set as elaborate or as simple as you want to make it. Any audience will find its time well spent with this play.

I watched the reading of this piece from the Valdez Theatre Conference and enjoyed every minute of it. The dialog is real and relatable, even if you're not entrenched in the art world. The story unfolds in such a way that you get a glimpses into what's next without it being spoiled -- a perfectly designed maze where every turn feels like you can just about see the end, pulling you along with loving anticipation. The idea of different mediums of art as a metaphor for life is beautiful and unique.

I heard WATERCOLORS read at the Valdez Theatre Conference. It was a highlight. Having heard/read many of his plays, I think WATERCOLORS is one of his absolute best. Philip explores grief and love with a rare courage, plumbing his own life to present authentic characters who you will quickly come to know and care about deeply. Filled with exceptional writing and heart, I highly recommend this moving one-act.

06.20.25 - I highly recommend Philip Middleton Williams' touching piece about loss and legacy. Williams perfectly sets up the awkward four-sided triangle at the center of the play with lead Nick having to navigate honoring his dead lover's body of work, balancing it against a new relationship (also named Eric) and dealing with Ed, a teacher Nick holds partially responsible for the loss of his first love. Mixing art and emotional layers, Williams creates a beautiful picture with heart. Wonderful.

Having gotten to both read this play and experience actors speaking the lines, Philip Middleton Williams WATERCOLORS explores the place of grief, memory, and legacy that occupies such large portions of our life. The play asks big questions, poses a complex and deeply emotional choice, and takes the world of art into the world of the soul. Nothing is easy in this play, and yet for all its complication, WATERCOLORS never sacrifices its heart. A wonderfully rendered painting of a play.

This playwright has produced some of the most transcendent and beautiful works about grief and loss that I have ever read, and this piece ably continues that legacy. In this case we have the rich thematic possibilities brought up by art and the artistic process used to filter the overwhelming force of grief. The characters are rich and lived in, their interplay both subtle and potent, building up to a close that leaves us spent, cleansed, and steeped in renewal. I absolutely loved this journey.

Wow! Such a wonderful play about grief and loss, but also about keeping someone's legacy alive though their art. I enjoy how Philip Middleton Williams creates the relationships between the characters and how everything flows so beautifully. There are also some funny and sweet moments too. This play also reminded me of when I would walk through art galleries and learn about the artists who made them. Watercolors is a beautiful work of art indeed! Bravo Philip!

I had the pleasure of viewing a reading of this recently, and it was wonderful. The concept of legacy always intrigues me, and PMW brings great thought to the subject through these well-drawn and engaging characters. How do we move on in life when needed? How are we remembered? I was moved by the exploration of both those concepts. There are also nice touches of humor throughout that keep the play moving along effectively. In the end, this was a marvelous piece of art to experience.

Blame, grudge, grief, and love are tackled with Philip Middleton Williams usual poise and dialogue so human, so real you can hear it. Extraordinarily, the late Eric who is discussed but not seen in this play, is as well-crafted as any of the other characters. Williams paints perfect portraits in each of these layered men, navigating love and loss each in their own unique way.

With Watercolors, I particularly enjoyed the way the themes of grief and loss and also the themes of art and what it truly means to be an artist, were explored. The way these themes were woven together through the plotline was quite beautiful, and I was moved to tears at the end: there was much to engage and surprise. The gentleness and humanity of Williams' characters give a warmth to the tone of his writing, which I particularly appreciate.