←Recommendations of Things I Learned While Careening Toward the Center of the Universe

i do not talk to people at the airport. But on the rare occasions when someone starts talking to me (and we aren't complaining) it's generally pleasant. We learn about the small things that are important to us. The true heroes of an airport are the gate agents. They deal with so much bullshit from the people I don't talk to. This play gives us two wayward travelers even I would enjoy, a gate agent by which all should be measured, and the small things they love. Make it so, indeed! [1/27/25]

[2024-12-29]

Families would be great if not for all the people. While Marvin and Paige have obligations to meet, they're not all that enthusiastic about going home for the holidays — with good reason. The connection they form in Philip Middleton Williams' lovely short play is all the holiday magic either of them, or we audience members, need. A relatable short piece that would be a welcome addition to any festival.

THINGS I LEARNED CAREENING TOWARD THE CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE is a lovely holiday slice of life with family problems and Star Trek metaphors. A beautiful short for any seasonal show.

I don’t think it’s wrong to say morale is low in society at the moment. We’re dealing with so much that the airplane malfunction in Williams’ play feels almost quaint. The characters certainly accept it without much fuss and roll with the punches. In doing so, we encounter a scene that thoughtfully muses on family, connection, and what the most important things in our little, old universe actually are. It’s a gorgeous piece of work, one where the simplicity & matter-of-factness moves mountains.

[12/8/24] I greatly enjoyed this spin on the "holiday travel plans fall through" trope; Philip Middleton Williams--as always--evokes great slice-of-life human interaction without treading into any clichéd executions of this trope. This is a scenario of three people staying in the moment with an awareness of what really matters in life, and in--dare I say--the universe.

A poignant, wistful holiday offering. When I attended a (Secret Santa) Zoom reading of this play, we in the audience all reflected on the kindness of the characters despite their plans going astray.
There can be holiday plays with plenty of schmaltz, but here is one that shows the realities of holidays, and in doing so displays our humanity.
Philip Middleton Williams knows what he's doing.

I love that this is a play about travel plans going sideways and ruining have-to-be-there family moments, but instead of anybody screaming, they seem to forge a bit of a friendship instead. I also really love the idea of our family being the universe we exist in. What a touching short!

Here Williams takes an out-of-this world play prompt and presents a down-to-earth script with characters you begin to care about immediately. The dialogue is as natural as you please as two stranded strangers get to know each other in the company of a very empathetic gate agent. All three reveal what the centers of their individual universes are in a work that will be a gift to any festival of short holiday plays.

Williams' "Things I Learned While Careening Toward the Center of the Universe" reminds us that civility and cordiality can rise to the top when folks are under duress, and that they, in turn, lift everyone up. [24/12/01]

This liminal play could have been tense and full of angst. My favorite thing about it is that it isn't. Somehow, the action of the piece is tender, genuine vulnerability, creating an almost magical sense of connection between strangers in only ten minutes... and those strangers are rich, specific characters with relatable problems and familiar, delightful quirks! I loved getting to know them. Plus, the satisfying structure, with its heartwarming button, is a charming end to a charming piece!