←Recommendations of The Country Squire

[2026-03-09]

"The Country Squire" deftly tackles issues of legacy, family and what it means to belong. Philip Middleton Williams expertly builds a world that the audience will recognize and populates it with layered, nuanced characters with whom we instantly identify. This is a terrific ensemble piece that tells a compelling story. I loved it.

Philip Middleton Williams is the master of the “lived in” play world, and this pays off beautifully throughout The Country Squire, his latest full length effort. Everything from the affluent, storied community in which the play is set, to the central family and its various dynamics, feels meticulously crafted. Details that feel like decoration sneak up on you, and help to produce a poignant, lovely piece of theatre. A rich ensemble, ready for the stage.

This play warmed my heart so much. It's amazing how much sentimental value you can have on a place that means so much to you and your family. A place filled with memories and nostalgia. But it's also hard when you have to sell it and let it go. Family dynamics shift as this play goes on, and each scene is raw and compelling, and oh so beautiful and heartbreaking too. Philip Middleton Williams brings so much heart and care to these characters, and to this story. Beautiful work Philip!

I loved this play, and by the end I had tears. Time passes and the summers of our youth which feel they could go on forever, also pass. Parents age and houses which hold such dear memories must be sold. There's something very cruel about time, and with beautiful writing and impeccable structure, Williams explores a family dealing with this very problem. There's a warm humanity to Williams' plays which I always appreciate, and as I hoped, he ultimately reveals an answer to our dilemma.

This play touches the idea of class, in the social stratification sense, how it is inherited (some nice work here); but also class as in personal behavior, and in how you come to terms with your role upon this stage. I truly admire Philip's ability to bring us real, adult characters negotiating their lives and conflicts. These people are nothing like me, and I suspect I would sneer politely in their company. But, I dared Philip to make me care, and he did! This is compelling stuff.

Philip Middleton Williams has a talent for turning his characters' ordinary lives into extraordinary plays. Here, a family makes a very difficult decision and manages to come out the other side more or less intact. As in his "Cooler Near the Lake" and "Swimming Off the Big Dock," the community, a cluster of cottages of well-to-do summer people near Travers City, Michigan, looms large in the background and the atmosphere. A worthy and memorable addition to the Williams catalog.

My family recently had to sell off property that had been in our hands for generations. It's difficult. You know you must move on, but you also wish you could hold on. With obvious references to "The Cherry Orchard," Philip Middleton Williams captures those feelings with "The Country Squire." We come to care about the characters who are facing this difficult choice and we come to care about the property itself. The ending (no spoilers!) is happy, sad and wistful.

As a Michigander, not much gives me more pleasure than reading one of PMW's tales set in my beloved home state. And there's much to recognize here, not just in the geography but also the family dynamics and personalities of the Simmons. It's a rather lovely summer glow in getting to know these people. James Taylor once sang, "The secret of life is enjoying the passage of time." This play has definitely captured that secret. I reckon you're going to enjoy your passage of time with this work too.