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Philip Middleton Williams

Recommended by Philip Middleton Williams

  • Stiff Competition by John Busser
    4 Oct. 2021
    “ The trope "It's funny because it's true" seems to be proven in this darkly hilarious tale of a parent having concerns about a certain science project. Having been a teacher and watched with fascinating horror as some parents take over the science fair and observe the response from the administration, John Busser's short two-hander is a lot closer to reality than you'd hope to think. His characters and their interaction is pure gold. ”
  • Road Movies and Why We Hate Them by Maximillian Gill
    2 Oct. 2021
    “ I honestly believe that Peter Sellers would produce this play and find a way to star in it and perhaps play several roles. It's a satire of epic proportions told at a lightning pace and nails every cliche of the Hollywood spy thriller, using everything from Marx Brothers-style dialogue to Chaplinesque stage movement and a well-deserved poke at the way foreign policy and war-mongering wags the dog. I stopped counting the references, real or implied, and just let the characters have their fun. Maximillian Gill's skills as both a writer and observer of humanity are amazing. ”
  • Not Fade Away - a Monologue by Marjorie Bicknell
    28 Sep. 2021
    “ There is so much said in this casual, almost genial recollection of how this girl -- now all grown up -- got this scar. It is the one that lingers beyond all the others because it never really healed. The family dynamic is told concisely in this moment of grown-over tissue that doesn't go for the trauma and the fear, but the matter-of-fact way that says so much by telling us just enough. ”
  • Babies React To... by DC Cathro
    27 Sep. 2021
    “ We're familiar with the butterfly effect: a small action somewhere leads to world-shaking results. In this taut and tightly-scripted tale of unintended consequences, DC Cathro takes a simple action by a father with his infant daughter and is shocked by her response. What unfolds after that is more than just butterfly wings; it is pulling the bottom jenga piece or putting the last snowflake on the hillside that causes the avalanche, and Brenda and Mike are left to deal with the aftermath. ”
  • A Reasonable Expectation of Privacy by Suzanne Bronson
    27 Sep. 2021
    “ The lengths that some people will go to to achieve what they perceive to be fame can bring out unknown -- and scary -- qualities. In this darkly comic, cringe-inducing look at the draw of so-called "reality TV," Suzanne Bronson brings out the id of her characters in ways that echo the rawness of Sam Shepard. This isn't told as satire; to do so would miss the point. The characters are not caricatures, and their motives are no more craven than anyone else. But when someone says they'll kill for their fifteen minutes of fame, believe it. ”
  • Bad Daughter by Julie Weinberg
    27 Sep. 2021
    “ Is there a more tried and true theme in playwriting than the family? It's been a staple of the stage since the Greeks (Oedipus, call your mother...) through Shakespeare (Oh, those whacky Danes in Elsinore), and into the modern age from Tennessee Williams to Tracey Letts. But there's always a new way to tell because each family is different with their own tales and rivalries, and Julie Weinberg finds wonderfully rich veins to tap in her snappy and fully-crafted characters and story. There's so much fun and honesty here that it deserves to be shared and savored. ”
  • Homestar by Benjamin V. Marshall
    27 Sep. 2021
    “ "Homestar" takes us to a world of dreams and nightmares as these women search for answers in a place where the glitter and promise of riches is just the surface over a layer of seediness and artifice. No one seems to know exactly what they really want in their search for the truth behind Leigh-Leigh's murder. Benjamin V. Marshall's characters are lyrically beautiful and repulsive, often in the same breath, and the picture he paints stretches the imagination. A stunning work. ”
  • Purdah by J.Lois Diamond
    27 Sep. 2021
    “ Peter Stone, who gave us "1776," once said that "History writes lousy drama." Not in this case, however. J. Lois Diamond gives us a compelling and fascinating look into one of the most influential families in the history of modern India. Kamala Nehru, the mother of Indira Gandhi, fought all her life to end the practice of Purdah; the isolation of women. As she does in all of her plays, J.Lois Diamond brings these people to full dimension, and the story is inspirational. ”
  • Duffel Bag (monologue) by Christian St. Croix
    26 Sep. 2021
    “ It's the little things that remind us of moments, friends, relationships. They stop us in our tracks as we try to hold on to them. The traces, the bits and pieces, become a journey of reflection and solace. In this piece where Brian is reminding us of those little things that make the larger connection, and for the moment, the details don't matter so much as does the bond between two souls. ”
  • The Cardinal by DC Cathro
    26 Sep. 2021
    “ A touching and altogether lovely moment between mother and son, each finding their own kind of miracle in the appearance of a cardinal on the windowsill. DC Cathro's unfailing touch with character and dialogue moves us, makes us laugh, and -- for me, at least -- see a moment that is both close to home and comforting. ”

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