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Philip Middleton Williams

Recommended by Philip Middleton Williams

  • Escobar's Hippo by Franky D. Gonzalez
    14 May. 2020
    “ The absurdity of this play makes it even more powerful. The idea of humanity surrendering to a lumbering herd of hippopotami is reminiscent of Eugene Ionesco's "Rhinoceros," but with the unique and deeply incisive viewpoint that Franky Gonzalez brings to every story he weaves. The laugh-out-loud comedy in both the dialogue and stage directions takes us from laughter to tears in the moment, and the Brooksian slapstick of the townspeople as they confront the hippos and their own response is just one reason to bring this work to the stage. Oh, if only Zero Mostel was here... ”
  • Recipe (a Zoom play) by Robert Weibezahl
    13 May. 2020
    “ While social distancing and Zoom may have changed our lives, it doesn't change the family dynamic. (I think Robert zoom-bombed my last family get-together.) "Recipe" has all the back-and-forth you'd expect to hear at a family dinner, so even a dance of electrons and pixels doesn't change it. Well-written with likeable and relatable characters, and a touch of nostalgia for the way things used to be, but going into the brave new isolated world. ”
  • Intellectuals by Scott Sickles
    13 May. 2020
    “ "Intellectuals" is a 21st century version of one of my favorite forms of theatre, the comedy of manners. In the same way that Richard Brinsley Sheridan skewered the social norms and used wit and charm to poke fun and reveal the true nature of human relations of 18th century England, Scott Sickles does it with wit, charm, and totally lovable characters. There's not a missed beat in the volley and the follies of the couples and the newcomers to their lives, and even if you suspect you know where it's going, you'll love the trip. ”
  • Ada and the Engine by Lauren Gunderson
    13 May. 2020
    “ This was presented as a reading at the William Inge Theatre Festival and is an intricate and absorbing play about a hidden figure in the Industrial Revolution. Ada Byron Lovelace's story is told with passion, and the characters are fully developed and compelling. It would be mesmerizing on the stage. ”
  • Melto Man and Lady Mantis by Eric Pfeffinger
    13 May. 2020
    “ I saw this at City Theatre in Miami and loved it. It's funny, truthful, and wacky enough to really get you laughing and loving the moments. ”
  • VALVE JOB by Vivian Lermond
    13 May. 2020
    “ Having just spent a tidy -- but worth it -- sum on repairs of a beloved companion, this little gem had me smiling all the way. ”
  • The Ark by Matthew Weaver
    12 May. 2020
    “ If Sunday school had been like this, I'd have gone more. Matthew Weaver's unique abilities as a storyteller are on full display for children and adults alike in this take on Noah's Ark, and it's all fun and mirth from start to finish. ”
  • LOVE IS BLIND (1-2 minute play) by Elisabeth Giffin Speckman
    11 May. 2020
    “ Love is not only blind, it's desperate. But you can't help but smile and laugh as Timothy and Kay figure out the perfect wedding under trying circumstances, doggoneit! ”
  • Erotica for People Who Really, Really Like Flour by Matthew Weaver
    11 May. 2020
    “ Some of the greatest slapstick comedy ever created was done in silence. Think of Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Lucille Ball, Ernie Kovacs. Matthew Weaver gives us a waltz of the flours and it is all good fun with nary a word spoken. I would love to see this fully staged, and you would, too. ”
  • My Heart is a Kaleidoscope (Waiting to be Turned) (1 minute play) by Elisabeth Giffin Speckman
    9 May. 2020
    “ This is a choral piece in every sense of the idea of thoughts -- similar, disparate, aching, loving, longing -- all coming together in a rhythm as natural as life and as vital. The imagination of how it would be staged is limitless because of its simplicity and meaning. ”

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