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Fit to be Tied by Diversionary Theatre 
The holidays are here early in San Diego theatre, and
Diverionary Theatre’s gift is unbridled fits of laughter generated by Nicky
Silver’s witty comedy Fit to be Tied about the bonding together of a
most unusual family (even by Diversionary’s standards!).
At the center of the festivities is Arloc Simpson, the gay heir to his father’s fortune who inherited the money at the young age of twelve. Arloc’s cheating, nymphomaniac mother Nessa received zilch. And although the two have shared a hilariously testy relationship (ever since the lawsuits Nessa filed), Arloc does give mom a generous allowance. As a good son, he offers her even more if she will leave her second husband George who they both dislike even more than they dislike each other. But problems arise when she decides to leave George and move in with Arloc on the same night that he has tied up the terrified Boyd (a handsome male angel from a Christmas pageant) while on their very first date. The comedy is filled with clever and outrageous dialogue, characters, and situations, not to mention a second act that becomes touching and sentimental without losing its witty edge. Director Delicia Turner Sonnenberg and her small, talented cast seem to have the comic timing perfectly in tune. As the hussy, semi-alcoholic, blunt-speaking mom who is prone to exaggeration and whose mind and mouth work at a million miles a minute going from one subject to another (while her son miraculously keeps up with her chain of thought), Jill Drexler is phenomenally funny. Her character also has the best zingers to deliver, and she delivers them on the mark every time. Joey Landwehr is right on the mark as well in the role of her son Arloc who was content to live his life doing basically nothing until he sees his “angel” and begins to worry that he may not have as much time as he had always assumed. The two have great chemistry as a quirky mother-and-son team. The remainder of the cast includes a terrific performance by the confused, then understandably scared, Brennan Taylor as the angel who gets himself strapped into a “severe-looking” chair that Arloc has purchased just for this occasion. Together the three form a unique, little family love triangle just in time to enjoy the holidays. George Soete rounds out the cast as Nessa’s rather pathetic husband who nobody likes, but who is pathetic enough to be pitied. After all, the holidays are a time for forgiveness, coming together, and in some cases a little S&M…Performs through December 7, 2004.
~ Cast ~
Nessa: Jill Drexler Arloc: Joey Landwehr Boyd: Brennan Taylor Carl: George Soete Director: Delicia Turner Sonnenberg Scene Design: David Weiner Light Design: Jen Setlow Costume Design: Allison Pokladowski Stage Manager: Nadine Lindseth Sound Design: Robbie Henry |