- The Ties That Bind creates a triangle that touches every emotional
button from intrigue to laughter, from deceit to redemption and as
the play develops each character progresses exposing inner
qualities not seen earlier in the story. It begins with a casual
meeting in a bar, escalating to a pick-up where a woman (Sandy)
brings a man home (David) presumably for more flirtation and sex.
She is very anxious to take her new lover to bed, which
confuses him, not being used to being the pursued.
When her roommate Eileen enters the room, the entire
dynamic changes.
She barrages David with personal questions and when he goes
out of the room, they whisper, they plot, they scheme behind his
back, and your mind is flailing wildly trying to figure out what
these two have planned.
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- Why is
Sandy so anxious to have sex with David?
Why is Eileen such an inquisitor?
While their reasons may seem unusual to some, there is, as
they say, method to their madness. In spite of the tension, there
are many giggles and chuckles and as we learn more about their
plan the more serious it gets.
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- Their
scheme is not diabolical.
We thought they might be after a kidney or a cornea or some
such body part, but it goes way beyond that.
They want a baby!
Sandy has been trolling the bars each month, and when she
finds a prospect, she brings him home for Eileen’s third degree
screening. After weeks of rejects they settle on David to father
their baby.
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- Elena
Fabri is absolutely excellent as Sandy, the woman anxious to be
bedded so she can get pregnant. Her predatory attitude not
withstanding, she's the one who begins to display deep emotional
feelings and caring and one wonders about her real motivation.
Lance Delgado is nothing short of terrific as David, who can’t
figure out why this woman is so ravenous for sex.
His transformation boomerangs him from horny to cynical to
deeply empathic. Roommate Eileen is a little like a
barracuda, gnawing into David’s personal life, down to his
family’s medical history.
Holly Clapham is wonderful giving her character a
manipulative brashness that is relentless, and barely mellows
maintaining a laser focus that never goes off target.
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- Written
by Matthew Witten, the play is rich with sharp and brisk dialogue.
Their interchange touches on current issues, like same sex unions,
biological parent’s rights, gay parents, privacy and other
questions that blur the line between the legal and the moral.
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- How they
resolve their dilemma is the stuff that makes for good stories.
Played against the background of their condo, the three
people discuss the event with self serving arguments on every
side.
You don’t often see a human life negotiated much like a
futures commodity, but as they reach final closure we see that
each one has experienced a growth of sorts, and also a loss of
sorts and even if one does not agree with the premise, it’s
evident that no matter what settlement they reach, their lives
will be bound forever whether they want to or not.
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- This
play is funny, it’s sad, it’s thought provoking and when you
leave you will definitely have a whole new outlook on the subject
matter. Tony Savant directs.
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- Pick of the Week
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