Fit To Be Tied presented by Benevolent Theatre at Angel Island Theater

Chicago Reader - Somewhat Recommended

"...Falls for him so hard, in fact, that he takes Boyd hostage rather than run the risk of losing him. When Nessa walks in on the kidnapping, the results are grotesquely amoral but also kinda sweet. Fit to Be Tied could make for a cracked good evening if this Benevolent Theatre production were better. But director Sean Murphy can't get a handle on the motives that drive the characters' actions, which renders them arbitrary and silly rather than shocking and funny."

ChicagoCritic - Somewhat Recommended

"...That is part of the action here but director Sean Murphy couldn't decide how to consistently play Fit To be Tied as a dark farce or a quirky drama. The result is a mixed bag that comes off as simply weird. Are these characters all nuts? Certainly Arloc (Michael Palmenderi) sure is, and Nessa (Lily Sauvage) is a total narcissist, while Carl ( Gary Saipe) is a desperate lost soul. The lack of focus hurts this show. We can't decide to laugh or simply shutter at the wackiness of these misfits. The only 'sane' one here is Boyd (David Keohane) and he should grab all the cash he can and split before he gets the neurosis that the others seem to have. Yet, I must say that there is something interesting here that keeps us engaged as we witness such quirky struggles for love and attention these folks aspire for. Fit To be Tied has its moments."

Chicago Stage and Screen - Recommended

"...The play is very talky with long monologues, which can be boring but these actors kept the interest at all times. While Silver tends to rehash some ideas more than necessary and while the script might do with a bit of cutting, that is not the fault of the actors or director Sean Murphy, who were on top of their game all the way through. Michael Palmenderi as Arloc and David Keohane as Boyd created fully developed characters and Lily Sauvage as Nessa were alternately funny, horrible and sad. In a smaller role, Gary Saipe as the pathetic Carl also brought sympathy to his role as Nessa's bewildered husband."