Twisted Knots

By Dale Danner

Directed by Tara Branham

Produced by TKDD, LLC

At the Royal George Cabaret Theatre

Cute and funny drama about a troubled husband

The 100 minutes (with a short intermission) find Dale Danner’s Twisted Knots to be a cute, almost innocent, sex farce that plays out more of a reflection on a troubled husband’s quest for insight into his troubled marriage, his troubled sales career and his personal self worth. This drama is more of a portrait of a man in midlife crisis than a sex encounter.  The play’s setup finds Frank (Ryan Kitley) in a deluxe hotel room on New Year’s Eve as he awaits his escort for the evening while he strategies about his pending large sale.

Things don’t seem to go as planned as Frank realizes that he is short of cash to pay Gina (Mary Cross) for her services. She demands cash and Frank must convince the hotel manager to refund him his fee for the NYE’s celebration so he can pay his escort. That is only the beginning of Frank’s troubles that evening. Gina proves to be a feisty, spirited and determined mate.

We quickly relate to the vulnerable salesman, yet we wonder, why he isn’t with his family on New Year’s Eve? Could Gina be more than simply an escort? They seem to have a past history. Frank seems to be limited in his actions by his superstitious beliefs. It seems that his success is based on utilizing his “lucky” order pad or his special blue tie, etc. Gina helps him overcome those limiting beliefs.

As Frank finally gets Gina her cash, we never see their wild sexy play but, after the intermission, we see the room laced with scattered clothing indicating fun in the sack. Don’t expect a raw sensual sex farce because Twisted Knots is a drama about a troubled insecure middle aged man struggling through self  worth issues. Gina, or Carla, as we find out is her name actually is, helps steer Frank into a world based on his personal strengths more than his superstitious foibles.

Recommended

Tom Williams

Date Reviewed: May 15, 2016

For more info checkout the Twisted Knots page at theatreinchicago.com

At the Royal George Cabaret Theatre, 1641 N. Halsted, Chicago, IL, call 800- 982-2787, tickets $30, Thursdays thru Saturdays at 7:30 pm, Sundays at 4 pm, running time is 1 hour, 55 minutes with intermission, through June 12, 2016