The Indian Wants the Bronx

I tend to veer away from Fringe shows that promise heavier emotional fare, but for some reason I found myself drawn to Doghouse Riley Productions’ staging of Israel Horowitz’s *The Indian Wants the Bronx*. It may be because I’m a sucker for a creative use of venue space, and the alleyway behind Honest Ed’s offered an excellent setting for the visceral one-act play.

Perched on a pile of stacked moving crates, I watched as Murph and Joey, a pair of drunk tough guys happen across Gupta, a lone Indian waiting for a bus on his first day in America. The boys proceed to amuse themselves at the expense of the fresh immigrant, whose inability to speak any English and ingratiating manner make him an ample target. Slowly amusement turns to frustration, and frustration to anger, sending the trio into an inevitable confrontation.

The performers do an excellent job conveying the aggression that runs through every moment of the play and it’s fascinating to watch Murph and Joey constantly and clumsily scramble for the alpha male role. What really drives the emotional undercurrent of the show is the eerie familiarity of it all – it’s a situation we’ve all witnessed in some capacity, and sitting in the audience doesn’t completely absolve one of the guilt of voyeurism and non-interference. It’s a performance that’s neither easy nor comfortable to watch, but if you’re up for some fresh air and insight into the savagery of the human condition, I highly recommend it.

_The Indian Wants the Bronx continues until July 12th as part of the Toronto Fringe Festival._

For more information you can go "here":http://www.fringetoronto.com/fringe09/indoorBYOV_listings.html#T

Or "here":http://www.dhrproductions.com/