COWBOYS & INDIANS written and performed by Anand Rajaram (Onofono/VideoCabaret). At the Factory Studio (125 Bathurst). To June 7. Pwyc-$15. 416-504-9971. See listing. Rating: NNN
If silent movies ever make a comeback, someone should definitely hire Anand Rajaram.
The best moments in his Cowboys & Indians show off the actor/writer/comic’s nimble body and malleable mug. Too bad there’s no director to rein in the show and construct a clearer narrative path.
This is a much looser version of the piece that Rajaram and musician/accompanist Bob Wiseman performed successfully at SummerWorks a few years ago.
On a bare stage, Rajaram plays an office drone who wakes up one morning and, after a few comic incidents involving a dog, a newspaper and a movie that’s being filmed, enters a parallel universe that’s straight out of a western.
The extended joke is that Rajaram is of South Asian descent – C&I is part of the Dishoom! South Asian Performance Festival – so of course he’s got a fresh perspective on the outdated and offensive concept of cowboys and Indians.
The image of Rajaram entering a saloon, the sound of swinging doors creaking open and his spurs clinking all beautifully realized by Wiseman’s ingenious sound effects, remains great fun. And there are some hilarious visual gags, such as when Rajaram’s riding a wagon and swats insects, accidentally slapping the horse to giddy up.
Unfortunately, he also lets the story fly away from him too. Bizarrely, a monster shows up and begins chewing up the scenery. And we never get a good grasp of the main character, so don’t feel much when bad things start happening to him.
More disappointing, the writer’s cultural critique never comes into focus, either. Is Rajaram equating cowboys with testosterone-dripping machismo and destruction?
That said, this is a fine showcase for Rajaram’s physical skills, and a good reminder that you can suggest a lot with no words. Wiseman, who provides a couple of songs during an awkward scene change, works hard to add aural oomph to the stage picture.
glenns@nowtoronto.com
