Gaumukhi (Cow)
Reviewed by Ray Z Rivers
The vibe is animal farm.
This is a serious play seen through the eyes of a cow as she struggles with her faith and ethnicity in a land torn by ethnic and social discrimination.
The play is set in a village in India outside of what was once called Bombay, during the 1992 religious riots ignited by the burning of a Mosque. The cow is personified by Deval Soni, who finds himself having to confront his cow’s learned prejudice against a pig before rationalizing the custom and befriending his fellow animal.
It is a one-man show with two supporting musicians harmonizing to deliver captivating and soothing classical Indian style music. The music is sufficient reason to attend this show, but the acting is the real treat. Soni delivers a high-energy stage performance which lasts almost a full 75 minutes.
This is a play by Indians about India, and one has to accept the challenge of the Indian accent, which I found to be an issue on occasion. Still, this is a masterfully constructed play and a great eye-opener into the culture of the most populous nation on earth. It shouldn’t be missed.
Event Details
Age Suitability: Parental Guidance (ages 13+)
Genre: Theatre—Drama, Musical/Concert/Opera, Storytelling/Solo Show
Run Time: 75 mins
Venue: The Westdale
Playwright and Director
Kush Shah
Co-producer and Performer
Deval Soni
Warnings
Gun Shots, Strobe Lights, Fog, Violence