Sadly, its relevance stands
A young company tackles an old -- and timely -- Obie-winning play about human abuse of other humans in its new home in Kendall.

Marta Barber , Miami Herald's Theatre Critic

From left to right:Arturo Fernandez, Carlos Alayeto and Arnaldo Carmouze

Israel Horovitz's play The Indian Wants the Bronx covers a lot of ground in its run of 60 minutes, or less. Two inner-city punks, Murph and Joey, harass an Indian man named Gupta as he calmly waits for a bus on a deserted street corner of New York.

It is a play about the guard all of us put up against those we don't understand. Not only does his turban identify Gupta as different from the two young men, but he doesn't speak any English. If he doesn't understand English, Murph and Joey figure, the Indian must be stupid. He's also old and alone, an easy target for the streetwise friends.

The play won an Obie in 1968 for Best Play, also winning a Best Actor award for Al Pacino, who played Murph. It continues to be a relevant exposure of the inner beast in human beings.

This production is presented by Ground Up & Rising in its summer home at Miami Dade College's Kendall Campus.

Arturo Fernandez, a charismatic and energetic young actor, plays Murph, the tougher of the two guys. Arnaldo Carmouze, who seems to be a bit at odds with his role as Joey, will alternate roles with Fernandez in future productions of the play. Carlos Alayeto plays Gupta, with the quiet demeanor the role demands. The language used by Murph and Joey is not only injected with the tone and limitations of an uneducated pair, but also with vulgarity.

As Joey and Murph approach the stop where the Indian is waiting for the bus and realize the old man doesn't speak any English, the teasing begins. You feel uneasy from the opening lines, and the tension doesn't let go. As the guys' frustration with not being understood escalates, so does the physical contact, and you realize the situation is not going to have a happy ending.

Adding to the sense of foreboding is the set designed by Will Cabrera -- a telephone booth, the kind you rarely see anymore, a beat-up garbage can and two graffiti-covered newspaper stands -- which convincingly re-creates a run-down part of a city. Bechir Sylvain directs the three men with good timing and good sense of movement.

As long as human beings treat those that are different like a toy to throw around and discard as they please, The Indian Wants the Bronx will never be outdated. It is an uncomfortable play to watch, exactly what Horovitz meant. It is a play that fits South Florida well. .