Fringe Review

The show begins with performer, Neil Bhandari, wrestling an outrageously large duffle bag onto the stage. Throughout the performance, he empties this bag while unpacking the psychological baggage of what it means to be “cool” to a man of Indian descent growing up in the Chicago suburbs during the 1990s.  Less a performative tour-de-force than a contemplative treatise, this Fringe show is designed to make you think and reflect on how coolness permeates our culture and impacts our lives.

My favorite moment of the show was a video montage of archetypal coolness from the cinematic pantheon while the performer recited “lessons in coolness” he had either learned from these films or picked up on his own.  Images of Jimmy Dean, Tom Cruise, John Travolta, et al. were counterpoised with a to-do list, such as “Always carry a book,” “Learn two jokes”, “Learn to smoke but don’t get addicted.”  As the author/performer pointed out, these “rules of cool” are actually lessons in masculinity, which was clearly the underlying theme of the work.

The rest of the performance is a bit scattershot with many good ideas and provocative images that never quite lead to a satisfying conclusion.  Detritus of masculine coolness invade the stage: leather pants, a mirror ball, sleeveless jean jacket, motorcycle helmet, Parliament cigarettes.  But many of these are left to speak for themselves or not addressed at all rather than sustain the narrative.

In the end, Bhandari bravely attempts to criticize the deleterious effects of coolness, such as alcoholism, troubled relationships, and emotional detachment. But the randomness of the narrative prevents this criticism from landing.  There are so many good ideas in this show – and it definitely makes you think – but I never felt that the ideas led to an obvious or satisfying conclusion.  This Fringe show may appeal to those who prefer thought-provoking, experimental performance art.