As I perused the list of 2012 Fringe shows, I immediately stopped at the name Vijai Nathan, whose stand-up act Good Girls Don’t, But Indian Girls Do stood out as one of my favorite 2011 Fringe shows. I revisited her this year with her production of McGoddess, an unflinchingly honest (and hilarious!) journey to find God in the melting pot that is America. With a superstitious Hindu mother, a father who believes in Science, and a born-again Christian sister, this American-born Indian girl is in for a faithful struggle.
With comical impressions of her family and a great stage presence, Vijai takes us through moments of doubt and clarity in her life, like her families’ many trips to McDonald’s (even though, as Hindus, they are not supposed to eat beef) to her discovery of Christmas, and her pleas to her father for “a tree, presents, a cake, balloons, and a piñata” to celebrate the birth of Christ. A particularly poignant moment pulls these stories together in an ending that will leave you laughing though your tears.
McGoddess information and showtimes.
Great review! I took a class with Vijai through Speakeasy DC, and can attest that she’s a great teacher and person, as well as hilarious and talented performer.