Jean (writer/performer Luca Torrens) just wants to be a lawman like his sheriff father, despite having no taste for tequila or killing. Assigned to patrol no man’s land with only Buttermilk — his temperamental hobbyhorse — for company, Jean gets so bored he considers arresting a cactus, then tries to catch a notorious horse thief and ends up stranded alone in the desert, where he meets a helpful stranger offering a devilish deal.
“Howdy, Stranger” is a cockeyed queer comedy that seems lovingly cobbled together out of old cowboy clichés, which have been liberally seasoned with a twist of post-modern positive thinking. It generates more gentle chuckles than big belly laughs, and I found my focus fading through the final scenes. But Torrens is an appealingly amiable stage presence who displays fine command of their instruments, especially on their handful of hummable country-western guitar tunes.
With an uplifting underlying message about self-acceptance, this one-person Old West fable could be a fine family show, if you set aside some mildly suggestive jokes and a Grimm finale.
Orlando Fringe: Tickets and times for “Howdy, Stranger”
Mandell Theater, Lowndes Shakespeare Center
812 E. Rollins St., Orlando, FL
407-447-1700
This article appears in May 8-14, 2024.