Bengal Tiger
As I write, it is Memorial Day and the airwaves (until June 12) are full of tributes for the fallen, commentaries on veterans’ affairs, and the recent testimony of the “Winter Soldiers” to Congress. As devastating as some of the narratives and their attendant slides may be, nothing quite equals the experience itself.
The Kirk Douglas Theatre’s current production, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, comes ominously close by engaging its audience to crawl into the minds of characters who are struggling with the shadowy moral imperatives that must be navigated in an uncertain sea that makes up any war.
The event, of course, begins with the antagonism of a starving Bengal Tiger that rewards Tom (Glenn Davis), his tormentor, by ripping off his hand. Tom’s simplistic sidekick, Kev (Brad Fleischer) prevents the beast from completing his meal by shooting it with a golden gun the two purloined from Saddam’s palace. From that single incident, playwright Rajiv Joseph constructs a wrenching portrait two soldiers trying to negotiate their way through a world with no social rules–- at least as they perceive them. While all the characters dance around each other, the spirit of the tiger wanders through, searching for the meaning of his existence.
Are the men aided by the help of Musa (Arian Moayed), their edgy translator who once served as Saddam’s gardener? One must gather the evidence bit-by-bit, tidbit-by-tidbit, before that question can find an answer. As the evidence mounts, the undeniable dehumanization that characterizes war become bitterly unavoidable.
The trio of principal actors, all from New York, is terrifically tight. Brad Fleischer, in particular, bring us dangerously close to the character’s own breakdown. Los Angeles actor Hrach Titizian carries the role of Uday (Hussein) with insolent disregard.
CTG veteran Kevin Tighe as the tiger, by emotional contrast, presents the animal with simplicity. He confides that he has learned that the difference between heaven and hell is the difference between “hungry and not hungry.” The women, playing a variety of roles are both marvelous; Sheila Vand gives her roles equal weight, whether a virginal teenager or a weathered prostitute, while Necar Zadecan has the diametrically opposed roles of a suffering Iraqi mother and an isolated leper.
Director Moises Kaufman, who brought to life The Laramie Project about Matthew Shepherd, here has a more traditional framework with which to work. Yet, he seldom relies on traditional methods to indicate scenes, instead incorporating seamless transitions radiated with light (courtesy of designer David Lander) in a fluid manner. Unfortunately, one of the demands of the narrative, a series of hedges clipped to resemble a zoo full of wild animals, was solved by set designer Derek McLane with clunky, leafy sculptures on wheels that are never wheeled offstage. Whenever they are not part of a scene, they remain in evidence, pulled unceremoniously to one side or to the rear. What may have been intended as a looming omnipresence seems out of place instead.
Other production elements– the evocative music by Kathryn Bostic, authentic costuming by David Zinn and especially, the realistic fight choreography by Bobby C. King – are all top notch, as should be expected from our premier theatre company.
Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo continues at the Kirk Douglas Theatre, 9820 Washington Blvd., Culver City CA., Tuesdays through Fridays at 8:00 pm; Saturdays at 2:00 and 8:00 pm; Sundays at 1:00 and 6:30 pm, through June 7th 2009. Tickets, $20.00 to 45.00. Phone (213) 628-2772 or online at www.CenterTheatreGroup.org