Narrated by a tiger being held captive, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo follows the intertwined lives of two American Marines and one Iraqi gardener as they search through the rubble of war for friendship, redemption and a toilet seat made of gold.
What Is the Story of Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo?
Bengal Tiger follows the interweaving lives of a group of people in Baghdad during the Iraq war. The story begins while two American soldiers guard a caged tiger inside the Baghdad Zoo. When the tiger tries to attack one man, the other shoots the animal. The ghost of the tiger soon begins to haunt the soldier as those around the soldier begin to suspect he is suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. The story also focuses on an Iraqi translator working with the Americans who hallucinates conversations with his deceased former employer, Uday Hussein (son of Saddam).
"Dark and disturbing but also corrosively funny, Rajiv Joseph’s play set during the early days of the Iraq War is an exotic original."
The Hollywood Reporter
David Rooney
"[Robin Williams] gives a performance of focused intelligence and integrity, embodying the animal who becomes the play’s questioning conscience with a savage bite that never loosens its grip"
The New York Times
Charles Isherwood
"It's the most original drama written about the Iraq War. Joseph's metaphoric inventiveness is magnificently displayed throughout, and the kaleidoscope of figures and images bespeaks a purely theatrical imagination. "
Los Angeles Times
Chris McNulty
"There is much to admire in the play, including its commentary on war and its aftershocks on both soldiers and civilians. Most of all, the sheer theatricality of Joseph's work makes it worth celebrating. "
New York Daily News
Joe Dziemianowicz
"It's not often that you hear voices like these on a Broadway stage, and Bengal Tiger gives them vivid, compelling life."
USA Today
Elysa Gardner