"Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo" at the Richard Rodgers Theatre, March 27, 2011
Rajiv Joseph is having a terrific season in New York. His Gruesome Playground Injuries recently ended an Off-Broadway run at 2nd Stage. Now Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo gets a production on Broadway starring no less than Robin Williams. Mr. Joseph's effort here is better, in this story of a tiger killed by a US Marine in the Baghdad Zoo during the occupation in 2003. Bengal Tiger... offers a stronger premise and better construction as the existential Tiger (Mr. Williams) shares a cat's-eye view of the absurdities of war and God. Even with the improved structure, Mr. Joseph maintains his penchant for the bloody and violent.
Spoiler alert
