Company One's production of "Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo," currently showing at the Boston Center for the Arts, is a contemporary play set in the middle of a morbid portrayal of Baghdad, Iraq. The play centers on a funny Tiger (Rick Park) that wanders the streets of the city, haunting soldiers and pondering life's unanswerable questions.
"Bengal Tiger" involves the audience directly in the play's drama and action. The intricate set depicts a Middle Eastern setting, while the thrust stage creates depth that permits the actors to be more dynamic. It also allows the audience to view the story from a variety of perspectives. The fixed set successfully represents several locations, ranging from a hospital to a barren desert to - of course - the Baghdad Zoo. The transitions between these locations go almost unnoticed.
This set really brings the audience into the city of Baghdad by using the pillars, doors, gates and even the floor to create an environment appropriate to the setting. This is emphasized by the use of region-appropriate music. "Bengal Tiger" draws the audience into the capital of Iraq, making them believe that they have left the busy streets of Boston and entered a magical city continents away.
Throughout the play, the color scheme remains fairly constant. Both set and costumes are created from dull and muted colors that work well together to set the play's atmosphere. Standout costumes in the play include the realistic military uniforms worn by the U.S. soldiers, Kev (Michael Knowlton) and Tom (Ray Ramirez), which help to reflect the differences between the soldiers and the local Iraqis.
The cultural differences between the Americans and the Iraqis are repeatedly addressed in "Bengal Tiger" through Rajiv Joseph's empathetic characters. In particular, the characters of Kev and Tom are realistic and their relationship rings true. Knowlton's portrayal of Kev is particularly adept: he plays comic moments with animation, but is also able to grasp Kev's darker, almost psychotic facets.
Similarly, Michael Dwan Singh, who plays the character of the translator Musa, captures the issues of morality and loyalty his character faces in an impressive, tear-jerking performance.
Thanks to the title character, played by Rick Park, the audience is anything but a passive viewer during the production. The anthropomorphic tiger is a comedic character in what is ultimately a very dark play. Park's tiger repeatedly breaks the "fourth wall," asking the audience existential questions about life, death and the existence of god, allowing them to ponder along with him while he makes sarcastic comments and entertains the notion of vegetarianism.
Director Shawn LaCount has used every production element in this show to great effect, from the props to the costume to the set to the music. The audience members who watch this production won't have any choice but to engage with such an energetic show.
