Enigmatic and exciting, ion’s “Tiger” is not to be missed
By Charlene Baldridge |SDUN Theater Critic
Whether one traveled to Los Angeles to see Rajiv Joseph’s 2010 Pulitzer Prize-nominated “Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo” is immaterial vis-à-vis the production encountered now through June 2 at ion theatre company.
An expansive playing area is unnecessary. There may be two topiaries instead of a half dozen or more; Uday Hussein’s palace may exist mainly in the mind’s eye, and so does the vastness of the desert in the play’s final scene. The expanse of thought and the impact and humanity of the play’s characters are embraced fully in the tiny theater at Sixth and Penn.
Fully understanding Joseph’s meaning and intent may be impossible; this land, its people, the jolting presence of Americans, and the gruesome conditions of the scorched city are presented to us through the haunting presence of a verbose Tiger who walks on two legs, declares tigers are atheists by nature, and then proceeds to look for God to enquire why he was made with such a hungry nature and why he is still abroad.
The Tiger (played by a scruffy Ron Choularton) is killed in the first scene by a yahoo American GI named Kev (Evan Kendig). Kev shoots it dead because the caged animal bit off the hand of his equally stupid buddy, Tom (Jake Rosko). Both these young actors are impressive.
The Tiger looks down at his lifeless body and says, “So that’s what I looked like,” then launches into philosophical discourse that continues intermittently until blackout. Choularton’s splendidly portrayed Tiger is caught up in the existential question. He may not find his answer, even walking free, but his questions are wondrous; that is, if one’s mind allows ghosts to roam the scorched earth.
The Tiger is not the only ghost in Joseph’s play: their numbers increase as time goes by. The others once passed for human; the least humane being Uday Hussein (Claudio Raygoza, who also directs the play), who was Saddam Hussein’s despotic and privileged son.
Tom slew Uday with his own gold-plated gun, which was in turn used by Kev to kill the Tiger. Eventually the gun falls into the hands of Kev’s Iraqi translator, Musa (an amazing performance by Brian Abraham), who is much more than he seems. Musa’s sister, Hadia, is portrayed beautifully by Linda Permenter. Olivia Ruiz plays the other Iraqi women.
Abraham, Permenter and Ruiz, who were coached by Raida Fahmi and Ammar Ramzi, speak long stretches of Arabic with seemingly native facility, just an example of the care lavished upon the work by ion.
S. Todd Muffatti created the topiary animals. Melanie Chen is responsible for sound; Andrea Fields, for properties; Karin Filijan, for lighting; Brian Redfern for the set; and Courtney Fox Smith, for costumes.
Immense praise must go to Raygoza for his villainous Uday, for his meticulous, seamless direction and the assembly of a stunning ensemble, and for the guts it took to tackle the “Tiger” in the first place. Do not miss this enigmatic and absorbing work. Take along your suspension of disbelief and do not expect CNN.
“Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo”
WHERE: ion theatre company, 3704 Sixth Ave. (Hillcrest)
WHEN: Thurs. – Sat at 8 p.m., and Sat. at 4 p.m. through June 1
INFO: 619-600-5020
WEB: iontheatre.com
