The Collision of Forces


Washington, DC
L to R: Brad Fleischer and Arian Moayed in the world premiere production of "Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo" by Rajiv Joseph, directed by Moisés Kaufman, at the Center Theatre Group/Kirk Douglas Theatre. Photo by Craig Schwartz
L to R: Brad Fleischer and Arian Moayed in the world premiere production of Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo by Rajiv Joseph, directed by Moisés Kaufman, at the Center Theatre Group/Kirk Douglas Theatre. Photo by Craig Schwartz
"I think that when those two things collide---the political forces of the world and the primal nature of one's own being---sparks fly." So says playwright Rajiv Joseph in the NEA's newest podcast as he discusses, among other things, his play, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo. Certainly sparks fly in the play---named an Outstanding New American Play as part of the NEA's New Play Development Project and a 2010 finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in Theater---which is set against the backdrop of the Iraq War and follows combatants, citizens, and otherworldly spirits (including the tiger of the title) who discuss life, death, and the pursuit of hope. Visit the NEA?s multimedia library to listen to the full podcast. Stay tuned for next week's Art Works podcast: a conversation with New York Philharmonic's musical director Alan Gilbert.

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