Guards at the Taj

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GUARDS AT THE TAJ

Photo: Doug Hamilton

Cititour.com Review
Rajiv Joseph’s plays often take unexpected turns, but few theatergoers (even those with knowledge of a very famous myth about 17th-century India) can truly be prepared for the zig-zag pattern of the writer’s newest work, “Guards at the Taj,” now receiving a stunning production by the Atlantic Theater Company.

What begins as a Beckettian vaudeville between fellow guards Humayu (Omar Metwally) and Babur (Arian Moyaed) – you practically expect one of them to say “I can’t go on” – ends up as a searing indictment of the corruption and sway of power, as well as a heart-wrenching and poetic ode to the complexities of true friendship.

The play’s deeper undercurrents are there from the seemingly simple beginning of the conversation between these two childhood confidants, now sharing a less-than optimal post in front of the wall (simply designed by Timothy R. Mackabee) of the soon-to-be-unveiled Taj Mahal. Babur, brought to extraordinary life by the expressive Moyaed, is immediately revealed to be the free-spirited one, lost in his own head and dreams of inventions, unbowed by the strictures of society.

Meanwhile Humayu, perfectly embodied by Metwally, is the conformist, afraid of breaking the rules – and thereby earning the wrath of not just the Emperor but also Humayu’s powerful father. Still, he gives in occasionally to Babur’s pleadings to engage in forbidden chatter or to take a quick peek when that breathtaking Indian monument is finally made visible.

But dawn’s first light soon gives away to darkness, physically and spiritually, as the pair are forced to undertake a highly unpleasant task. That unenviable job will bring them even closer, eventually tear them apart, and result in each’s life being changed irrevocably. The actors, under the subtle but potent direction of Amy Morton (one of America’s greatest actresses in her own right), fully commit to the ever-changing, ever-challenging demands of Joseph’s multi-layered, 80-minute script.

For all its humanity, there’s little doubt that “Guards at the Taj” is also a political play. Joseph stresses, without being overly preachy, the danger of giving a man unchecked power, as well as the harm that can befall those who follow him blindly, believing there is a reward, either in earth or in heaven, to justify an evil action. Yes, we may be in Agra in 1648, but there’s no doubt we’re also in the Middle East in 2015, or even the United States. The past, once again, is present.
By Brian Scott Lipton


Visit the Site
https://atlantictheater.org/playevents/guardsatthetaj

Cast
Omar Metwally, Arian Moayed

Open/Close Dates
Opening 5/20/2015
Closing 7/12/2015

Box Office
866-811-4111

Theatre Info
Atlantic Theater Company/Linda Gross Theater
336 West 20th Street
New York, NY 10011
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