Steppenwolf Theatre presents GUARDS AT THE TAJ Review

It’s not over until David Weiner takes that stake in your heart and gives it an extra turn….

David Weiner is the Lighting Designer for Steppenwolf’s GUARDS AT THE TAJ, and he gets the chance to be the equivalent of the fat lady who sings to signal the end of an opera. Operas though often try but don’t quite reach that dead center of your soul that this script by playwright Rajiv Joseph hits with a quick bulls-eye. Before Weiner gets to do this finale twist of the knife, you will likely already be experiencing the impact of GUARDS AT THE TAJ like a microwave burn from within moving out.

Omar Metwally (Humayun) and Arian Moayed (Babur) are two guards at the soon to be unveiled to the world Taj Majal. They are both named for earlier Mughul kings, the ancestors of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan who built, or more accurately commandeered, the building of the Taj for his favorite wife Mumtaz Mahal. Legend has it that this Mughal ruler was so intent to ensure this monument remained the most beautiful in the world that he executed the 20,000 workers that built it. You learn of this legend from your Lonely Planet guide book when your tour the Taj Mahal today.

At first, you too may be jarred by the anachronistic Jersey-born boys sound to the patter between Babur and Humayun. For this writer it felt like a cognitive dissonance slap. Why do we feel like the dialogue would be more appropriate to a college dorm? Is this going to be a puerile endurance test? What’s happening?

To detail more than this first reaction would be an incredible spoiler. Suffice it to say that in this story we get a detailed tour of what it means to bow to power, conform as the rules require, lose your humanity, and rationalize the unthinkable all along the road to your hell.

Steppenwolf Theatre Reprises Obie Award Winning Script – Original Cast and Director

Expect flawless direction from Steppenwolf ensemble member Amy Morton and top-notch performances by these two actors.

How interesting for regular Chicago theater-goers to have so many plays hitting the same chords performing at the same time. Just like Organic Theater’s THE REVOLUTIONISTS, this script takes what might seem like cringe worthy anachronistic setups and works it to max advantage. Just like Victory Gardens’ MIES JULIE we get the stuff of nightmares served to us with perfection.

GUARDS AT THE TAJ is a must see for anyone who likes serious theater that shakes your core.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Note: This is now added to the Picture this Post round up of BEST PLAYS IN CHICAGO, where it will remain until the end of the run. Click here to read – Top Picks for Theater in Chicago NOW – Chicago Plays PICTURE THIS POST Loves.

Playwright: Rajiv Joseph

Director: Amy Morton

Cast: Omar Metwally (Humayun) and Arian Moayed (Babur): Tim Mackabee (scenic design), Bobby Frederick Tilley II (costume design), David Weiner (lighting design), Rob Milburn and Michael Bodeen (sound design and original music) and Matt Hawkins (Fight Choreographer). Additional credits include Briana Jo Fahey (stage manager), Jaclynn Joslin (assistant stage manager), JC Clementz (casting director) and Jonathan Berry (artistic producer).

About the Author: Amy Munice

Amy Munice is Editor-in-Chief and Co-Publisher of Picture This Post. She covers books, dance, film, theater, music, museums and travel. Prior to founding Picture This Post, Amy was a freelance writer and global PR specialist for decades—writing and ghostwriting thousands of articles and promotional communications on a wide range of technical and not-so-technical topics.

Amy hopes the magazine’s click-a-picture-to-read-a-vivid-account format will nourish those ever hunting for under-discovered cultural treasures. She especially loves writing articles about travel finds, showcasing works by cultural warriors of a progressive bent, and shining a light on bold, creative strokes by fledgling artists in all genres.

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