Pulitzer Prize Finalist Rajiv Joseph explores his new play Dakar 2000 at Manhattan Theater Club running through March 23rd. Rajiv gives us the backstory on working with Robin Williams to bring Bengal Tiger at the Bagdahd Zoo to Broadway. Rajiv talks about collaborating with esteemed Directors Moisés Kaufman on Bengal Tiger and Kenny Leon on critically acclaimed King James about Rajiv’s hometown of Cleveland and the LeBron James lead Cavaliers.
Also in this episode - Tyne Daly Tony win for Gypsy. Review of Avalona - A Musical Legend
Rajiv Joseph (Broadway: Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo; Off-Broadway: King James at MTC) and Manhattan Theatre Club’s world premiere of his genre-bending new play Dakar 2000.The production begins performances on February 4, 2025; opening night is February 27, 2025.
Since his stage debut nearly 20 years ago, Rajiv’s work has consistently defied traditional classification. Known for weaving together elements of fantasy, surrealism, history, and thriller, Joseph’s off-kilter plays have earned him a Pulitzer Prize nomination (Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo), two Obie Awards (Describe the Night, Guards at the Taj), a Lortel Award, and recognition from the National Endowment for the Arts for Outstanding New American Play. A prolific writer for the screen as well as the stage, Joseph’s film and television credits include “Welcome to Chippendales” (Hulu), “Little America” (Apple TV+), “Dear Edward” (Apple TV+), and the feature film Draft Day (starring Kevin Costner and Jennifer Garner).
Loosely inspired by Rajiv’s time in the Peace Corps in Senegal on the brink of Y2K,, Dakar 2000 is a serpentine amalgam of espionage, memory play, and romance. The play follows the relationship between Boubs (Abubakr Ali), a young Peace Corps volunteer, and Dina (Mia Barron), an enigmatic State Department operative, as they negotiate what could be the start of a computer-based apocalypse. A pressure-cooker of a two-hander, the boundary between fact and fiction all but disappears as Dina draws Boubs deeper and deeper into the darker side of public service.
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