Geffen Playhouse Presents the West Coast Premiere of Guards at the Taj

Rajiv Joseph's Guards at the Taj starts its run tonight at the Geffen Playhouse.

The play focuses on Humayun and Babur, two lowly guards who are tasked with protecting the Taj Mahal while it is being built. After it is completed and dubbed the most beautiful building in the world, the guards are assigned a horrific task. The story blends comedy and tragedy as it attempts to examine philosophical questions such as, how do we define beauty and perfection, and when do these elusive qualities come at too great a cost?

Joseph’s play is directed by Giovanna Sardelli, who has helmed the world premieres of several other Joseph plays. The show features Raffi Barsoumian as Humayun and Ramiz Monsef as Babur.

"This play challenges the traditional boundaries of theater – provoking questions about beauty," said artistic director Randall Arney. "It examines the power of those who can simply buy it and the powerlessness of those who frequently create it. Joseph does this in the most human of terms, introducing us to two likable, funny guys, who think if they do a good job of guarding the Taj Mahal, they will be promoted to guarding the harem."

The creative team includes Tom Buderwitz (scenic design), Denitsa Bliznakova (costume design), Lap Chi Chu (lighting design), Vincent Olivieri (sound designer), and Maggie Swing (stage manager).

Performances will run through November 15.

For tickets and more information, click here.