On Sat, 27 Oct 2007, Michael Pollak post the below under the above subject line:
Oops. I wrote "film." Actually I meant "play." Other additional comments:
1) It's excellent. I saw it Sunday afternoon, followed by a talkback with Pakistani journalists. I recommend even to people who don't like plays but who like politics, history and understanding the Pakistani worldview. And there actually aren't that many plays about what a CIA-sponsored coup looks like from the inside. It's basically a docudrama, but the dialog and acting are top notch. If I had to compare it to something, it would probably be to the film _Lumumba_ by Raoul Peck.
The dialog reminds me of Tariq Ali at his best memoir writing best, although probably the credit should go to the writer of the play, Rajiv Joseph. But such invective! The combination of upper class British disdain with down in the gutter ball sucking pig fucking obscenity: when Bhutto insults you, you know you've been insulted. You can understand why someone would want to kill him. And in general, the portrayal of Zulfiquar Bhutto is quite fascinating, IMHO -- three dimensional and then some.
2) Logistical tip: this place has the slowest elevator in the world (because the building hosts a dozen different little theatre groups). They know it and the shows basically all start 15 minutes late. But if you have high blood pressure it might be a good idea to come earlier. Plus you should know that (a) both of the two elevators will take you to the theatre, although the back one is more likely to come first, and (b) Although the address on the internet and posters only specifies the third floor, actually you want 3W -- 3E puts you in a subdivision that doesn't connect.
> http://www.nyc.com/events/The_Leopard__The_Fox.958042/section_specific.aspx
>
> The Leopard & The Fox
> Cost: $18
>
> Venue: Barrow Group Arts Center
> 212-760-2615
> 312 W. 36th St.,
> New York, NY 10018
>
> [Sat, Oct 27] to [Sat, Nov 3.]
>
> Rajiv Joseph's adaptation of writer/political activist Tariq Ali's
> acclaimed book, 'The Leopard and the Fox,' is a Machiavellian political
> drama that follows the last days of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, Pakistan's
> first popularly elected Prime Minister, who was betrayed by his closest
> confidante, who then imprisoned and later executed Bhutto and then
> installed himself as president at the behest of the US.
>
>