

Guards At The Taj
Rajiv Joseph
Comedy / Characters: 2m 3f /"I've dreamed you for so long I can hardly believe you're with me now.
Yet here you are: a tiny human voyager sleeping off the shock of migration..."The legendary Taj Mahal is the next assignment for Rachel an American travel writer whose failed romances have led her to ask: Why not have the baby she craves - on her own?
She finds unexpected answers - and larger questions - among the glittering legacies of India's past.
Alive with the sounds and colors of a re
"A bundle of cross-cultural joy... Marries the breezy cynicism of the now with the eternal power of India... [Shaffer's] ear for mod-groovy lingo gives the play a to-die-for sparkle."
— San Jose Mercury News
"Filled with a savvy traveler's enthusiasm for the cultural and historical rewards of her journey."
— Oakland Tribune
"Depicts the characters in all their contradictions and with such clarity that the humorous result is full of delicate reflections on caring and family."
— Silicon Valley Metro
"It's refreshing to come across a playwright who is able to write so honestly about life... Witty, poignant and frequently funny... It's hard not to get swept away."
— Mountain View Voice
"Provocative and true, laced with snappy dialogue."
— Palo Alto Weekly
| Character |
|---|
| RACHEL 37; Jewish-American woman; free-spirited travel addict; single. |
| ANJALI 30s; best friends with Anjali; single; an Indian lesbian who has lived in the U.S. for at least nine years. |
| CHANDRA Arustu’s wife. Intelligent. |
| SUNITA Teens; servant of the Sharmas. |
| ARUSTU 30s; Mrs. Sharma’s son; an astrologer; a prankster. |
| OSHO 6; Chandra and Arustu’s son. |
| MRS. SHARMA 70’s; Anjali’s grandmother; a stern matriarch from Agra, India. |
| ABHI 30s; Arustu’s cousin; teacher of Hindi; student of history; poet; intellectual. |
| NATHAN 20s-30s; a friend of Rachel’s. |
| MIKE 20s-30s; a friend of Rachel’s; medical intern. |
| TERI 20s-30s; Mike’s wife; medical intern also. |
| SAM 30s; an ex-boyfriend of Rachel’s. |
| MOTHER 50s-60s; Abhi’s Mother. |
| COURTIER, LADY, PRINCE, ARJUMAND, GIRL, MAN, and various historical characters who appear only in movement sequences. |
Baby Taj is a American comedy play written by Tanya Shaffer and published by Samuel French (2010).
Digital editions available on Amazon Kindle .
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Restrictions: Major Markets Only (US) / Standard Restriction (UK)
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