Life of Pi, North American debut presented by American Repertory Theater at Loeb Drama Center, Cambridge, through January 29,2023.(Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre, Broadway, beginning in March) americanrepertorytheater.org or 617-547-8300.
Anyone who has seen "War Horse" knows that puppetry can bring animals to amazing theatrical life. Now a team of puppeteers are bringing the natural world itself to visceral life on stage in the North American debut of "Life of Pi" at American Repertory Theater's Loeb Drama Center. That Olivier Award-winning show vividly represents such diverse creatures as a giraffe, a large turtle, a zebra, an orangutan, a hyena and a tiger. As with "War Horse," the animal world—especially the tiger , called Richard Parker—seems to hold its own with humanity.
In fact, the stunningly poetic "Life of Pi" should provoke theatergoers to an inescapable moment of truth about the precariousness of co-existence. Adapted from the acclaimed 2001 Yann Martel novel by Lolita Chakrabarti, directed sharply by Max Webster and graced with vivid puppet design by Nick Barnes and Finn Caldwell, "Life of Pi" has all of the sublime enchantment and breathtaking visual artistry that made "War Horse" a theatrical powerhouse. At the same time, Pi's harrowing ocean odyssey tale becomes both a unique rite of passage and a Rashomon-recalling quest for truth.
That quest begins in 1978 Mexico as investigators question the accuracy of Pi's claims about the wreck of the Canada-bound Tsimtsum—a cargo ship the Kabbalistic name of which intriguingly refers to a divine contraction of light. The investigators mean to know exactly what happened to his Indian family and the zoo animals that accompanied them and the details of his amazing 227 day struggle as the ship's sole human survivor. Pi submits that "my story will make you believe in God."
Of which belief is he talking? Pi's story includes consideration of Christianity and Islam as well as his family's Hinduism. There is a moment when his sister, mentioning the word synagogue, speculates that he could even become a Jew. During his ordeal, he does appeal to the gods, though there are striking moments when religions are compared to cages. At other moments, according to Pi, he sees the ferocious yet majestic tiger (as in the wonderful 2012 Ang Lee film) as a major factor in his survival.
Audience members will have to make their own decisions about the truth of Pi's animal-rich narrative and an alternative version that he offers the skeptical investigators. Adi Dixit, bringing terrific energy and riveting delivery to his storytelling as Pi, captures the young man's early naiveté and his eventual insight about life and survival. The exquisite design—Tim Hatley's rich scenic design, Tim Lutkin's nuanced lighting (especially during moments of storm) and especially the team of gifted puppeteers—brings Pi's creature-dominated explanation to convincing life. Look for inspired puppetry evocations of butterflies and fish complementing his narrative and most of all the alternately intimidating and vulnerable tiger. (Parents will need to judge whether their younger children will be able to deal with graphic representations of animals killing other animals).
Can humanity and the animal world survive the dangers of climate change and live together in peace? "Life of Pi" provides artistic food for thought as well as spectacular theater.