by Michele Markarian
“Life of Pi.” Based on the novel by Yann Martel. Adapted by Lolita Chakrabati. Directed by Max Webster. Presented by American Repertory Theater, Loeb Drama Center, 64 Brattle Street, Cambridge, through January 29.
In 2003, Yann Martel’s newly published “Life of Pi” was one of those must-reads that had to be gotten through in order to hold one’s own in literary discussions. I can’t honestly say I enjoyed the book. While it had an interesting beginning and a thoughtful ending, the middle was tedious – Pi alone at sea with diminishing zoo animals. Or at least that’s how I remember it. Luckily, Lolita Chakrabati’s stage adaptation cuts its way through that boring middle, interspersing scenes of Pi’s (Adi Dixit) interrogation with the ship’s insurer, Mr. Okamoto (Daisuke Tsuji) and Lulu Chen (Kirstin Louie) with his solo journey, lost at sea. Even with that structure, the brilliant stagecraft and artistry of this production eclipses any story line.
For those who haven’t read the book, Pi is a teenager who lives in a Mumbai zoo owned and operated by his parents, along with his sister. When political unrest threatens the family’s livelihood and safety, they depart – along with their zoo animals. They leave from the Philippines on a rickety cargo ship called the Tsimtsum, which is bound for Canada, where the family will oversee a new zoo. But fate intervenes and a storm overtakes the ship. Pi is thrown into a lifeboat by the crew, who drown in the Pacific along with Pi’s family. Also in the lifeboat are a hungry hyena, an injured zebra, and a grieving orangutan. After the hyena kills and eats both the zebra and orangutan, he sets his sights on Pi. A man-eating Bengal Tiger named Richard Parker, who was also lost at sea, is reluctantly rescued by Pi. Richard Parker kills the hyena, and the rest of the perilous 227-day journey is ventured with an uneasy and dangerous wariness between Pi and the tiger, who eventually come to depend on one another.
Life of Pi is a surreal tale with an ambiguous ending. Are the animals real, or did Pi just use them as stand-ins for real people who journeyed with him for his ordeal – the hyena for the ship’s cook, the zebra for one of the sailors, the orangutan for his mother, and Richard Parker as himself? Pi himself believes in God, something his sister Rani (Sonya Venugopal) does not. “Faith is impossible in the real world,” her ghost tells him. Yet when Pi asks Mr. Okamoto which is the better story, the one with the animals or the one with the real people, Mr. Okamoto says “the animals,” and Pi agrees:
“The story with the animals is the better story. And so it is with God.”
What does this mean? That in order to have faith, one must make fables out of reality in order to ease its brutality? At least that’s what my cynical takeaway was. But enough about the story – the real reason to see this show has nothing to do with the book and everything to do with the incredible spectacle and artistry that will have you marveling at its ingenuity and beauty.
All of the animals are portrayed by lifelike puppets, and expertly handled by puppeteers Nikki Calonge, Fred Davis, Rowan McGee, Jonathan David Martin, Betsy Rosen, Celia Mei Rubin, Scarlet Wilderink, and Andrew Wilson. They are so vivid and lifelike it’s uncanny – the hyena is fierce, the orangutan grieving, the zebra uncomfortable. Richard Parker runs the gamut of emotions, from menacing to despondent to submissive, and in the end, somehow earns the respect and empathy of the audience. Tim Lutkin’s lighting design is breathtaking, creating mood and ambiance and an environment that’s textured and believable. Tim Hatley’s scenic design is ingenious – the boat arises from the stage effortlessly and artfully, actors disappear under water and emerge again, a hospital room transforms into the sea itself. And director Webster keeps the action quick-paced and fluid.
Like any important piece of art, this is a show that needs to be experienced. Sit back and let it flow over you before it heads to Broadway. For tickets and information, go to: https://americanrepertorytheater.org/shows-events/life-of-pi/
