Taha Mandviwala as ‘Pi’ and puppeteers Anna Leigh Gortner, Shiloh Goodin and Toussaint Jeanlouis as ‘Richard Parker’ in the National Tour of LIFE OF PI. Photo by Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade 2024
How do you stage the impossible? That is the central question for any adaptation of Yann Martel’s beloved 2001 novel, The Life of Pi—a story about a teenage boy and a 450-pound Bengal tiger trapped on a lifeboat for 227 days. In Lolita Chakrabarti’s 2019 stage adaptation, now showing at the Fox Theater in St. Louis, the story is realized with breathtaking theatrical ingenuity. Featuring world-class puppetry, fluid design, and strong, committed performances, this is a rewarding and visually stunning theatrical experience.
The play is structured as a frame narrative, beginning in a Mexican sanitarium where Pi Patel (Taha Mandviwala) recounts his unbelievable tale to a kindly Canadian ambassador (Mi Kang) and a skeptical Japanese shipping company representative (Alan Ariano). This narrative device allows the setting to constantly shift, transforming the walls of the sanitarium into the vibrant Patel family zoo, an Indian open-air market, the deck of the Japanese cargo ship, and the vast, empty expanse of the open sea.
The director’s approach is defined by dynamic motion. Scenes transition quickly and smoothly, with the actors hardly pausing for breath. The pacing of Act I introduces a large cast of characters, only to have Act II slow to the intimate psychological duel between Pi and the tiger, Richard Parker.
Taha Mandviwala’s Pi is central to the production, carrying a demanding role with charm and conviction. Mandviwala portrays Pi with both the naive wonder of a young man and the shaken resolve of a survivor. His emotional arc helps to ground the fantastical events unfolding around him.
The story’s animal characters are given vivid form through state-of-the-art puppetry. This is especially true for Richard Parker, commanded by a team of dedicated puppeteers (including Ben DuRocher). Richard Parker is not merely a prop; he is a powerful presence who colors the entire play. The puppeteers imbue him with an aura of menace and sheer, raw power, conveying both the animal’s danger and the improbable, symbiotic relationship that develops between man and beast. The supporting ensemble is equally vital; they smoothly transition between multiple human roles and the role of animal puppeteer.
The technical design is a strength of this show, transforming the Fox stage into a dynamic environment. The set design makes ingenious use of projections that turn the stage floor into a churning, lifelike ocean, complete with dynamic lighting and impressively realistic sound effects that create a sense of true immersion. Simple visual effects—such as a typewriter-like effect that displays the time and place after a scenic change —help guide the audience through the story’s twisting, nonlinear structure. This fusion of practical effects, projection mapping, and the exquisite puppetry elevates the production to a spectacular visual level.
The Life of Pi is another high-quality, high-concept production for the Fox Theater. It successfully adapts a powerful, fantastical story that should be impossible to put on a stage. The show will be enjoyable to newcomers and satisfying to diehard fans of the book or movie. Despite a slight technical issue during a recent performance that was quickly resolved by the staff, the actors promptly resumed the story without missing a beat. It’s a great kickoff to the Fox’s fall season. | Rob Von Nordheim
Schedule and Ticket Information
The Life of Pi runs from now until October 19 at the Fox Theater in St. Louis.
- Performance Times:
- Tuesday – Saturday evenings: 7:30 PM
- Sunday evening: 6:30 PM
- Matinees:
- Thursday, October 16: 1:00 PM
- Saturday, October 18: 2:00 PM
- Sunday, October 19: 1:00 PM
- Tickets: Prices start at $42.
- Parking: Street and garage parking are available near the venue.
