Seattle welcomes “Life of Pi” with immersive puppetry and powerful performances

By Kai Curry
NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

Taha Mandviwala as ‘Pi’ and puppeteers Anna Leigh Gortner, Shiloh Goodin and Toussaint Jeanlouis as ‘Richard Parker’ and the cast of the National Tour of LIFE OF PI. Photo by Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade 2024.

A lot of entertainment is just for fun (it’s in the name, right?). It’s just a night out; it’s just an opportunity to have a good time. And then, there’s “Life of Pi,” a story so human, according to its star, Taha Mandviwala, that it becomes a deep reminder of who we are and what we live for.

What we are talking about is the Tony-award-winning Broadway theater version of “Life of Pi,” coming to Seattle in April as part of its first U.S. tour. Mandviwala plays “Pi,” that curious, intrepid, lover of life who is tragically castaway at sea, and who witnesses far too much death. In the stage version, the story is told primarily through flashbacks from Pi’s interrogation at the hospital. To refresh memories, or for those who haven’t read the book or seen the movie, Pi and his family left India for a new life. Their ship went down in a storm and Pi was (almost) the only survivor after an arduous, and unbelievably long, time at sea. Pi finally washes ashore and while he is recuperating in a hospital, the ship’s company wants to know what happened.

Pi tells two stories.

This is the major charm and mystery of Yann Martel’s best-selling story, adapted for stage by Lolita Chakrabarti. In one story, Pi caters to the company representatives’ lack of imagination and tells a straightforward, nonetheless horrifying, tale of the deaths of his family by drowning and cannibalism (yes, cannibalism), and Pi’s bleak existence at sea, alone. Alternatively, Pi tells a magical (and still horrifying) tale of how he and several wild animals did their best to make it out alive, with only Pi and a tiger, famously named “Richard Parker,” arriving to relative safety.

Hopefully, there are enough keywords here already to let you know that this story is not for children. While opinions vary as to which age is the appropriate age to start watching, the official recommendation of “Life of Pi” is 13-plus years old. The fact that the theater production uses puppetry to bring the animals to life might cause some confusion, yet make no mistake: Pi’s is a harrowing journey. Both Mandviwala and tour director Ashley Brooke Monroe agree that the show is intense. In Mandviwala’s words, this is not a “Disney-fied” version of violence. Those who attend will delight in the puppeteering (NY Daily News called it “The single greatest innovation in puppetry ever to hit the global stage”); immersion into Pi’s universe, facilitated by the impressive set design; and Mandviwala’s athletic interpretation of the character of Pi.

Mandviwala first read the book in high school. He acknowledged to the Northwest Asian Weekly that, at least spiritually, it went over his head at the time. The story is remarkable in its open and flexible interpretation of religion. Pi’s childhood in India exposes him to each major world religion, an experience that was surprisingly paralleled in Mandviwala’s own life. Mandviwala grew up in the small town of London, Kentucky, which was primarily comprised of white Baptists, and yet there was also a tight-knit Muslim community there, and a Hindu contingent. Mandviwala grew up with friends in all three groups. Over time, he became more and more interested in spirituality and wellness. Today, he defines himself as an actor, athlete, and health coach.

Mandviwala brings a unique physicality to the role of Pi, and to acting in general. A certified parkour teacher and personal trainer, he is fascinated with movement, and how it helps him show up better on stage. Mandviwala first became interested in acting thanks to a friend. His first endeavor was as one of the flying monkeys in the Wizard of Oz in high school. Then, after a couple of years as a premed student in college, he made the switch to acting as a major, and as part of his life. He was part of the original Broadway ensemble for “Life of Pi,” although not as Pi at the time (rather as “Ravi,” Pi’s older brother). Mandviwala is fascinated with how movement enhances storytelling, and storytelling just might be one of his life’s purposes.

Mandviwala’s family, originally from India, emigrated from Pakistan, first to London, and then to the United States. Mandviwala was born in Detroit. The family found its way to Kentucky due to Mandviwala’s father having his medical fellowship at the University of Louisville. For Mandviwala, “Life of Pi” is also an immigrant story. It’s about a family seeking a better life. Luckily, Pi has the fortitude to survive, and he calls upon the lessons given to him by his parents before their untimely deaths. It was Pi’s father who showed him that man is the most dangerous animal, not the tiger or the lion. In its totality, “Life of Pi” is a story of faith, according to Mandviwala, and of resilience. What do you call upon in your “deepest, darkest struggles and moments?” the story asks.

Pi’s companion for much of the journey is the remarkable tiger, Richard Parker, which, in the stage version is played by three people. It’s a physically challenging task, so the actors switch out and play other roles as well—in this production, nearly everyone combines puppetry and acting. What makes “Life of Pi” different on stage than, say, “The Lion King,” is that these are not just actors in masks; instead, they are fully inhabiting the puppets. It’s theatrical and yet it feels real, Monroe told us. The actors really become the tiger. The main difference from the book to the stage, Monroe said, was the need to keep the story consistently active and engaging. It is, yet there were some aspects, such as the writer interviewing Pi later in life, or the background in India, that are either missing or refashioned in the stage version. The difference between the Broadway version and the version we will see in Seattle isn’t significant, Monroe continued. It’s just a matter of dialing down the size of the set a touch to accommodate smaller venues.

Monroe worked on the Broadway production also, and finds this traveling tour to be of the same caliber in terms of the story and the acting. It’s a story about trauma, family, and our relationship with animals. It’s a powerful story and in Monroe’s view, there is no substitute for the chance to see it as live theater. “‘Life of Pi’ highlights what humans are capable of and the extraordinary lengths we can go to in extraordinary circumstances,” she said.

Mandviwala has a favorite line at the beginning of the show, when Pi says that “choosing doubt as a philosophy of life is like choosing immobility as a mode of transport.” For Mandviwala, this is a reminder for our own lives. It’s easy to fall into passivity—into immobility, he reflected. It’s easy to forget to live life with conviction. Pi’s journey is a reminder to really grasp life because it can be taken away so abruptly, Mandviwala said, “so seize life with some sort of purpose.”

“Life of Pi” will have its Seattle debut at the Paramount Theatre from April 15 to 20. For tickets and information, visit www.stgpresents.org.

Kai can be reached at newstips@nwasianweekly.com.