LIFE OF PI Thunders Stunningly at Eccles

SALT LAKE CITY — Arriving like a hurricane, Life of Pi has stormed into the Eccles Theatre, bringing with it outstanding visuals and a story as unique as a tiger in a rowboat. The play, which won three Tony Awards for scenic design, lighting design, and sound design, is a wonder to behold from beginning to end, and comes to town courtesy of Broadway Across America.

A Harrowing Voyage

The deeply allegorical story was adapted by Lolita Chakrabarti from a novel by Yann Martel and follows a 17-year-old boy, Pi, who always says what’s on his mind—mainly about religion and his place in the world. And what a world he lives in. The story begins in India, where his family owns a zoo—one gorgeously created onstage with a set (designed by Tim Hatley) of shuttered windows filled with trees, and puppeteered creatures, radiant warm yellow light, and projection lighting of moving, swaying trees.

Pi’s world is filled with animals, and so is the production. Elaborate puppets, designed by Nick Barnes and Finn Caldwell, are operated throughout the play—hyenas, zebras, orangutans, and the like. Most are controlled by a single puppeteer—except one: a tiger named Richard Parker, wonderfully managed by three individuals, giving each flick of a paw or tail exquisite personality.

The play doesn’t stay in the zoo for long. Pi’s family (including Father, played with conviction by Sorab Wadia) sets sail to Canada, only for their boat to sink, leaving Pi and most of the menagerie clinging to life on a raft. The tone – at least until the twist ending-  is an interesting balance between Pi’s pluck and optimism and heavy subject matter, including a large amount of Darwinian eat-or-be-eaten philosophy. “Man is the most dangerous animal in the zoo,” Father says at one point.

Before the show ends, beings of all kinds will munch on each other, sometimes in quite grisly fashion. When a hyena tore a zebra’s leg off, the person next to me let out an audible “Ugh…” and covered her face in disgust. While not especially gory, the show would likely earn a PG-13 warning for some pretty rough images, including cannibalism.

A Stellar Lead Performance

As Pi, Taha Mandviwala gave a buoyant and jubilant performance. His body movement was impeccable and youthful, and he had all the energy and pizzazz of the earnest character. His ebullient declarations like “I am a vegetarian!” and the allegorical tone of the show are certainly a step out of reality, as is the fantastical plot. Mandviwala’s careful diction was a good match for the character’s astute, logical nature. Pi wants to know the truth about everything—so much so that he attends the meetings of three religions a week: Christianity, Islam, and Hinduism. Each is represented by a faith leader character trying desperately to persuade him to join their tradition.

Visuals That Steal the Show

While the performances are superb, and the story intriguing, the visual elements of Life of Pi are what shine the brightest—and why not? They’re some of the best put on stage. In addition to the lavish puppets, the entrancing lighting design by Tim Lutkin and Tim Deiling includes several show-stopping moments, such as when the very-real walls of a hospital set seems to melt. It was an effect so amazing, I cannot imagine how it was pulled off. Projection lighting also makes the set come alive with rain and water for stormy scenes. One warning: the audience is blinded by flashes of direct light, so photosensitive viewers should beware.

One often overlooked visual element that the play nailed was fog. I do not know how they did it, but the fog (which there is plenty of since the play takes place on the sea) seemed to arise out of the stage itself. Was it piped in from the wings, or a newfangled contraption? I do not know, but regardless of its origin, the fog seemed to be part of the stage on a level I’ve never seen.

Another winning element by director Max Webster was scene changes and how the play displayed the passing of time. In one scene change, Pi, having discovered biscuits on the raft, begins eating one after another, tossing the leftover papers aside. In a beautifully orchestrated moment, cast members then ferried these papers around the stage, as if carried by water, before assembling the disparate papers into one large sheet, on which was projected how many days had passed.

Even though the show might look like The Lion King at times, it is certainly no musical. The canned track composed by Andrew T. Mackay underplayed the action well, although its foreboding tones felt a bit heavy-handed at times.

Conclusion

With its allegorical plot, moments of surprising violence, a strongly religious protagonist, and heady themes—there’s nothing quite like Life of Pi. Before the play ends, the nature of God and storytelling itself are thoroughly and ingeniously examined, while what the audience has experienced is completely turned on its head. Life of Pi isn’t easy to categorize, and it will give audiences much to think about. With outstanding visual design, the play is easy to recommend for an engrossing and unique night out.