Life of Pi, Showing at PPAC This Week, is Mesmerizing

Taha Mandviwala as ‘Pi’ and puppeteers Anna Leigh Gortner, Shiloh Goodin and Toussaint Jeanlouis as ‘Richard Parker’ in Life of Pi.

Life of Pi , showing this week at Providence Performing Arts Center through February 16, is a carnival for the senses. The visuals, audio and special effects are arresting and astounding. I saw the film a long time ago when it came out in 2012, but I forgot many of the heavy details about the teenage castaway from India who survives hundreds of days at sea after a cargo ship that was transporting his family to safety in Canada capsizes.

In the stage production, after the freighter sinks, various animals from his family’s zoo cling to debris (and one Orangutan –Orange Juice — survives by climbing on top of floating bunches of bananas — yes, they do float), joining Pi on his makeshift lifeboat. Pi experiences grave tragedies as they all fight for survival in the beating sun with no food or water, eventually turning on each other.

In the end, Pi tames and befriends a vicious Bengal Tiger named Richard Parker, who had already been his enemy back on land, before the traumatic seaside events took place. The two spirits need each other and bond over unconditional emotional and physical support while seeking out food, water and shelter from the sun. The end of the show will leave you stunned, wondering how bad humanity can get when forced to the brink of insanity.

Taha Mandviwala as ‘Pi’ and the cast of the National Tour of LIFE OF PI. Photos by Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade .

While it was not a kids’ show, and I probably wouldn’t suggest bringing children under age ten, my eight-year-old daughter wouldn’t stop talking about it on the way home. She took in most of the production while other parts went over her head, but was mesmerized by the puppetry and stage production. It was more serious than I expected, but she handled it so well and had a lot of questions. 

The next morning I awoke to a sticky note on my bedroom door that said: “Tell them to fix the bright light on the stage.” She was referring to the bright strobe light that suddenly flashes, temporarily blinding the audience like the bright, unrelenting sun that Pi experiences out on the open ocean. The light is also a symbol of his mental instability and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after enduring a horrific life event. It is meant to make the audience uncomfortable, and it succeeds.

No, it wasn’t the cannibalism or even the animalistic violence that bothered my eight-year-old daughter, apparently, it was the bright light. I’d say she learned a lot and has a future in theater criticism ahead of her. That’s what live theater is all about. The moving and spectacular show plays at PPAC through February 16. There’s a special Valentine’s offer for the show, too.

Use code VALENTINE and choose between: Two tickets for $125* (rear orchestra seating) or two tickets for $99* (side orchestra or first dress circle seating). Limited to selected locations as indicated and are subject to availability;  no adjustments or refunds on prior purchases.