‘Life of Pi’ is a visual marvel  

Costa Mesa, CA (News4usOnline) – What makes the hit stage play “Life of Pi” special is that it is a glowing spectacle and delivers in the storytelling arena. The pageantry of the four-time Tony Award winner is captivating. The well-crafted acting chops by the lead thespian are more than enough to sustain the production. 

It is not just a story. The “Life of Pi” is a magical journey. 

The story of “Life of Pi” is about the triumph of the human spirit. It is about goodness supplanting the bad. This narrative is nothing new for theatrical performances. The stage is also a place where tragedy and grit come alive. 

We see this play out in the “Life of Pi” (Segerstrom Center for the Arts). For more than two hours, at the heart of the storyline is an actor who carries the entire acting responsibilities in the electric stage play. 

Taha Mandviwala gives an exceptional performance as Pi, the young man who finds himself struggling for survival amidst the backdrop of being on a boat with some of nature’s incredible beasts. 

There are several challenges Mandviwala takes on in the primary role, a character that requires both physical and emotional endurance. From a physical point of view, Mandviwala is challenged in ways that he is not accustomed to. 

For the greater part of the production, he is projecting volume at the top of his lungs as he debates, argues, and tries to fend off the killer tiger, also known as Richard Parker. It’s no wonder that by the end of the show Mandviwala is exhausted.  

A Different Type of Role 

During a recent roundtable discussion with the media, Mandviwala talked about what is the hardest part in playing the role of Pi. 

“Yelling, screaming, just like very high-intensity vocals that my voice is not used to. I am also this is the first play I’ve done in a long time,” Mandviwala said. “I think this might be the only show I’ve done like this, where I essentially never leave the stage. I’m on for two hours, just nonstop the second act, I never leave. First Act, I’m off for like 20 seconds.”

The physical toll the role that Mandviwala plays also leaves him emotionally and mentally taxed. One moment, Mandviwala as Pi, experiences pure joy and fun as he works with his family circus. 

Then in the blink of an eye, he is cast into a wind-tossed sea as the ship with his parents, passengers and animals sinks.  

He mourns, but he has to get over that reality pretty quickly if he is to survive. Not only does Pi have to survive the unexpected turbulence of waves from the Pacific Ocean, he must also find a way to stay afloat on this lifeboat while at the same time managing to fend off the primate and the predator.  

For the greater part of his time at sea, Pi has to balance finding his sanity as well as finding a way to stay alive. So by the time the show concludes, Mandviwala says his Pi character leaves him emotionally drained. 

“Obviously, there are. I think the second point of this is the emotional demands of the show,” Mandviwala said. “You know, you’re dealing with themes like severe loss and grief, and you know you’re kind of having to carry this arc from the beginning to the end. That leaves you, you know, really going to some, some very intense places emotionally, but I’ve been finding a lot of peace towards the end of the show.”

While Mandviwala is the star of “Life of Pi,” he has a co-star who tries to steal the show for top billing. Every storyline has a good guy to root for and a villain to root against. Richard Parker, in the form of the Bengal tiger, becomes Pi’s main antagonist as the two entities try to survive each other. 

They need each other for this whole dynamic to work out. But what makes “Life of Pi” so great is the puppetry pageant that gives the entire production sparkling energy. You can’t help but be mesmerized by the dazzling display of puppetry that comes to life in “Life of Pi.” 

More Than Puppets on a String 

The three puppeteers who operate and bring Richard Parker to a menacing presence on stage do a sensational job of breathing life into the character. 

Each puppeteer on stage, including individuals who work on Richard Parker, has an extraordinary background that allows them to perform their duties in order to make “Life of Pi” the visual creation that it is. 

From ballet dancing to gymnastics, these individuals bring their own unique set of talents to help the puppets on stage come to life as breathing characters in the “Life of Pi.” 

For Aaron Haskell, to balance the challenges that come with the task of making Richard Parker operate at peak efficiency is a matter of being steady.  

“I would say consistency throughout the show is a very tricky mental game because you have to develop our characters throughout the show, but then also make sure that we’re constantly working together, except for developing the same characters throughout the show,” Haskell remarked. 

“Just keeping the energy fluid while also being thoughtful. The pure athleticism of the show…to be very honest about the physicality of the show, is pretty intense,” he added.    

Anna Leigh Gortner said her background as a gymnast has assisted in her puppeteer work on Richard Parker. 

“I think, kind of what Aaron was saying, the athleticism for the show that’s needed…it’s very intense,” Gortner said. “So I feel like, especially my gymnastics training, helped with that.”

In making her Broadway debut, Anna Vomacka said that for the Ricard Parker magic to work with Haskell and Gortner, all three puppeteers have to be in sync with one another.  

“I think that from the backstage side of things that we operate as a community with a lot of love and care for each other,” Vomacka said. “We have to have a lot of love and care for each other as an entity becoming one thing.”

Feature Image: Richard Parker (Andrew Wilson, Scarlet Wildernik, Fred Davis), Hiran Abeysekera – by Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade