Many may be familiar with the novel and the award-winning movie directed by Ang Lee in 2012. The movie adaptation received 10 Academy Awards in 2013, and the novel was awarded the Booker Prize in 2002. 

"Life of Pi" opened at the Wharton Center on Tuesday, March 11 and will be running until Sunday, March 16. 

The cast of "Life of Pi" gathered in the Wharton Center on March 12 to answer questions from fans and community members. The discussion flowed with ease and the audience was full of excitement. Little did they know, a tiger was lurking right around the corner, ready to pounce. 

A roar erupted from around the corner and the room fell silent as an intricately painted tiger puppet slunk into the room eyeing attendees closely. The room shaking roar came from Aaron Haskell, one of several puppeteers that work together to make Richard Parker come to life.  

Haskell went into detail about how he and his fellow castmates work together to perform as one.  

“Between the three of us, we definitely have to combine our breath work because it is one of the ways that we communicate with each other,” Haskell said. “You can see the tentativeness, or the power... whether he’s tired or whatnot, and the three of us really have to work together to bring that image fully into the character.”  

Haskell works alongside Anna Gortner and Anna Vomácka to bring Richard Parker to life. Each take one role, either the head, the heart, or the hind/tail.  

To pull off their intricate set design and puppetry, every member of the cast must be in synch, especially Taha Mandviwala, the actor who plays Pi, the titular character.  

Mandviwala auditioned for a “swing role” initially, anticipating he would be playing another role in the production. Turned out, the role of Pi was calling his name. 

"I always knew somewhere in my heart of hearts that I wanted to do this, so I went to the same audition process as all the other Pi’s who were getting ready to go through it,” Mandviwala said. “Just training my body, learning the show, reading up on the book, or reading up on the religions and finding my own path through it."

Mandviwala found out he got the role on his wedding day and described it as “a very, very, happy day.” The role requires a lot of physicality and Mandviwala draws from parkour to allow him to embody Pi. 

He said his favorite moments of the play are the ones in which the philosophy of the story is on full display.  

“My favorite parts are the quieter moments, particularly in the beginning of the show when Pi is sort of prodding at Mr. Okamoto and he says, ‘choosing doubt as a philosophy of life is like choosing immobility as a mode of transport,'" Mandviwala said. 

"Life of Pi" is full of philosophical pondering and spiritual exploration in the face of great odds. Mandviwala pointed out the importance of the meaning behind this line from the play. 

“I think for me it has been a reflection on, what does it mean to live with conviction at a time where it’s very easy to become jaded and it’s very easy to become complacent with the state of affairs in our own life,” Mandviwala said. “It’s a really poignant reminder about what the power of story represents in our own life, and the responsibility that I get to have as a storyteller to the people getting to see the show."

Not only has Mandviwala athletically grown in this demanding role, but he has found spiritual growth as well by pondering its message about spirituality. 

“Doing this show has made me reevaluate my own relationship with spirituality, what does it mean to live a life of spirit, of vitality, to believe in something bigger than yourself," Mandviwala said. “For some people that’s God, for other people that means living for love, living for friendship, showing up for the people in your life in powerful ways. The show continues to teach me so many things, big and small.”