A.R.T. Announces Programs and Events for LIFE OF PI, Featuring Puppet Demonstrations, Artist Conversations & More

American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) at Harvard University has announced additional programming associated with its upcoming production of Life of Pi. Performances begin December 4 at the Loeb Drama Center in Harvard Square.

Driven by A.R.T.'s value of inquiry and its commitment to asking questions with brave curiosity on a never-ending journey of learning and growth, each production's creative team, company, and A.R.T.'s Education & Engagement team collaborate to develop Essential Questions to guide work in the rehearsal room, onstage, and for engaging with audiences. Life of Pi and many of its associated events are driven by this Essential Question: How does telling stories help us cope and survive?

The public is invited to consider this question and to offer their own responses by engaging in the events listed below as well as in-person at the Loeb Drama Center in conjunction with a performance.

ARTISTS FOR HUMANITY COLLABORATION

A.R.T. continues its collaboration with Artists For Humanity, a Boston-based nonprofit that provides teens the keys to self-sufficiency through paid employment in art and design.

In response to Life of Pi, AFH teens and their mentors researched the story, visited rehearsal, considered their own responses, and created a new piece of visual art in response to the Essential Question: How does storytelling help us cope and survive?

CONVERSATIONS AND EVENTS WITH ARTISTS AND SCHOLARS

• Tuesday, November 15, 2022 at 7PM | Virtual

BEYOND THE PAGE AND ONTO THE STAGE OF LIFE OF PI

Co-Presented with GBH

Join the play's acclaimed theatrical adapter Lolita Chakrabarti and director Max Webster for this special preview event and discover the creative secrets behind this modern classic.

Free, register at wgbh.org/events/beyond-the-page-and-onto-the-stage-of-life-of-pi

• Thursday, November 17 at 6:30PM | Virtual

THE LUNCH ROOM: DINNER WITH THE PATELS FROM LIFE OF PI

Life of Pi cast members Rajesh Bose, Adi Dixit, Mahira Kakkar, and Sonya Venugopal visit The Lunch Room, A.R.T.'s virtual talk show, to discuss their collaboration, the rehearsal experience to date, and how the show's story explores storytelling as a tool for survival. Please note the evening time for this event.

Free, register at AmericanRepertoryTheater.org/TheLunchRoom.

• Thursday, December 1 at 7PM | Virtual

CIVICALLY SPEAKING: REFLECTING ON THE EMERGENCY IN INDIA

Life of Pi begins with Pi Patel and his family escaping from India in 1975 at the start of The Emergency, a two-year period of violent political unrest that overtook the country for nearly two years. Join us for a dynamic conversation with Harvard University Professor Sugata Bose who will reflect on how The Emergency began and the long-lasting effects of one of the most impactful periods in modern Indian history. A.R.T.'s Civically Speaking series features virtual conversations, lectures, and performance events on history, politics, justice, and the meaning of democracy.

Free, register at AmericanRepertoryTheater.org/CivicallySpeaking.

• Tuesday, December 6 at 5PM | Loeb Drama Center

LIFE OF PI TEACHER TUESDAY

A.R.T. Teacher Tuesdays are fun-filled theater experiences just for educators! Join us for an educators-only evening of conversation and theater-going connected to the Essential Question: How does telling stories help us cope and survive? Teachers planning to bring a student group are particularly encouraged to attend.

Sold Out - learn more about upcoming Teacher Tuesdays at AmericanRepertoryTheater.org/TeacherTuesday.

• Tuesday, December 6 at 6PM | Virtual

CIVICALLY SPEAKING: FAITH, MIGRATION, AND TELLING STORIES TO SURVIVE

Join us for an exciting conversation with Life of Pi theatrical adapter Lolita Chakrabarti and director Max Webster as they explore the production's themes of faith, migration, and storytelling as a tool for survival. A.R.T.'s Civically Speaking series features virtual conversations, lectures, and performance events on history, politics, justice, and the meaning of democracy.

Free, register at AmericanRepertoryTheater.org/CivicallySpeaking.

• Friday, December 9 following the 7:30PM performance | Loeb Drama Center

POST-PERFORMANCE CONVERSATION WITH Lolita Chakrabarti

Join playwright Lolita Chakrabarti in conversation with A.R.T. Learning Lead and Dialogue of Civilizations facilitator Vahdat Yeganeh to discuss the power of storytelling and the creation of Life of Pi.

Free with a ticket to Life of Pi, available at AmericanRepertoryTheater.org/LifeofPi.

• Fridays, January 13 & 20 at 5:30PM; Saturday, January 21 at 12PM | Loeb Drama Center

THE APPETIZER

A pre-show experience designed for high school students by high school students from A.R.T.'s Youth Action Team. Participants will enjoy refreshments and engage in a guided conversation around the themes of the play and the Essential Question: How does telling stories help us cope and survive?

High schoolers can RSVP for their preferred date and free ticket to Life of Pi at AmericanRepertoryTheater.org/TheAppetizer.

• Sunday, January 22, 2023 at 1PM | Loeb Drama Center
  MEMBER EVENT

Supporters of $75+ are invited to a reception before the matinee performance. Stay after for a demonstration from the puppeteers about how they bring the show's animals to life.

Contact DonorEvents@amrep.org for more information.

• Sunday, January 22, 2023 following the 2PM performance | Loeb Drama Center

PUPPETRY DEMONSTRATION

Includes ASL Interpretation

Following the performance, discover how the Life of Pi puppeteers bring the animals of the Pondicherry Zoo to life. Through explanation and demonstration, learn about the preparation, rehearsal, and performance processes behind these dazzling puppets.

Free with a ticket to the January 22 performance, book at AmericanRepertoryTheater.org/LifeofPi.

DIALOGUE OF CIVILIZATIONS: VOICE OF OTHERS

In Dialogue of Civilizations workshops, students and teachers use theatrical training to explore identity, heritage, and community through learning a new language in a new home. Audiences are invited to join us for a culminating performance at A.R.T. to celebrate the excellent work of our new neighbors. Dialogue of Civilizations workshops are a collaboration with The Immigrant Learning Center and led by A.R.T. Learning Lead Vahdat Yeganeh.

• Friday, December 9, 2022 at 5:30PM | Loeb Drama Center

VOICE OF OTHERS

Voice of Others is a collage of scenes and monologues written and created by the students/actors from Palestine, Egypt, Azerbaijan, China, Haiti, Brazil, Iran, US, Ethiopia, and Argentina in the Dialogue of Civilizations workshops, inspired by the essential question of A.R.T.'s production of Life of Pi: How can telling stories help us cope and survive?

Free, book at AmericanRepertoryTheater.org/DialogueofCivilizations.

ACCESS PERFORMANCES

Book seats online, by contacting Access@amrep.org, or calling 617.547.8300

Relaxed Performance

In partnership with Spectrum Theatre Ensemble's Neurodiverse Inclusive Certified Entertainment (NICE) program

Open to all audience members who could benefit from a more relaxed atmosphere at the theater, particularly audience members with sensory sensitivities.

ASL Interpreted Performances

Director of Artistic ASL: Elbert "EJ" Joseph

Wednesday, January 18, 2023 at 7:30PM & Sunday, January 22, 2023 at 2PM

Open Captioned Performances

Captions provided by c2

Thursday, January 19, 2023 at 7:30PM & Saturday, January 21, 2023 at 2PM

Audio Described Performances

Audio Description Consultant: Amber Pearcy

Audio Describers: Maria Hendricks & Teddy Hendricks

Thursday, January 19, 2023 at 7:30PM & Saturday, January 21, 2023 at 2PM

ABOUT LIFE OF PI

In Life of Pi, sixteen-year-old Pi and his family set off to emigrate from India, but after their ship sinks in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, Pi is left stranded on a lifeboat with just four other survivors: a hyena, a zebra, an orangutan, and a Royal Bengal tiger. Time is against them, and nature is harsh-who will survive? Called "extraordinary and unmissable" by The Guardian for its inventive puppetry, this highly imaginative theatrical adaptation brings one of the most beloved works of fiction to the stage to tell its epic story of endurance and hope.

Life of Pi is currently playing at Wyndham's Theatre in London's West End where it won five Olivier Awards including Best New Play, Best Scenic Design, and Best Lighting Design. In an historic first for the Olivier Awards, the seven performers who play Royal Bengal tiger 'Richard Parker' were collectively awarded Best Actor in a Supporting Role. The London production, with its cutting-edge visual effects, has garnered great critical acclaim.

"★★★★★ Breathtaking. It will make you believe in the power of theater." - The Times of London

"One of the most visually stunning shows I've ever seen." - Time Out London

Written by Lolita Chakrabarti based on the best-selling novel by Yann Martell, Life of Pi is directed by Max Webster, with Set and Costume Design by Olivier Award winner Tim Hatley, Puppet and Movement Direction by Finn Caldwell, Puppet Design by Olivier Award winners Nick Barnes and Finn Caldwell, Video Design by Olivier Award winner Andrzej Goulding, Lighting Design by Olivier Award winner Tim Lutkin, Sound Design by Carolyn Downing, Original Music by Andrew T. Mackay, and Dramaturgy by Jack Bradley.

Life of Pi is stage managed by Sharika Niles. Luke Anderson and Jonathan Castanien serve as assistant stage managers. Casting is by Stewart/Whitley.

Additional Production Support provided by Ann and Graham Gund, Janet and Irv Plotkin, and Sid Yog.

A.R.T.'s 2022/23 programming is supported by Harvard University, The Barr Foundation, The Bob and Alison Murchison New Work Development Fund, The Shubert Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, Massachusetts Cultural Council, Bank of America, Barton & Guestier, Meyer Sound, and JetBlue.

TICKETING INFORMATION

Tickets from $30 are available at AmericanRepertoryTheater.org/LifeOfPi. Discounts are available to students and ticket-buyers under age 25, Blue Star families, EBT cardholders, seniors, Harvard faculty and staff, and others. More information at AmericanRepertoryTheater.org/PlanYourVisit.

Audience, artist, and staff safety is A.R.T.'s top priority. The theater is taking many steps to protect against COVID-19. Enhanced ventilation, universal masking, vaccination, and testing are critical cornerstones of our multi-layered mitigation efforts that prioritize the safety of our community. Visit A.R.T.'s website for a full list of current ticketing and attendance protocols and procedures: AmericanRepertoryTheater.org/Covid19Protocols.

ABOUT AMERICAN REPERTORY THEATER

The American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) at Harvard University is a leading force in the American theater, producing groundbreaking work that is driven by risk-taking and passionate inquiry. A.R.T. was founded in 1980 by Robert Brustein, who served as Artistic Director until 2002, when he was succeeded by Robert Woodruff. Diane Paulus began her tenure as Terrie and Bradley Bloom Artistic Director in 2008 and co-leads the theater in partnership with Executive Director Kelvin Dinkins, Jr., who began his tenure in June 2022.

The Loeb Drama Center where the A.R.T. performs is located on the traditional and ancestral land of the Massachusett, the original inhabitants of what is now known as Boston and Cambridge. We pay respect to the people of the Massachusett Tribe, past and present, and honor the land itself which remains sacred to the Massachusett People.

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