American Repertory Theater — Attraction in Cambridge

This is a review of -LIFE OF PI- which I was lucky to attend on December 21st. What propelled me to get a ticket was an article in the Harvard gazette with the headline "Scene stealing puppets of "Pi". That unfortunately was not the case. The only thief that stole the show was the set designer (Tim Hatley) which created two magical moments: the appearance of the boat and the protagonist jumping into the ocean and bobbing mid torso a few seconds later. It would not have had the same effect without the lightning design (Tim Lutkin) and Video Design (Andrzej Goulding). A competent cast ensemble with outstanding performances by Avery Glymph and Sathya Sridharan in multiple roles.

I believe the puppets could steal the show if the puppeteers were to be robed in black so that they blend into the background, a device that would have allowed the animals to come into their own. The most successful pairing between handler and puppet were the glowing fish. The rest were disjointed and did not move like their counterparts in real life. Zebras do not move like horses and bengal tiger are majestic not disjointed.

The other problem I found was the in the casting. Pi we are told by an official is a sixteen year old boy who is hiding under the hospital bed, and when he finally comes from under it we get someone who appears to be in his early 30's, and with a physique that looked pretty good for having spent 227 days at sea, malnourished and in the company of a Bengal tiger. As competent a performer as Mr. Adi Dixit is, especially in his physical dexterity I had a credibility issue from the start. The initial interaction with the two officers seems to be playing for laughs rather than the traumatic experience he had undergone.

Regardless of my reservations I urge you to make yours as soon as possible. It was an uplifting experience, full of awe and a full fledge collaboration of actors...

My daughter and I saw 1776 yesterday, and while the musical was great, the venue was terrible. We received an e-mail the night before that was the most ridiculous thing I have seen in all my years. They basically accused us of being racists, and warned us to leave our "anti-blackness" at home. Wow! They told us not to print the tickets, not to drive to the theater, and to make sure we brought a mask and had our vaccine cards ready to show. My husband and I saw "A Beautiful Noise" at the Emerson Colonial the week before, and there was no mask requirement, and no vaccine requirement. I have had 4 shots and I wore a mask for almost 2 years. Enough is enough! We arrived a few minutes early, and I put my purse on a table to get out my id and vaccine card and I was yelled at by a young employee, because the table was reserved for Covid testing. Then I asked to use the bathroom, because I really needed to go, and I was told I could walk several blocks in over 100 degree heat and use a public restroom! The bathrooms at the theater are also open to all genders, and I would rather not use a restroom with a man. Maybe I am just old fashioned. They finally agreed to let us in (we were literally there 2 minutes before the doors were supposed to open) they did not even check my daughter's id and vaccine record! This theater is run by a bunch of rude, obnoxious, self important, jerks! This was my first time visiting this theater (I have been to many productions all around the world for over 40 years) and I will NEVER return. Great show - lousy...

I have been to dozens of plays here over the years and often really really impressed with the quality. Most recently a phenomenal production of 1776 with an all women/ People of Color / trans women cast. The two African American women who played John Adams and Ben Franklin were incredible. I was confused by the all female cast at the outset but quickly found myself enjoying it tremendously. Such a creative way to bring the play to the 21st century and also make it a lot more interesting.

A few Greek tragedies I saw as a child ago there still live on very clearly in my memory. I was also lucky enough to see Audra McDonald in porgy and Bess here before it went to Broadway. Another play, a moving but fast paced tribute to Schubert’s life, also brought me a lot of joy. I loved another one taking place in Victorian Britain with a very dark twist. Really only ever saw one I found boring but that was because it just wasn’t my cup of tea- too intellectual for me! But its always good to broaden your horizons.

The student productions I’ve seen have have also been wonderful, I remember one focused on racism. Boston is truly lucky to have such an incredible theater! And the prices are super reasonable as well, plus the theater is small so you can sit in the back row and still see great. Can’t...