Thailand's grande dame honoured

Last Tuesday evening at the multi-purpose room on the first floor of the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre, some 100 contemporary dance and theatre artists, critics, students, reporters and members of the public attended the “IATC (International Association of Theatre Critics) Thailand Awards 2012”. Co-organised by the IATC’s Thailand Centre, BACC, Ministry of Culture’s Office of Contemporary Art and Culture (OCAC) and Arrow University, the inaugural annual event bestowed 11 awards to recognise outstanding dance and theatre works that premiered in 2012.
There was no red carpet on the floor, no drum rolls and no shows on stage to entertain the audience. In fact, there wasn’t even a stage: just three stools for the emcees, Chaiwat Anutrakulchai and Alice Tsoi, in addition to the IATC members who came up one by one to read excerpts from their published reviews on the winning work in each category.
The highlight was the Lifetime Achievement Award, given to highly revered artists Patravadi “Khru Lek” Mejudhon.
Honorary president of IATC’s Thailand Centre, veteran theatre and film critic Kittisak “Khru Daeng” Suwanaphokin, spoke about Khru Lek’s achievements as an actress, playwright, director, producer and educator.
His speech also reminded me that a critic is also simply a die-hard fan of an artists whose work he has followed for decades.
“Most importantly, she has given opportunities to a great number of people — not only younger generations of artists, many of whom are in this room but also to children living near her theatres and the arts centres she’s founded. In addition, she co-founded Monthienthong Theatre [a professional stage that enjoyed its heyday in the late 1980s and early 1990s].
“Education has always been important to her. When she started her career, as a model before turning to acting, she went abroad to study modelling as well as fashion design. Besides, she’s given many scholarships so that her students and company members can further their training overseas in different aspects of theatre, The latest example is acrobat Rajanikara Kaewdee, [winner of ‘Thailand Got Talent’].
“Actually, I prepared this speech for another award [for which Khru Lek is long overdue]”, and those in attendance not only knew but also concurred that her
 immense contribution to contemporary dance and theatre in Thailand should have already been recognised with the country’s highest award for an artist.
Gracefully accepting the award, Khru Lek said, “Khru Daeng has such a great memory. I’ve been in the performing arts for many decades and it’s because of performing arts that I continue to live so long. With every year comes a new discovery. You discover that sometimes you don’t have to work too hard and your work can come out much better than you’d expected. Later, you discover that your body muscles do not allow you to do it anymore. Despite that, your brain gets better every year.
“I’m very glad that IATC’s Thailand Centre has invited me here today. What’s more important than accepting this award is seeing the younger generation of artists, some of whom I’ve seen since they were studying in the university, keep developing like a growing tree. And that’s sheer happiness for every artist.”
Pichet Klunchun Dance Company was the biggest winner of the night, bagging awards for direction, art direction and movement-based performance for “Ganesh” and best performance by a male artist for Sunon Wachirawarakarn’s solo work “Home”. Bangkok’s busiest playhouse Democrazy Theatre Studio also triumphed with its production of “The Chair”, which was voted best play, while Sumontha Suanpholrat won best performance by a female artist for the same play. Democrazy’s “The Odd Couple (Queer Version)”, adapted from Neil Simon’s “The Odd Couple (Female Version) picked up the best adapted script award. B-Floor Theatre’s “Bang Lamerd” won best original script and “Oxygen” was honoured with best ensemble award. Dreambox swept the two musical awards with “Dreamgirls” winning best musical and “Pritsana” the best book of the musical.
Accepting these awards, the artists expressed their thanks and gave credits to those involved in other aspects of the productions, highlighting the fact that dance and theatre are a composite art, never a one-man show.

Keep track of IATC Thailand, by visiting their facebook page “IATC Thailand”.