Unmasking stage actresses

FIFTEEN OF THAILAND’S stage actresses have been busy in recent weeks working with New Theatre Society’s Wichaya Artamat on a selection of monologues. These are categorised into six groups and range from a soliloquy by Blanche Dubois in Tennessee Williams’ “A Streetcar Named Desire” to Silpathorn artist Sineenadh Keitprapai’s “In Silence” and a transcript of an interview with Yingluck Shinawatra before the 2011 election.
During the actual performance of “In Ther’s View”, a smart title which smoothly mixes in the Thai word “ther” with the English, only six of the ladies perform these monologues, which are juxtaposed with questions penned by audience members, selected and voiced to them by a guest actor. The sequence, indeed the actresses and monologues themselves as well as the actor, are never again repeated throughout the play’s run though all 15 will be on stage for the last evening. In other words, each performance of “In Ther’s View” is different.
This Monday at a sold-out Democrazy Studio seasoned actresses Neelacha Fuangfookiat and Duangjai Hirunsri were comfortable and arresting in contemporary Thai scripts like “Clitoris Monologue” and “In Silence”. The same couldn’t be said for Pavinee Samakkabutr, who also moonlights as a lighting designer, as Kattrin from Bertolt Brecht’s “Mother Courage and Her Children” and Vidura Amranand, who kept saying that she’s more a dancer than an actress, as Lady Macbeth from the Scottish play.
Dujdao Vadhanapakorn Boonyai’s portrayal of a Saudi woman protesting the law that prevents women from driving connected with the audience and I don’t think the physical movements before her speech were really necessary. To end the first part on a merry note, Ornanong Thaisriwong’s spot-on impersonation of our caretaker PM would have had her summoned by the DSI had “In Ther’s View” opened a week earlier.
However, this is not a battle to find out who is the best stage actress on any given evening. Instead, “In Ther’s View” demonstrates how Thai actresses, with various backgrounds and training, have been contributing to the development of contemporary Thai theatre. It also reveals how different each actress is in person from her dramatic roles. This is re-affirmed after the much shorter second part in which all six actresses sit in a circle surrounded by audiences on four sides, chatting about a topic assigned by the director.
Immense credit is due to Wichaya who smartly balances his control and his actresses’ freedom in the fine mix of the rehearsed and improvisational parts and highlights the fact that live performance cannot ever be repeated in exactly the same way. The fact that he’s a member of New Theatre Society, which is better known for play adaptations, also makes it more intriguing and I wish other companies would start exploring different possible artistic directions to expand their scope and the audience base.
Loud applause was also heard for seasoned production designer Wasurachata Unaprom who deftly designed the space so that it fit the performance and enhanced our viewing pleasure and for lighting designer Varattha Tongyoo who subtly adjusted the mood and tone. This young woman’s talent for fading the lights was quite magical, especially considering that the actresses’ conversation in the second part was completely impromptu.
If you love theatre, you will love “In Ther’s View” – this year’s first strong contender for IATC Thailand Awards’ best play, direction, performance by an ensemble and art direction. Watch it as many times as you’d like – like life itself, each day is different.
 IN YOUR VIEW
 n “In Ther’s View” runs from today to Monday and again from April 3 to 7 at 8pm at Democrazy Studio on Soi Saphan Khu, just off Rama IV Road. It’s a 10-minute walk from the subway’s Lumphini station, exit 1.
n All 15 actresses with take part in a special performance on April 10.
n Tickets are Bt500 this weekend and Bt550 next (Bt50 discount for students). For more details, call (081) 441 5718 or check Facebook.com/democrazystudio.