Three men and a painting

One of the most popular and acclaimed comedies of the 1990s, French playwright Yasmina Reza’s three-hander “Art” bagged awards in France as well as on Broadway and Britain’s West End. In 2000, Dass Entertainment, now known as Dreambox, staged the Thai translation at the Bangkok Playhouse, now M Theatre, and Kad Theatre, as well as in Khon Kaen and Nakhon Ratchasima. 

Of that production, the Bangkok Post’s Vasana Chinvarakorn wrote, “The Paris-based playwright has little to fear that her comedy and gentle innuendo will override the message she wishes to convey – the issue of the frailty of friendship. Of course, laughter is generated every now and then, throughout the fast-paced 90-minute play.

“The rib-tickling factor lies in the proficient use of cleverly chosen expressions used by the three protagonists of the play.” 

As for the Thai translation, she thought it “manages to retell a story that does not sound too remote to the Thai context, on how a painting can threaten the friendship between three men.”

The first Thai national to have graduated with a master’s from the Actors’ Studio in New York, Sasithorn “Heen” Panichnok was home briefly last year and her performance in “Loek”, Pascal Rambert’s “Cloture de l’amour”, thrilled audiences and critics. Now, she’s back for a longer period and Chulalongkorn University’s Dramatic Arts Department offered an opportunity to stage a play of her choice.

She’s chosen “Art”.

“Because I love art and it’s not only an artist who can talk about art. Everybody has his or her own art,” says Heen. “I haven’t watched the play, but I’ve read both the English [translated by Portuguese British playwright Christopher Hampton] and Thai version so many times that I want to see it on stage. So, here we go.”

From an open audition, Heen has chosen three stage actors. A prolific actor in his college years and now a TV director and producer, Nuttapong Mongkolsawas portrays aeronautical engineer Marc, who’s angry with his dermatologist friend Serge – graduate student in acting Setthawut Chanpensuk – for purchasing a plain white painting for an outrageously hefty fee. Also a budding playwright and director whose “Da Capo” was part of the recent “Take Off Festival”, Tarin Prinyakanit plays stationery salesman Ivan who tries to serve as an intermediary, despite his gut-wrenching troubles in organising his wedding. 

Taking a few days off from rehearsal for the premiere of her new film “The Island Funeral” in Tokyo, Heen notes, “The advantage of being a professional thespian is that I know, from an actor’s perspective, how each character should act. The three of them have different backgrounds but they’re all highly capable and determined. This is my professional directing debut and I’m still learning – to look at the total picture from a wider perspective, for example. I am grateful to Bhanbhassa “Khru Ning” Dhubthien [director of “Loek” and most recently “Eng Chang the Musical”] for all her kind assistance.” 

As a female, Heen says it wasn’t all that difficult to work on a play about three men.

“The playwright is also a woman,” she explains. “And as the opposite sex, we can better see both the strong and weak points of men that they probably overlook.”

Veteran stage designer Ritirong Jiwakanon has designed a white set on a thrust stage, with audience members sitting on three sides. Heen takes this as a fun challenge, saying “I have to move from one side to another to make sure that every member of the audience has a good view of the stage action. The reason Ritirong and I chose this configuration is to draw the audience closer to the play. Also, we’re talking about art here. Theatre is also an art. The production design has a specific purpose. This is a contemporary play and so we also want to break the usual, and more familiar, set-up of proscenium or end stage.” 

Knowing that stage works by her alma mater, “Lakhon Akson”, are known for the opposite, Heen says, “I guarantee this is truly a comedy. It’s easy to understand and you don’t have to be an art aficionado to enjoy it.”

 

LAUGH OUT LOUD

- Part of the Bangkok Theatre Festival, “Art” will be performed at Chulalongkorn University’s Sodsai Pantoomkomol Centre for Dramatic Arts from Thursday to Saturday and from November 11 to 14. Shows are at 7.30pm with 2pm matinees on Saturdays. It’s in Thai with English surtitles. 

The venue is about a 10-minute walk from BTS Siam, exit 6.

- Tickets are Bt600 (Bt300 for students). For details, call (02) 218 4802, (081) 559 7252 or see 

www.Facebook.com/dramaartschula.