Bangkok Theatre Network and Tokyo Metropolitan Art Space joint productions
Akaoni and Nogyo Shojo
Date: Nov. 19 – 23, 2009
Venue: Tokyo Metropolitan Art Space Mini Theatre 1, 2
http://www.geigeki.jp/saiji_058.html
The current status of Thai theater
(source: Japan Foundation “Arts and Cultural Exchange Basic Information”)
http://www.jpf.go.jp/j/about/survey/basic/thai/2-2-1.html
Traditional Dance
Traditional Thai dance is taught intensively at the Royal Academy of Dance and in the Traditional Dance Dept. of the national university. Primary school children also learn traditional dance and music as part of their classroom studies and many citizens acquire aspects of these arts. Although the traditional dances and music are often performed at tourist spots (restaurants, etc.), there are actually few opportunities to see formal, quality performances of these arts. The popular likay comedy theater is an art form that is often performed at festivals or temple rituals and events, but full-fledged Khon mask theater performances are only given a few times a year. The likay style slapstick comedy is continues to be popular in contemporized forms performed regularly on TV variety shows. The more than 100 year-old puppet theater form called Hun Lakhon Lek is now performed regularly through the cooperation of the Joe Louis Theatre in Lumpini Night Bazaar. The famous shadow puppet plays of southern Thailand called Nang Yai come in many versions and many theater troupes perform them in inventive styles to carry on this tradition.
Contemporary theater
In the field of commercial theater, musicals starring the top stars are popular in recent years. As for small-theater type art theater, the audience apparently remains limited. The number of theaters is also limited, which leads many of the small companies to find and innovate venues like spaces in restaurants or rooms in buildings for each productions and there are very few companies that continue performances of their repertoire on a regular basis.
Among the companies that have their own theater space are the Patravadi Theatre and the Moradok Mai Theater (seating capacity: approx. 80). Other companies include the physical theater-oriented B-Floor and the company 8 × 8 that presents urban theater led by playwright Nikorn Saetang. The company Crescent Moon formerly led by Pipit Nimit Kun is somewhat less active since he left the company.
There are also companies like Makhampom and Maya Box that receive support from educational institutions and international organizations and actively conduct contemporary theater workshops in regional schools and communities. Furthermore, the drama departments of the various universities also host performances actively on a regular basis. In particular, the performances by the theater departments of Chulalongkorn University, Thammasat University and Bangkok University attract large audiences and are written up in newspaper reviews.
Akaoni
This work premiered in 1996 as a NODA MAP production. The following year the Japan Foundation’s Asian Performing Arts Exchange and Research Program was launched with the purpose of bringing together Asian and Japanese theater people to create joint productions. In 1997, as the first project of this program (organized in cooperation with the Setagaya Public Theatre), Hideki Noda held a workshop with Thai actors from Bangkok and to create and perform a Thai version of Akaoni . After that this Thai version was performed in Bangkok in 1998 and re-produced in Tokyo in 1999. In 2003 an English version performed by British actors and staff was presented. In 2004 the Japanese, English and Thai versions were presented in successive performances in Tokyo, winning that year’s Asahi Performing Arts Awards Grand Prix.
[Story]
A strange person arrives on the shore in a boat and is mistaken for a cannibal “Akaoni” by the people of the village. It is discriminated against and eventually sentenced to be executed. But a trio consisting of “The Woman,” her dimwit brother Tombi and the liar Mizukane learn that the Akaoni doesn’t eat humans but only eats flowers and came to their shore in search of a utopia. Then they try to save Akaoni ….
Bangkok Theatre Network (BTN)
http://www.lakorn.org/about_BTN_eng.htm