Thanks to Thong Lor Art Space (TLAS) whose curation is as surprising as it is inspiring, my regular nights out in trendy Thong Lor can be enjoyed just 100 metres from the BTS station. At no time since the era of AUA Thai Players in the late 1960s and early 1970s, do I recall any company staging the same play with two different casts speaking two languages – the original English and Thai. TLAS is doing just that and more, with 17 Thai language performances and the same number for English, for their new production of American playwright Josh Ginsburg’s “Stick Figures”, or “Khon Kang Pla” in Thai.
This 100-minute domestic drama tells the tale of a family who are unable to cope with the loss of their high-school daughter and hire a professional “surrogate” to stand in for her. All goes well until the couple’s son returns from college and doesn’t completely buy into the idea. He also discovers that the surrogate has been moonlighting, posing as the recently deceased wife of a lonely man. The surrogate’s secret is revealed towards the end of the play.
Filled with sincerity, keen observations on contemporary life and the smart use of all five actors, the play is truly touching and captivating. But, like works of many young playwrights who may be afraid that their audiences might not clearly get their messages, it delivers its messages too soon. Seasoned director Pattarasuda Anuman Rajadhon deftly stages this with all her heart and her set design is so highly practical that one scene moves into another seamlessly. Paphavee Limkul’s lighting design, which undergoes several changes during the drama, is both subtle and effective. Perhaps aiming for a more realistic performance, most of her actors’ voices are very soft and even in such a small theatre studio I had to move from the third to the front row to catch what they were saying.
The five-member Thai-speaking cast is a delight as they’re comfortable with the dialogue in both languages, partly thanks to translator Pattareeya Puapongsakorn, herself an awarded playwright, who made some context adaptation. Standing out is Varattha Tongyoo who effortlessly slips in and out of her three characters. Even when her performance reaches its emotional apex and the surrogate’s personal secret is revealed, she doesn’t get too carried away.
The English-speaking cast consists of only one native speaker, and Briton James Laver delivers another arresting performance. Although our government may be delighted to see that Thai people are ready for the Asean Economic Community, as evidenced in the proficiency of the Thai cast members here, it’s not yet up to the level of professional thespians who would otherwise act naturally and enjoy using different dialects of the language, as necessary in each play’s setting.
And if the production is not going to employ any voice or dialect coach, then casting native speakers in these roles—and there are a high number of them here in this expat-friendly city – would make it more credible as the play is, after all, set in the Big Apple, not the Big Mango.
Both casts have a similar letdown, namely the miscasting of the father and mother roles to actors too young to be believable as parents who prematurely lose their daughter. Does the Thai stage really lack actors and actresses in their mid- to late-40s?
STICK AROUND
– “Stick Figures” runs until June 30 at Thong Lor Art Space, a short walk from BTS Thong Lor.
– Shows are 8 nightly (except Tuesdays) with 2pm matinees on Saturdays and Sundays. The Thai and English performances alternate days.
– Tickets are Bt550 (Bt450 for advance transfer and Bt400 for students). Call (095) 924 4555 or check Facebook.com/ThongLorArtSpace.
This source first appeared on The Nation Life.