A Study of the Process in Contemporary Dramatic Script Creation
Developed from Lanna Folk Performing Arts: 
A Case Study of Sasiwipa Richardson

Presentation with Wansak Padungsestakit and Sayompooh Jindarat (Thailand)

Wansak Padungsestakit got his Bachelor degree of Fine Arts, majoring in Performing Arts (Second class honor) from Faculty of Fine and Applied Arts, Prince of Songkla University, and Master of Arts in Dramatic Arts (HRH Princess Petcharat’s Scholarships Awarded) from Faculty of Arts, Chulalongkorn University. Now, he works as a full-time lecturer at Theatre Arts Department, Faculty of Fine Arts, Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University and a founder of Wanasak Theatre Troupe.

Wanasak Theatre Troupe is the independent organization aimed to create, develop and integrate knowledge regarding to performing arts. Wanasak Theatre Troupe are dramatic performers, students and persons who interested in dramatic arts. Basically, in order to communicate with audiences in this globalized world, we intend to represent the contemporary performance arts in the way that is more innovative, more accessible, and more unique from Thai conventional arts while maintaining their core values. Based on our strong competence and skillful members, we are ready to present and promote our performances, which is mostly focused on Thai traditional performing arts, to not only people in the national, but also international level.   

Sayompooh Jindarat is a director and actor. He has directed Vagina Monologue in the SSRU Theatre Festival 2011. In additional, he was as an actor in Vakman Lakorn Festival 2010, Dramatic Arts, Faculty of Arts, Chulalongkorn University. Sayompooh is a student who prefers to explore new experiences by attending and cooperating with the other Faculty of Arts in any University.  Now he is senior in department of Performing Arts (Theatre Arts), Faculty of Fine Arts, Suansunandha Rajabhat University Bangkok Thailand.  

He interested in Queer theory and Gay/Lesbian Studies. Now he had a thesis project of The learning processes of directing and acting queer solo performance for improving any good attitude toward oneself and society which a case study of "Taro the Little Poodle" (in progress). Moreover, he is an assistance of Wanasak Theater Troupe.   


PRESENTATION OVERVIEW

Format of Presentation: Oral presentation with power point, photos and video.

Sasiwipa Richardson, a contemporary play, is a part of a research called “A Study of the Process in Contemporary Dramatic Script Creation Developed from Lanna Folk Performing Arts: A Case Study of Sasiwipa Richardson” This research project aims at studying the strategies to construct the script and direct the contemporary dramatic play, which is based on interesting autobiographies of four female folk Lanna artists. In order to reach a point of being a great play, collaborations between folk Lanna artists, playwright, director (researcher) and musicians are applied to the process of production. Apart from the written script, Lanna Classical Poetry (Pleng Kao) and Lanna Classical Singing (Pleng Saw) developed from interview are used as an element not only to entertain audiences, but also to move the story forward. The protagonist, moreover, are the artist who owns a high competency in these fields herself. Therefore, this makes the play to be more realistic and touchable. Based on a situation of finding a balance between maintaining an authenticity of folk arts and becoming a contemporary to be more universal, the play has been developed to represent the aspects involved in freedom of expressions, freedom of mind and spirit. In addition, the idea of seeking admiration is provoked as the subject plays different roles in different dimensions such as being a rustic, a mistress, a ‘cheap’ artist. 

This play not only emphasizes on the protagonist’s life, but also reflects picture of community, society and good intentions of the artist. This autobiographical play of Lanna artist is considered as a thought-provoking performance as it demonstrates how the artist dedicates her life to the art works, and how these art pieces lead to value of life. Audiences would perceive a great determined effort of modern Lanna artist in order to produce any piece of art. As a result, they could realize the significant of folk arts, understand culture and the way of living of the folk artist.



Organized by IUGTE in collaboration with "ArtUniverse"