With the National Artist herself at the helm of the productions, occasionally performing in them and oftentimes collaborating with other renowned professional artists, the Patravadi School’s annual stage production has given a whole new meaning to the “school play” for the last four years. Unlike most student efforts, the youngsters at this private school work hand-in-hand with teachers on all aspects of the production, both on and off the stage, including designing the poster and programme. And as this is not a performing arts school – though many people think it is – Patravadi “Khru Lek” Mejudhon carefully selects the source material for each year’s production, making sure that her students can apply it to as many classes as possible.

Following contemporary adaptations of Thai literature classics like “Viva Phra Samut”, “Rocking Rama” and last year’s “Vetal”, Khru Lek’s adaptation of Chit Burathat’s “Samakkhi phet khamchan” (“Chant of the Ununited Nation”) opened over the weekend at the Vic Hua Hin.

“Teaching Thai literature to the students these days, I find that they’re not interested in it partly because the language is very difficult, even for me, and partly that they can find little relevance to here and now,” Khru Lek tells XP.

“Then, most exams seem to only test them on basic information like the name of the writer and the synopsis. Literature is also about the beauty of language and those who want to excel in performing arts need to have great language skills. And so in this annual project, I use my performing arts skills in helping them understand Thai literature better – and it helps me as well.

“Chit Burathat’s ‘Samakkhi phet khamchan’ is short and yet it needs careful and deep analysis in order to fully understand it. Its themes are related to Buddhism, which I’m also teaching here.

“We started working in June, rehearsing once a week, all day, and added more rehearsal time in the evenings as the performance time approached. It’s also a good training in discipline and physical exercise for the students, and for me as well – it’s like an indoors PE class,” she laughs.

Based on a story during Lord Buddha’s time, “Samakkhi phet khamchan” tells how King Ajatashatru of Magadha city used trickery to destroy the unity of the people of Vajji city. King Ajatashatru then beat up and exiled Watsakara Brahman – performed by Khru Lek herself – from the city. King Litchawi of Vajji accepted the wounded Brahman with mercy and assigned him to teach the princes and princesses. The break-up of unity started with these young people and then spread far and wide, and in the end Vajji was easily conquered by Magadha.

Back in October, Khru Lek and I were at the Toki Arts Week in Nanjing where we watched – and were enthralled by – a classical Indian dance performance and workshop by Hyderabad-based master Kala Krishna. At Khru Lek’s invitation, Krishna was at her school in December, teaching not only student performers but also Silpathorn artist Manop Meejamrat who’s portraying King Litchawi as well as creating dance choreography for the production.

Given the English title and considering our political turmoil, one wonders if this production is slightly political. To that, the national artist answers, “People are welcome to come up with their own interpretation of course. There is, for example, one scene where students get free tablet computers.”

That’s another reason I’m planning a quick weekend getaway to Hua Hin.

TWO MORE WEEKENDS

– “Chant of the Ununited Nation” continues on Saturday and Sunday and February 13 and 14 at the Vic Hua Hin. Shows are at 7.30pm on Saturdays and 2pm on Sundays. It’s in Thai with some English translation.

– Tickets are Bt400 (Bt200 for students). Call (089) 255 0002 or visit http://www.PatravadiSchool.com.

THE RECIPIENT of the John D Rockefeller 3rd Award, Thai dancer and choreographer Pichet Klunchun is now bridging the Loei phi ta khon’s “open, improvisational, organic and intuitive nature” with his “contemporary choreographic system based on classical Thai dance” in his company’s new work “Dancing with Death”. He promises “choreography of continuous creativity and an image of ‘life after death’ as a never-ending cycle.”

“I’ve been working on this project for a long time and Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay was the first producer to confirm its support two years ago. The starting point came from a desire to work on a folk tradition, which makes it very different from all my previous works,” he tells XP.

“I find the phi ta khon festival in Loei province fascinating. First, obviously, there’s dance performance in this tradition. Also, as the ghosts come out to play with the living people, it’s like a way of teaching us not to fear death. In Thailand, we talk about the concept of death through religion; yet in Dan Sai, they make it tangible and fun. Our costume designer Flynow’s Piyaporn Bhongse-tong has also been inspired by their costume and mask design, which comprises mostly everyday objects.”

Supported by Ministry of Culture’s Office of Contemporary Art and Culture, Pichet and his dramaturg Orada Lelanuja then conducted research into epistemology.

“I was curious as to how these villagers attained perceived wisdom for their creative insight from perseverance. And from this knowledge, we started to create our choreography, which is of course based on each individual dancer’s perception and creation at each moment of the performance,” he explains.

Last month at the Chang Theatre’s outdoor space, the company staged two open rehearsals for dance and theatre artists, scholars and media, all of whom received this new work with both warmth and enthusiasm. On the oval sloping pathway and to music by Japanese composer Hiroshi Iguchi, who also deftly included the sound of the khaen, Northeast Thailand’s reed mouth organ, seven dancers, Pichet included, first moved only their legs, walking after one another slowly as if in a procession. Responding to one another’s movements, they later added the upper limbs. Repetitive at times yet never boring nor predictable, their movements were like contemplation of death itself – the knowledge that it’s lurking around us and we simply have to understand it clearly in order to continue our happy lives.

Pichet explains, “The slow walk is probably a signature of my work, one that you often find when I talk about the concept of death. For example, there are a few minutes of this walk in [his most famous and most frequently staged collaboration work with French choreographer Jerome Bel] ‘Pichet Klunchun and Myself’. It’s not my creation though. It’s traditionally Thai: you can see it not only in stage performances but also in traditional rites like, most recently, the funeral of the Supreme Patriarch.”

The company’s largest production to date and evidently the most highly anticipated, “Dancing with Death” has received strong and firm financial support from the Esplanade, the Performing Arts Meeting in Yokohama 2016 Executive Committee, and Arts Centre, Melbourne. By contrast, no Thai producers have yet come on board.

For Bangkok, Pichet is looking at the possibility of staging this work at the M Theatre in early June, as it’s “more affordable than other venues of the similar size”. However, the overall budget is around Bt4 million so the company has adopted the crowdfunding strategy, inviting us to pledge our support at http://www.meefund.com by April 28.

At press time, they were still Bt3.5 million short.

GIVE A LITTLE

– The Pichet Klunchun Dance Company’s “Dancing with Death” will have its world premiere on February 7 and 8 at the Kanagawa Arts Theatre in Yokohama as part of Tokyo Performing Arts Market.

– It will be staged in May at the Esplanade Theatre in Singapore as part of the da:ns series, and at the Arts Centre in Melbourne next year. Discussions are underway to take the performance to Adelaide and Penang.

– To make the June performances in Thailand possible, donate at http://www.meefund.com/project/dancing-with-death-live-in-thailand.

– For more info, http://www.facebook.com/PKLifeWork