Can you tell us about Paradigm Paradise!!?
This production is part of the Mekong Creative Communities Arts for Advocacy Fellowship Project. It’s an autobiographical piece, which incorporates a play and dance. I’ll be performing solo throughout.

What does Khandha Arts’n Theatre Company do?
Apart from putting on stage productions and offering acting workshops, we also organize a series of self-improvement workshops. We believe that theater is a two-way form of communication. It’s not just about teaching or self-expressing, it’s also about sharing with our audience and learning from them. Our last workshop focused on the act of hugging. We helped people conquer the fear of hugging, which in turns helps with all kinds of relationships from families to couples.

How much of butoh is integrated in this production?
When we were first developing this production, I was torn between developing it into a full-on butoh performance and a scripted play. However, as a trained butoh artist, I know that butoh only aims at the viewers’ subconscious. Since this production is essentially the story of my life, I only employ a limited amount of what I call pure butoh to make it easier to follow. You’ll also see simplified butoh in places, too.

You opened your show in Chiang Mai, how’d that go?
The feedback was overwhelmingly positive. The show was in Thai, but there were a lot of foreigners who came to see it and were able to understand it. They came up to me after the show and told me how powerful it was and how they could relate their stories to mine. Some even cried!

Catch Paradigm Paradise at Patravadi Theater