How did you first get involved in plays?
I participated in a small stage play as part of studying English during high school. It was fun when you create it and run it. And that’s the reason why I enrolled in this faculty.
Lakorn aksorn has the reputation of being hard to understand.
Actually, it is not that hard to understand but our style is not something people are used to. Lakorn aksorn focuses more on the content, and presents it in an artistic form. People used to mass media will expect to see what they are familiar with, so that’s the reason why it’s hard for them to understand. It would be easier to watch every stage play in this world without expecting anything. Just clear your mind and let your emotions run with the play.
Tell us a bit about this year’s story.
This year we are performing Macbeth, the famous play by William Shakespeare for the 40th anniversary of the Dramatic Arts Department. This will be the first show in our new auditorium named after the founder of our department, Prof. Sodsai Pantumkomol. This is a story that reminds us of our professor.
What is the uniqueness of lakorn aksorn?
We study about humanity and literature and we believe that the study of art make us know more about the world. So, our play is mostly concerned with what it means to be human. I believe this is the uniqueness of our show.
What makes a good stage play?
I believe the good thing in every stage play is the intention to tell the story. Today many faculties from different universities do plays even if they are from the faculty of Political Science, Economics or Law. They didn’t study drama directly but they have a message and they can tell it through a play. So, it’s the message that makes your play worth watching.
Tell us a little bit about this year’s play.
This year’s play is titled Westonhood. We’re doing a cowboy theme this year. So instead of staging contemporary dance style musical numbers, we’re doing tap dance routines. The music will also be country rock, the one you’d hear from Western movies. It’s quite different from what we’ve done before. Thus, we’ve got quite a lot of homework to do. We’ve tried to watch as many Western movies as we could. Our choreographers are now taking dance courses, as well as seeking help from alumni.
What gave you the idea for the theme and story?
We just wanted to do something that would be totally different from what we’ve done before. And Westerns popped up. It has its own style of dance and music. As for the story, we wanted to create one that means something to us. We found from our experience that when you are determined to do something, you often ignore another thing that is equally important. We combined the context and the content together. That’s how it becomes Westonhood.
How did you become interested in play production?
Before studying at Chulalongkorn University, plays weren’t what I cared about at all. I thought it was something far-fetched and difficult to understand. But during my freshman year, I got a chance to perform in Rainbow Café and I enjoyed it a lot. Also, I got to see Water Time, a play by Bhanbhassa Dhubthien and again I enjoyed it so much. In fact, this play inspired me to produce one of my own. I wanted others to feel the awe I felt during the play. So when the Lakorn Rong Lek week came by, I didn’t hesitate to jump in.
As someone who has been involved in several productions, what do you think is the uniqueness of lakorn nitade?
I think our musical numbers are what make us different. The performance is taken quite seriously. Plus, we always write new plays and because we study Communication Arts, our main goal is to communicate with the audience. Thus, our message is clear and easy to understand. And most importantly people in the production are all our students because the main purpose of staging a play is to provide students with an opportunity to get to know each other through working. Seniors teach juniors what they know while juniors seek advice from them and the alumni. This is where everyone meets and learns something together.
You guys are training to be architects. What are you doing on stage?
As we study about design, creativity is in our blood. I think lakorn tha pad just started as an activity designed by our seniors to promote creativity. The first show was a success and it became a tradition.
Has it actually influenced your choice of faculty?
It did. I heard about lakorn tha pad when I was in secondary school and that made me interested in the faculty of architecture.
Why do you always use famous plots or fairytales?
We do not study plays directly, like the faculty of Arts. What we have is creativity and our passion and it’s directed at the presentation of the show. So, we select a plot we like, like the Godfather or Snow White, and stage it in our own style.
Tell us a bit about this year.
This year we will do Frankenstein. We had never done a ghost story before and we liked the idea of giving it a shot.
What’s lakorn tha pad’s secret ingredient?
Our own style of comedy.
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