Sodsai’s American Dream
Published on Nov 21, 2003
The doyen of modern Thai theatre, Sodsai Phantoomkomol, celebrates her return to the stage with the play she first directed 25 years ago.
At 70, the pioneer of modern Thai theatre, Sodsai Phantoomkomol, looks at least 10 years younger than her age. Her soft eyes and happy gaze are reflected through her trademark oversized glasses. Today is a happy day for the retired lecturer, who has decided to return to her life long career with a remake of the beloved absurdist drama she produced 25 years ago, “Yod Prathana”.
This adaptation of Edward Albee’s “The American Dream” opens today at the Bangkok Playhouse.“Yod Prathana”, she explains, was the obvious choice for revival because its content is as applicable in today’s society as it was back in 1962, when Pulitzer-prize winning American Edward Albee gave birth to what was called absurdist drama.
“The story reflects human beings in a materialistic world that destroys relationships between people. Thailand has now reached that level, and I wish it hadn’t because the story is very sad despite the funny situations,” says the director-lecturer who is known as the Khru Yai (the Principal) of modern Thai theatre.
“Yod Prathana” brings together five people: a father, a mother, a grandmother, a saleswoman and a young, physically perfect man, Yod. They portray the lives of people in a society where money can buy everything. Initially Sodsai intended to use as many of the same actors as possible who she worked with 25 years ago. Sadly, her original cast members are successful in their own right and only two were free to star in the latest production.Somphol Chaisiriroj plays the role of the father, a role he first played when he was a student. A marketing director of the ICC International, he was able to rearrange his otherwise hectic schedule for the production. Now in his 40s, Somphol uses personal experience to interpret the character. Monruedi Katephan also returns to tread the boards as Somphol’s wife. Monruedi is now the acting director of the public relations department of the Airports Authority of Thailand. “I have kids now and they are similar to the youngsters in the play in many ways. I certainly understand my character better than I did 25 years ago,” says the actress. For the saleswoman, Sodsai has selected her talented student Ranya Siyanon, while Kunkanich Khumkrong was handpicked from another school she founded – the legendary Channel 3 Acting School – to play the grandmother. Rookie actor Karoonphol Thiansuwan from the same school plays Yod Prathana.
After graduating from Chulalongkorn University, Sodsai studied theatre art at the University of North Carolina and the University of California at Los Angeles. She then signed a contract with Twentieth Century Fox as an actress. On her return to Thailand in 1966, she founded the first modern theatrical school-cum-theatre department at Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Arts.When Sodsai established the theatre department, drama and theatre were not popular subjects, especially at the Faculty of Arts, where most were learning languages with the hope of finding a job with the Foreign Ministry or of becoming educators. But Sodsai managed to build the foundation and worked with the students to turn the university’s stage plays into art showcases. Under her reign, the Faculty of Arts produced a number of acclaimed stage plays including “Rashomon”, “Mother Courage” by Bertolt Brecht and “Oedipus”. She also created a number of valuable human resources for the entertainment industry, among them Buranee Ratch-chaiboon of Siam Studio and Ornchuna Yuthawong.
The Sodsai Award was initiated by the Dass Entertainment company and annually awards young theatre students for coming up with original scripts.Sodsai has worked as a director throughout her teaching career, mostly adapting plays from well known Western theatre pieces. These include “Tukkata Kaew” (based on Tennessee Williams’ “The Glass Menagerie”) and “Prai Nam” (from “The Ondine” by Jean Giraudoux), which she put on both at the faculty and in outside theatres. She also directed TV dramas “Kham Phiphaksa” (The Judgement) and “Khon Dee See Ayutthaya” while teaching at the Channel 3 Acting school.Sodsai retired in 1993. Last year her husband, Dr Trong, died of cancer. To help her cope with her loss, her former students, many of them now lecturers at the department, invited her to be a special lecturer and encouraged her to stage another play.Sodsai accepted the offer gratefully. These days, she teaches an independent study class attended by the most talented of the department’s senior students.
Parinyaporn Pajee
The Nation
