Backdrops in waiting
USNISA SUKHSVASTI
Vallabhis Sodprasert standing before one of his magnificent backdrops. |
A large backdrop in black and gold showing a stylised map of Ayutthaya looms in the covered courtyard, overlooking the proceedings in the home of National Artist Chakraphan Posayakrit.
There is rarely a dull moment here: Artists work constantly in the workshop, some adding details of another giant gold mosaic backdrop, others applying mother-of-pearl to a ranad xylophone or whittling sticks of wood to make tiny puppet-sized swords and sheaths. Unfinished puppets stand on racks, waiting for their faces to be painted by the master.
A four metre fibreglass crocodile, bisected like one of Damien Hirst's works to allow for realistic movement, rests alongside elephant puppets with movable trunks. These are the props-in-waiting for the puppet show of the century, the mighty Taleng Phai, telling the epic story of King Naresuan the Great of Siam and his battle against Phra Maha Uparaj of Burma. Once a month the already busy compound buzzes with additional crowds for rehearsals of the musical ensemble piece.
Amid all this is the man behind the vision, Vallabhis Sodprasert. This slight, unassuming and media-shy artist hides a streak of wicked humour that keeps the team constantly in stitches. The household is reminiscent of a Medici manor of old, where a nobleman acts as a patron to a number of artists, allowing them to create works of infinite beauty without worrying where their next meal is coming from. In this case, the patron is Chakraphan himself, whose Chakraphan Posayakrit Foundation, coupled with annual corporate sponsorships, keeps the team going from year to year.
This is no ordinary puppet show. Already 20 years have lapsed since the idea germinated. The group's previous show, Sam Kok (Three Kingdoms), was such a resounding success that there seemed little chance of a new production emulating it.
''Why not do Taleng Phai?'' suggested the ensemble's drummer. The idea was appealing to Vallabhis; the story had the magnitude and drama that was perfect for theatrical interpretation. Soon Vallabhis was writing the script in a classical verse format, even learning Burmese in order to get the necessary phrases and pronunciations correct. Sometimes a musical refrain like a Burmese lilt would give him ideas for lyrics, so often the musical composition would go hand in hand with the libretto.
Feeling deeply inspired, the script was soon completed, the music transcribed, puppets, props and backdrops conceived, most of which were conceptualised by Vallabhis himself. For the actual performance, Vallabhis will be playing the drum and providing the voice of King Maha Uparaj.
The black and gold backdrop, meanwhile, is the third of five that have been designed for the show, mostly 8x4 metres in size, to fit the small auditorium of the Thailand Cultural Centre. This is a new take on the traditional puppet show, which normally has only one backdrop.
The first - the Wai Khru backdrop that will welcome the audience as it enters the auditorium - features Buddha descending from Tavatimsa Heaven. The image diverts slightly from the usual presentation: From the styling of Buddha's robes to cover both shoulders as opposed to one shoulder - ''This is the regulation dress according to the Phra Vinaya or Code of Conduct for monks leaving their temple of abode,'' counters Vallabhis - to the floating lotus blossoms on which Buddha steps to descend from Tavatimsa - ''A long flight of stairs would look too much like shopping centre escalators!'' he exclaims.
The border, with images of angels playing musical instruments painted in gold on a red background, draws inspiration from northern artistic styles such as that at Wat Phra That Lampang Luang.
The second is called the samud khoi (parchment) backdrop. After debating how to lead into the story, Vallabhis decided to use the Tamra Pichai Songkram (Text on Strategic Warfare), which is written on five folding parchments as the entry point.
The samud khoi backdrop then folds up to reveal the black and gold representation of a map of the island of Ayutthaya. Detail in gold shows Siamese army formations within the island city, and the Burmese side surrounding it. In essence, this is a visualisation of the Tamra Pichai Songkram.
The fourth and largest backdrop, some 9x4 metres, and the first to be completed, is a forest scene representing the countryside. ''Additional floating sets showing Siamese or Burmese architecture will be pulled in from the side to depict the location of a scene, and add depth to the stage,'' continued Vallabhis. ''We got the idea from murals where palaces are shown against a background of forests.''
The fifth screen, still to be completed, will feature an image of King Naresuan in an elephant-back duel with the Burmese king, Maha Uparaj. This will be the final curtain providing audiences with a concluding image. ''This will probably be the most difficult backdrop to paint, but since it is not part of the story, we can leave it until last.''
As if that weren't enough, another special gold screen is being prepared, the ''City of Gold'' bas relief screen offers a bird's eye view of Ayutthaya, painted in gold overlaid with traditional Thai-style landscapes. This will appear after the black and gold backdrop, and will serve to draw audiences into the story, as well as reinforce the idea of Ayutthaya being the pinnacle of Siamese civilisation of the period.
This gold screen alone posed several problems. First of all, short of breaking down the auditorium walls, there was no way the screen could be stored backstage. Drawing upon his inventiveness, the ever-resourceful Vallabhis came up with a solution: A mosaic image composed of 64 panels lined up in 16 rows of four. These were mounted on winches that allow the panels in each stack of four to move up and down when required.
Like everything else that makes up the puppet show, the backdrops and screens are works of art in themselves. Every piece has been meticulously drawn from originals painted by Vallabhis, who also designed the puppet costumes that have been decorated with semi-precious stones. Even the curtains from which the puppets emerge on stage have been elaborately embroidered with a pair of peacocks for the Burmese side, and a pair of prancing lions for the Thai side.
To make the puppets more realistic, not only will they be able to move their fingers in Thai classical dance style, they will also be able to draw swords - and sheath them! That required extra wires for the fingers, as well as a sheath with a lip to help the sword slide back in without fumbling. Fingers that can point offered another technical challenge.
Everything has to be perfect, down to the smallest detail. When one lot of puppet hands came back from the moulders, Ajarn Chakraphan decided that the palms were too flat, and the entire lot was thrown out, and new moulds made.
Vallabhis felt that two elephants a side wasn't enough to depict two entire armies so they decided on four elephants a side. ''We also need enough soldiers to fill the stage,'' he added. ''And we haven't even started making the horses!'' Not to mention the cockerels that can puff up their feathers for the cock fighting scene or the giant crocodile for the dream sequence.
''Vallabhis is a Renaissance man,'' remarked Nopapat Veohong, one of the core members of the troupe. ''He is skilled in the arts and crafts, poetry and music, yet he has also invented the technical make-up of the stage sets, from the mosaic screen winch system to the metal scaffold for the backdrops and the cyclorama.''
There is so much more to be done. ''I don't think we've even completed half of if. Half the fun is trying to solve these various technical problems. I'm not worried about being slow in the making; what I'm worried about is our age. None of us is getting any younger from our troupe leader down!''
Taleng Phai is therefore by no account going to be a commercial performance, whenever it does take to the stage. There is no way ticket sales are going to cover the costs of the production, even if performances are expected to take place over weekends through the entire year. More precisely, this is a work of passion that has become a way of life for most of the troupe.
Vallabhis has a deep feeling that he is creating this production not only to fulfil his own desires, but for a higher purpose. He senses a guiding hand behind his work that is helping him achieve his goal and overcome the constant obstacles that are thrown his way.
One of the earlier instances of this feeling was when, during the course of conversation, Vallabhis reminded Prayong, the drum player, of how it was he who suggested Taleng Phai as the story for the new production. Prayong, however, had no recollection of ever making the proposal to the group, insisting he didn't even know the story in the first place. This, as well as other ''coincidences'' throughout the 20 years, serves to make Vallabhis feel that there is some mysterious force encouraging him to get this story produced.
''In a way, we are just the puppets of a superior being. The more I work, the more I believe King Naresuan is truly sacred, he truly loved the country. And whatever problems the country faces, we will pull through because of him,'' he said with firm conviction.
''It's a lot of work; like going uphill. It's very tiring, but I never feel like losing heart. I don't know where the top of the hill is, and I don't know when I'm going to reach it. At the same time, I'm not sure I want to, because when I do, that's the end, and there will be nothing left to look forward to.''
It is perhaps for this reason that the black and gold backdrop will continue to occupy a central space in the Chakraphan Posayakrit Foundation courtyard for a while, waiting until the time is ripe for the puppets of Taleng Phai to be brought to life.
loom
to appear as a shape that is not clear and in a way that seems frightening
mosaic
a picture or pattern that is made by placing together small coloured stones, pieces of glass, etc.
xylophone
a wooden percussion instrument
whittling
to gradually decrease the size of something
bisected
cut (in two)
epic
a long book, poem, movie, etc., that describes exciting adventures
wicked
morally bad
in stitches
idiom that means laughing so hard your stomach could split
nobleman
belonging to the highest social class; honest, brave
patron
a person who gives money to artists, musicians; a person who goes to a restaurant or theatre
lapsed
passed; gone by
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germinating
to start growing
emulating
trying to do something as well as someone else because you admire them or their work
libretto
the words of an opera or musical play
conceived
to have formed or thought of something
conceptualised
to form an idea of something in your mind
descend
to go down
parchments
a type of thick yellowish paper; material made from the skin of a sheep or goat, used in the past for writing on
representation
being a picture, sign or example of something
visualisation
the image or picture in your mind of something
depict
to show
pinnacle
the highest point of something
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civilisation
a society that has its own highly developed culture and way of life
inventiveness
ability to invent or create new things
resourceful
good at finding ways of doing things
winches
a machine for lifting or pulling heavy objects using a rope or chain
meticulously
giving or showing great attention to detail
elaborately
in a way that is very complicated; done or made carefully
sheath
a cover that fits closely over the blade of a knife or other sharp weapon or tool
troupe
a group of people involved in a theatre production
scaffold
a structure made of wood or metal and used for workers to stand on when they are working on a building
ripe
to be ready for or in a suitable state for something
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