A (Micro) History of World Economics, Danced, a theatrical piece by French writer, choreographer and director Pascal Rambert, has been performed in many countries throughout the world. There have been many renditions of this play, of course interpreted to varying degrees depending upon where it has been performed.
In a nutshell, it tells a story of the collective economic history of the world through the art of dance and theatre -- a relatively new approach to the subject of economics altogether.
Today and tomorrow, you can enjoy the Thai version of A (Micro) History of World Economics, Danced at Studio 41, brought to Bangkok via a collaboration between the French Embassy and the Department of Dramatic Arts at Chulalongkorn University. Guru had a chat with one of the main actresses, Preeyasuda "Amm" Akkarasrisawad, to learn more about the play.
Preeyasuda "Amm" Akkarasrisawad.
What makes this play unique?
The way the story is told is incredibly unique. Usually, with plays, the story follows a particular pattern, with each actor playing one character and the story itself being told from beginning to end. This play is different in the sense that it portrays the issues people have with their living conditions and the economic problems they face daily. The story progresses through capturing key historical events of each period in Europe and America. Focusing on different characters, these events are played out through four main actresses who change characters throughout.
How do you play a situation rather than a character?
As mentioned before, instead of having one character fixed for each actor, they continually change roles throughout the play. We come together to form a situation and each of us takes on a role available in that situation. An example would be the scene I play Adam Smith, the Father of Economics; when the situation changes, I take on a new character altogether. The main actors are also joined by 50 other performers who act out different parts in different situations. For instance, there is a scene showing the first calculator ever made in history, with the 50 performers onstage acting out the different parts of the calculator. I think it is a very memorable scene.
Preeyasuda "Amm" Akkarasrisawad.
What challenges did you face in preparing for the play?
There was some confusion about the script. The fact that it was translated from French to English and then to Thai doesn't really help. It also uses a much more complex level of language, thus a thorough understanding of the script itself is essential yet nonetheless hard to grasp. Also, as we are constantly changing characters, the actors have to memorise many roles so it gets very challenging. Some parts of the script are also comprised of poems that must be read aloud and they are also quite hard to comprehend.
How is this version of the play different from the French one?
In terms of context, not at all. However, Rambert mentions there is a unique charm in the varying ways the play has been performed in different countries. Some countries' productions were quite rigid whereas our rendition shows much more delicacy in the movements.
What will the audience take away from this play?
Depending on the audience and their age and experiences, everyone will take away something different; essentially though, the play will allow people to understand economics more. It will also guide people in terms of how they live and their decision making processes, based on the situations shown to them. For instance, there is a scene concerning loans. Since people are more prone to take out loans these days, the play shows how one can lose all their possessions through careless decisions. The play is not heavily economics-based; there are scenes that depict the daily lives and homes of people too because, at the end of the day, we live in economics. It is in everything we do. Hopefully the audience can find similarities in the problems shown onstage and the ones they face every day and perhaps adopt the solutions from the story into their daily lives.
A (Micro) History of World Economics, Danced is performed in Thai with English and French subtitles at Sodsai Pantumkomol Centre for Dramatic Arts, Chulalongkorn University. The play starts at 7:30pm and will be performed today and tomorrow. Tickets are available online for B600 (B400 for students). Visit www.bangkokstudio41.com, http://fb.com/atstudio41 or call 094-931-3434.
