May 11, 1999
We care Direct action A famous folk singer has turned his talents to directing and producing grassroots theatre-in a bid to promote social change Chompoo Trakullertsathien Though nationally famous as a folk singer, Charan Manopetch's current artistic passion is grassroots theatre in which farmers are actors and the village square is the stage. His plays are not primarily aimed at entertaining or making money, but at informing rural communities about development problems-and at how they might work together to solve them. Charan Manopetch (left) talks to villagers who are going to act in his play about how it might best be produced. The play, Ping Haeng, is about the death of the Ping River and how a group of villagers might bring it back to life. _ PICTURES BY SOMKID CHAIJITVANIT Mr Charan's involvement with this kind of theatre began some five years ago after he visited villages in Lamphun province and was shocked by the many problems-the sex trade, occupational health hazards, unfair water distribution, dirty local politics, and issues surrounding cultural erosion-which plagued local farming communities. Issues such as prostitution and HIV/Aids are particularly complicated. Mr Charan said: "Touching these sensitive points are problematic for outsiders. The locals get offended and they stop listening." Art, however, has proved a powerful medium for tackling such sensitive topics without offending, said the founder of the Foundation for Lanna Artists. Art, he said, opens people's eyes, makes people think and act in a new positive way. "By staging plays in the villages, community leaders can no longer turn a blind eye. They feel obliged to do something and solve the problems," he said. Mr Charan staged his first play in 1995. Entitled Kid Huan Kum Nuen, meaning Reflections, it discussed the plight of factory workers suffering from work-related diseases. He said the play was based on reality. "Many teenagers leave their villages to work in factories. Many fall ill due to poor working conditions or become physically handicapped after industrial accidents. They return home-and become a burden to their families," he said, adding that when young people do get sick or injured at work, few are compensated by their employers. Mr Charan said researching reality provided the inspiration for his plays and he undertakes frequent field visits on which he conducts in-depth interviews with villagers. It often takes more than six months to get a grasp of a situation, he said. "As an outsider, it's not easy to get to the heart of a problem quickly. Or to get a well-rounded perspective of a situation. There are influential people in every community who do not like what we are doing and villagers sometimes dare not tell us the truth," said Mr Charan. After conducting research, Mr Charan sits down to write a script. It usually takes him a month to complete the first draft. Then he lets the villagers look at it and offer their comments on how the plot or dialogue might be adjusted. "Some issues are very sensitive. My rule is to respect the villagers' final decision," said Mr Charan. Since the locals really know their predicament best, their involvement is crucial to turning the plays into something the audience will really believe. After the rewrites Mr Charan then recruits assistants and performers from the local population. For his first play, most of the villagers invited to join said no. "So many of them were reticent to act in the play, fearing they would be attacked by influential parties. Only the youngsters were interested in getting involved," said Mr Charan. After the play, which tackled the social traumas of industrial accidents, Mr Charan and his team did receive threats from some factory owners-to leave or else. Mr Charan did leave, but only temporarily while working on his second play. This second time there was more support from villagers who had seen for themselves how the plays could articulate their problems. About 100 performers acted in the second play which looked at how water wars can tear apart rice-growing communities. As well as looking at problems caused by unregulated development, Mr Charan's plays also aim to revive old ceremonies which often facilitate environmental protection. Among them are pitee sumah mai or the rite of making an apology to the tree before cutting it down. And pitee sumah nam, the ritual of apologising to a river for misusing it. Such ceremonies have largely disappeared over the last 70 years. Mr Charan has incorporated this dying water ceremony in his fourth and latest play entitled Ping Haeng, meaning the The Dry Ping River. The play also features traditional offerings such as tung, the long banners, and kuay or bamboo-woven baskets. The plays rekindle interest in these long-lost traditions-and for some young people it may be the first time they have encountered such ceremonies. Actor Pattamarat Namuang, 17, said: "The play gave me a chance to be in touch with the old world of my ancestors. "But it also enabled me to experience what is happening now in my village. Getting involved in it really opened my eyes," she said. Mr Charan makes a point of using northern dialects for the plays as part of an effort to strengthen cultural pride. "Folk dialects are dying," he said. "Many northerners today are ashamed to speak their local dialects. But I think we need to keep the languages alive. "Often we get the meanings wrong when we translate these dialects into the central Thai language. And yet it is important to be true to these languages. Through dialects, children learn not only their native tongue, but also old metaphors which reflect their ancestors' wisdom and way of looking at the world. "Only when local communities realise the value of their cultural legacy can their spirit spring back to life, "Unfortunately, what we see these days is a distortion of Lanna cultures for commercial purposes, for example, some outsiders have turned local ceremonies into extravagant fanfares that break with the northern people's simple way of life." For Mr Charan's grassroots plays, there is little fuss. There are no lights, sets, costumes-it's simply action. Actors and actress are local people, who work for free. Though he keep things simple, Mr Charan says each production costs 200,000 baht. After the performances, Mr Charan returns to the villages to consider the impact it has had on the communities. "We've found the plays are generally beneficial and engender more harmonious relationships in the villages. Villagers who have worked together to produce the play feel closer, and the result is their communities are stronger," said Mr Charan. The management skills they learned along the way also become useful in their community work, he added. The positive results have spurred Mr Charan and his team on to producing more plays. However a shortage of funds forces has currently put such projects on hold. At times like this Mr Charan's musical talents come in handy. He will soon hold a fundraising concert, the money from which will go to support his play projects. "I don't expect praise or applause from my audience. I merely hope my plays will help villagers to better understand their complex problems. And hopefully, help empower them so they can take control and tackle them with more confidence. Info for donations: *Name of Organisation: Foundation for Lanna Artists *Contact Person: Manit Archawong *Address: 87 Ekamai Soi 3, Sukhumvit 63, Wattana district, Bangkok, 10110 *Tel and fax: 711-5727 *Account name: Foundation for Lanna Artists *Account number: 127-0-467-713, savings account, Bangkok Bank, Soi Aree branch. *"We Care" is a weekly series honouring people who believe in giving. You can show you care by supporting the projects featured here each week. You can also let us know about people who selflessly help others so we can honour them in these pages. Fax "We Care" on 240-3666, or call 240-3700 ext 3208 or 3212. Alternatively email sanitsuda@bangkokpost.net .		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