Potential for Parenthood

Theatregoers who have been following Nophand Boonyai’s works as a director and playwright since his unforgettable debut in early 2008 with “Sunflower” know to expect the unexpected. His last directorial work, last year’s “Therapy (After the Flood)” at B-Floor Room was one of my personal favourites of the year as well as one of the finalists for the IATC Thailand Awards’ best play/performance.
Nophand, as an actor, was last seen on Thai stage late last year at Democrazy Theatre Studio as Go – Iago in the original version – in Damkerng Thitapiyasak’s “Burut Ritsaya”, a memorable modern Thai adaptation of Shakespeare’s “Othello”.
He’s now back at Bangkok’s busiest small theatre studio, with a new work, “Adoption”, Its tagline is “What will be Nadia’s future?”, as Nadia is a young girl up for adoption and three couples are applying.
According to Nophand, ‘Adoption’ is somewhere is between a play and a performance. “While ‘Therapy’ is 20 per cent scripted, especially in the introduction part, and 80 per cent improvised, ‘Adoption’ is 50-50 between scripted and improvised, with a loose plot line for the actors to follow.”
Will it be different from one performance to another? Nophand says he hopes so though that depends on the seven actors, three couples fighting for the adoption and the interviewer Grisana Panpeng, Nophand’s co-star in Damkerng’s “Breaking the Surface” in 2008.
Nophand has cast veteran stage performers like Grisana and Parnrut Kritchanchai as well as directors Dultat Vasinachindakaew, whose “Dreamgirls” just won an IATC Thailand Award for best musical, and Wasurachata Unaprom; plus costume designer Panchana Sunthornpipit.
“All the actors have been actively involved in the creation process. I gave them some character background and then they made these characters their own with all the details they wanted.”
Nophand says that for many years now he’s been interested in the issue of parenthood. He questions how much of what our parents teach us actually affects who and how we are at the moment.
“How much good or bad did any of us get from our upbringing and how long will this remain in us?” and “Are we as good as what they expected after all that they did for us?
“Politically speaking, it’s also about how we tend to believe whatever our leaders are saying.
“To a larger degree, it’s about how we’re creating the model for our the best citizen.”
Nophand says that the style of “Adoption” is a dark comedy and that overall it’s like a biographical documentary as Grisana interviews every member of the three couples, though there will be another twist.
Many expats were impressed by “Grey Area” staged here in 2010, Nophand’s collaboration with then-girlfriend-now-wife Dujdao Vadhanapakorn – it will be different for “Adoption”. He says, “Well, they’ll fully enjoy it if they understand the Thai language.”
     WHO WILL |    ADOPT NADIA?
- “Adoption” runs from next Thursday until March 18 (except for Tuesday and Wednesday) at Democrazy Theatre Studio on Soi Sapan Khu, off Rama IV Road (MRT Lumpini, exit 1). It’s in Thai – no English surtitles.
- Tickets are Bt350 for the first week, Bt400 second and Bt450 the last.
- Call (081) 489 3656 or check out Democrazy Theatre Studio’s Facebook page for more information.