Confessions Of A Farang Artist

Bangkok’s an easy and not an easy territory for artists. An oxymoron? Not at all. The local talent is inexhaustible – but getting recognized can be tougher than anywhere else. As art can awaken, criticize, judge.

Thailand loves to promote showcase culture, such as traditional arts and whatever enhances the image of a chosen, pure society. Meaning reflective, contemporary art is still at very early stages? Yes and no.

Even provocative, controversial art is not that risqué any longer. We spoke to Kevin Jesuino, an aspiring actor in Bangkok whose troupe is currently working on a show. A dirty show. I hear you asking: “No censorship?” Wait …

“A raunchy show,” says the Canadian. “All about hell. A circus. Clowns. Sinful clowns in hell!” Or a grand metaphor rather for a Bangkok that has so much more potential? Hear Kevin’s more general takes on life and work as a farang actor/artist in Bangkok.

Kevin, being an artist/actor in Bangkok and back home in Canada – any difference?

Thailand and Canada both have theater communities and practitioners but they seem to be doing different things with it. I’ve often wondered why the Thai government doesn’t support contemporary artists more. Is it because they know that art makes people think and thinking might just make a smart person take over the country and thus change (gasp) Thai culture.

Please don’t read that as me saying that Thai people are more ignorant compared to foreigners. On the contrary, there are many things and situations that make me believe a Thai person would champion over any foreigner anytime. But, yes, in general there is a lot more going on back home, more provocative, more stimulating theater and film. Maybe because its supported a lot more and there are more people doing and seeing it.

You must know what the Thai audience loves.

People here love slapstick humor. Watch any prime time television show and you’ll see tear-jerking dramatic scenes followed by some sort of sound effect because someone has just said something quirky. In terms of Thai movies, there is a formula for character relationships; love triangle + lady boy + ghost. I’m not saying all Thai movies are like this, because there are some very famous internationally known Thai filmmakers such as Apichatpong Weerasethakul, and young up-and-coming filmmakers like Ark Saroj and Anocha Suwichakornpong, who are doing different things and reinventing the Thai cinema.

As for live theater, most of it is in Thai. For anyone who does understand Thai it can be a different experience depending on the theater company you are watching. But overall, physical humor and dance-theater forms such as Japanese Butoh have a great presence on the Bangkok stages. Moreover, when it comes to English-language theater, marketability is key. Foreigners with rich theater backgrounds seldomly come to Bangkok and stay. Those that have an interest in theater dive into the traditional safe theater zone of the Bangkok Community Theater.

The volunteer theater company is housed at the British Club and has in recent years put on such shows as Cabaret, Annie, Rumors and A Christmas Carol along with others. Caravan Theater, self- proclaimed as the only professional theater company in Thailand, normally works with children’s theater but last year decided to put on a more grown-up show entitled, Xpat Blue, written and performed by expats including stories about what it’s like living in Thailand. Both of these companies were able to do well on ticket sales because their shows were geared towards the expat market: mainstream and marketable theater for pure entertainment value.

What would a Thai audience not appreciate – or understand?

As a director/actor I believe that audiences are smart. They will accept anything; a man twirling an umbrella to signify he’s in a moving vehicle; understanding that it’s now morning (in the next scene) because the lights have just dimmed; or a woman who is miming pouring and drinking champagne. I must be honest, although I assume they are smart, they aren’t always the brightest bunch, generally speaking. With our New City Collective‘s work, we try to use images as inspiration and rarley rely on words to communicate to the audience. This makes it tricky at times.

“What does that mean?” That would exactly be what we want to hear – and if it provokes an opinion from the person being asked. Art, in my opinion, is not meant to have one answer. It’s been proven that we all see differently in terms of color-spectrums, so “what does that mean?” is quite a loaded question in the art world. In New City Collective’s first produciton 39.40.41.Censors we used an egg as a metaphor for knowledge and information.

The performers stood around this egg watching it intently waiting for something to happen. I wasn’t part of that particulur scene so I was just wandering about eaves-dropping on people’s perceptions and conversations over the performance piece. There were so many prespectives and ideas over what the meaning of this situaiton was. And, none of them were wrong. It makes me so happy when the audience member isn’t thinking the same as the creators and have a totally different spin on it. It’s insightful.

My favorite comment that night was from a girl who spoke freely with out knowing I was involved in the production, and said she thought that it was a comment on the bird flu epidemic in Thailand. The egg was meant to signify Thailand. It wasn’t what we were thinking, but it sure surprised me at how accurate the metaphor was still represented.

Bangkok’s still introvert and at the same time more and more cosmopolitan society as an artist’s ideal platform?

I’m young. I don’t consider myself an established artist and I’m still growing into my shoes trying to figure out exactly I want to do with theater and performance. Is Bangkok an artist’s paradise? I think for a short time any country and situation can be inspirational to the artist. There are aspects about Bangkok and Thailand that beg to be addressed and used in creating performances, but I know even after three years of living here, I’m starting to feel the need for change. I know several artists that have come here and stayed and are making income on their work. To each his own. Who knows, I may still be here in twenty years and be looking back and laughing at what I said back then.

But the new culture of angst here in Thailand doesn’t only apply to freedom of speech. I gather especially theater as an agent of expression may face some new scrutiny?

Censorship is a big deal in Thailand. It’s difficult to express certain things that you wish you could say on stage or discuss publiclly. Certain Thai theater companies have the guts to say such things such as B-Floor Theater and Crescent Moon Theater. Filmmaker Apichatpong Weerasethakul released his movie Syndromes and a Century, which showed a monk doing several un-monkly things, such as playing guitar or playing with a remote control flying-saucer. The movie was banned at first, and then through negotiations, I guess, certain scenes were blacked out and presented in Thai cinemas with limited veiwing.

I’m naturally political. I’m attracted to discussions of religion and politics. And there are things about Thai politics and the institution that I wish I could express my opinion through theater. But I check and remind myself that I am, in the end, still a guest in their home and I have no right to be the parent of their children or comment on their china cabinet.

You’re new raunchy circus project?

You’ll have to stay tuned here, more details are coming out soon. The show’s called Narok – Burning Down the Big Top. We go to the circus to see something go wrong. Deep down we all have this sadistic desire to see that man fall off the tight rope, the human cannonball miss the saftey net, or the lion attacks its tamer. The circus is not a fantasy world that people can run away to. On the contrary, the circus is where we all run to in order to bathe in our secret hopes and desires.

The production features a of eight multi-disciplinary foreign and Thai artists. The ensemble takes us through an art/dance/theaterjourney through the circus going on in hell. Sins are on every street corner and we tolerate them because they are so common in our every day culture. Questioning what is a sin, and is sin merely a circus playing through our own minds.

+++ Narok – Burning Down the Big Top will be playing at Rain Dogs from March 17th to 21st, 8 pm. The event will include local DJs and bands after the show.

For reservation call 087 923 54 72 or 080 078 97 65 or email New City Collective.

Tickets are 300 baht in advance and 350 baht at the door. Special 200 baht price for student ID holders. All tickets include a drink.