Bangkok--14 Jun--Poly Plus PR
The Support Foundation in Her Majesty Queen Sirikit’s royal patronage organizes Khon Performance: Episode of “Suek Miyarap” to celebrate the special occasion of His Majesty the King’s 84th birthday anniversary on December 5th, 2011 with new staging, light, and sound techniques added to the performance. Furthermore, this year performance also provides an opportunity for the youths to be involved in preserving our national culture by selecting talented youth performers to perform in the performance. The press conference of the performance was held at the Small Hall, Thailand Cultural Center on Tuesday June 7th, 2011.
Thanpuying Charungjit Teekara, Assistant to the Secretary-General of the Support Foundation in Her Majesty Queen Sirikit royal patronage and the Chairman of “Khon Performance: Episode of Suek Miyarap” Production Committee, revealed that “The Support Foundation has followed Her Majesty Queen Sirikit’s command to preserve “Khon”, the most refined Thai performance, for the new generations to experience and inherit. The Support Foundation has organized Khon Performance: Episode of “Prommas” in 2009 and “Nang Loi” in 2010 with great feedbacks resulting in additional rounds for the latter one.
“In the year 2011, the production committee has received the command from Her Majesty Queen Sirikit to perform the episode of “Miiyarap Sakod Thap” from the Fine Art Department. However, the committee has adapted the performance to add more beauty and fun supervising by Ajarn Pramet Boonyachai plus a very well preserved “Na Pat”, which is very rare to be seen and has been well-preserved by the gurus especially “Dam Nuen Phrama”, in order to celebrate His Majesty the King’s 84th birthday anniversary on December 5th, 2011”.
For this year performance on the “Episode of Suek Miyarap”, the committee commented that it is very difficult because the story contains several important stage performances. The stages are designed and created are under the supervision of Ajarn Sudsakorn Chaisem and involves with modern performing techniques including light, sound and stage such as the highlight of Hanuman enlarging himself to cover Phra Ram’s pavilion that requires the production of 8-meter height and 16-meter width Hanuman sculpture with the use of high and low curve and Thai style paintings as a perfect background, the stage of Kailas Mountain that Miyarap goes up in the air and wave the glass box creating shinny stars to trick Phra Ram’s army that the night and Phra Ram misfortune has passed with the use of new shadow and light techniques to make the performance realistic, the stage of Miyarap performing his ritual, and many more creating more excitement and entertainment for the viewers with special lig ht and sound techniques”.
“To prepare and organize Khon performance each time is not easy. The beautiful performance that you witness requires a lot of efforts from personnel and budget. The bright side of it is that every episode of the performance creates and provides jobs for the new generation i.e. sewers, stage painters, mask makers, ornament makers, singers, dancers, and youth performers as they all dedicate their efforts for Her Majesty Queen Sirikit. Her Majesty the Queen has been impressed from the previous 2 episodes with numbers of Thai people at all ages who were interested in the performance and is hoping that the episode of “Suek Miyarap will bring excitement to the audience once again”.
M.L. Piyapas Bhirombhakdi added about the audition that “Her Majesty Queen Sirikit’s commands that students who study acting art to be proud of what they do and do not think that they do it without a goal. They are the ones who inherit our national culture”.
Khon Performance: Episode of “Suek Miyarap” will be performed by leading performers from the Office of the Music And Drama, The Fine Arts Department, Ministry Of Culture, Bunditpatanasilpa Institute, and Bangkok College of Dramatic Art, in a very traditional way including the dances, music, and sings and also special techniques such as staging, sounds, and lights that has never been performed before. Moreover, it will also be performed by selected top performing young generation from dramatic art and other institutes across the country in the role of Phra, Nang, Giant, and Monkey to provide an opportunity for the young generation to inherit the national cultural art.
Khon Performance: Episode of “Suek Miyarap” by the Support Foundation will be held on July 15th — 31st, 2011 at the Main Hall, Thailand Cultural Center. Those who are interested can purchase the tickets for “Khon Performance: Episode of Suek Miyarap by the Support Foundation” today at Thai Ticket Major counters countrywide at the price of 400, 600, 800, 1,000, 1,500 baht and special tickets of 100 baht are offered for students. For more information, please call 02-262-3456 or visit www.khonperformance.com