Party girls
Panasri Chuarayapratib
Bangkok Post
Outlook
January 22, 2003
Panasri Chuarayapratib
Bangkok Post
Outlook
January 22, 2003
Wit and humor used to shed light on women’s lives
Anyone who thinks physical theatre is a bit hard to take should have come to Venus’s Party which ended a short run last Sunday.
The impressive, small –scale performance with a feminist theme was a collaboration between Crescent Moon Theatre, B-Floor Theatre and WOW Company.
If reflected upon the routine dilemmas of women from different sectors of society, in a way anyone could relate to. The world may change, but women’s feelings and their relationships with men do not.
The universality of body language meant it was easy for the audience to identify with and digest the ideas being explored.
The stars of the show, Sumontha Saunpolrat, Priya Wongrabieb and Jarunan Phatachat, spoke with bodies about women striving for social acceptance, Competition in the work place and the efforts to achieve that "perfect body" are just two areas in which women struggle with themselves and with external pressures.
There were many hilarious, satirical moments. For example, when a heavy-set woman (played by the talented Sumontha) tries to resist the temptation to take food from the refrigerator. Or when she tries to overcome her failures by being the first to grab a bride’s bouquet.
The use of juxtaposition heightened the message. For example as men bragged in unintelligible words about sex, women did the same about their bodies. As men boasted about their strength and fighting prowess, women compared themselves in terms of beauty.
Differences between the sexes were shown in a husband-and-wife scene. There was no communication between the two. While the man watched television, his wife ironed his clothes. They slept in separate chairs, facing in different directions. They moved on separately, with no soul connection.
In another strong scene, three female strangers were attacked by a male thief. The petrified women helped each other by smacking the guy, before going back to their lives as though nothing had happened.
The success of this production lay in its simplicity and its humor. Combined, these elements always delight Thai audiences. Black humor provided some memorable moments, such as when office chairs were shifted back and forth in a threatening manner – the cruelty was apparent and ridiculous enough to provoke bitter laughter. The audience could sense the pain of the young women whose chairs were stolen repeatedly by male colleagues.
Minimalistic setting and props were used effectively in this production and the show was well choreograph by Theerawat Mulvilai who also arranged the exceptional sound. Tawit Keitprapai’s lighting added much to the ambience.
Somewhere in the Moon 