Showing The State: Theatre for Advocacy

Written by: Cyren Wong.

When most people think about the Theatre, we often think about the glitz and glam of stage life. We think of the bright lights shining from overhead, the fancy costumes which never fail to please visually, the vibrant sounds that evoke our deepest emotions; indeed, when we think of the theatre, we think of entertainment. But of course then we would also appreciate the general theatre setting herself; a monument for the performing arts, housing within its walls a vast stage bedecked with velvety red curtains facing rows of chairs; enough to house over an audience of a thousand!

But here, in Chiang Mai, Thailand, there exists a branch of theatre that has taken on another, more humble and serious point of view- the Community Theatre. Indeed while some of the fundamental elements of theatre are retained – the use of all schools of performing arts in its presentation for example – what can be noted is that the application, and indeed the practice of this particular branch of theatre differs greatly from what is commonly understood as theatre. Firstly, unlike “regular” theatre, Community Theatre does not house its performances in concert halls or auditoriums; rather, the performers set up stages in public spaces, which vary distinctly, from temples and schools to, quite simply, along the roadside! Furthermore unlike the mainstream theatre which aims to entertain and amuse, community theatre posits an alternative motive; to open the hearts of their audience and convey certain important messages and lessons pertaining to the community’s lifestyle.

As an art form, community theatre dates back to day of strong military rule in Thailand in the form of “social theatre”. As Thailand began its transitions from authoritarianism to democracy, much of the advocacy work was spearheaded by community theatres with the intent of enlightening the Thai general public. As all forms of media were strictly controlled by the military government, the protesting students turned instead to light-hearted shows and skits which they performed for free, usually by the roadsides. Indeed at that time this was considered a smart move on behalf of the Thai advocates because, while there were laws put into place to imprison journalists, there were no such inhibitions on the street performers who could then perform the Truth for public eyes where the media could not.

Today, community theatre aims to convey public education and perform advocacy with regards to many other social issues as well. One of the forerunners, and indeed most well known, groups that perform community theatre is GABFAI. The word “GABFAI” means match in the Thai language. GABFAI targets their performances towards specific social groups, in doing so hoping to open the hearts of their audiences and implant little messages of truth with the aim of creating a better place for all people in Thailand. One of the issues that GABFAI is currently focusing its resources on is that of child abuse and child trafficking in Thailand.

According to one of the theatre group’s four main staff, Ann Sasithon Kamrit, child trafficking is a serious issue in Thailand, usually involving young girls from Northern Thailand who – after being “booked” by Bangkok men for a sum of money when they were but infants – are sold off at the age of 14 into prostitution or various other professions of the sex tourism industry.

Having been in a similar situation herself, Ann says “I once experienced when a man points at me and says I am prostitute because I am come from Northern Thai. With GABFAI, I want to perform to show that not all women is a prostitute and to be treated with respect.”

And indeed GABFAI also looks into the source of the problems. Performing in various communities where many parents, desperate for income – and upon viewing the monetary “successes” of their neighbors, whose prostituted daughters managed to make a good living for themselves – sell their daughters to various middle men from Bangkok, GABFAI teaches gender rights and the importance of education to these parents.

“We don’t go and scold the parents,” Ann attests. “WE educated them, show them through performance, what will happen to their daughters after they have been sold to Bangkok.”

However, with the emergence of the liberal media in Thailand and indeed its general atmosphere of acceptance and gender equality, one might wonder: why the use of theatre? Why not other forms of medium such as magazines or even television?

This was what GABFAI had to say: “We use the medium of theatre because it is entertaining, it helps to open the people’s hearts. We are not aggressive, because when you are aggressive, people will become defensive, they will close their hearts. But with the theatre, and with art, people’s hearts will open and they will be more willing to listen, and to accept what you have to say.”