The Communication of Performance through Contemporary Lanna Drama : The Path of Desire and Love

Abstract

        This research aimed to create and present contemporary Lanna drama through symbolic representation to convey moral teachings, employing a mixed-methods research approach through the processes of study, design, development, and presentation. The research instruments included observation, interviews, and performance evaluation. The stakeholders comprised local scholars, Lanna academics, performance collaborators and developers, and audience.

        The research findings revealed that the research implementation was divided into three phases: Phase 1:Research, Survey, and Analysis (Pre-Production), which began with the study of Klong Nirat Hariphunchai, analyzing and categorizing the content into three episodes: beginning, middle, and end. The data were extracted into key themes for performance design. Phase 2:Design, Development, and Performance (Production) involved creating the work through six components: 1) Plot structure - interpreted from Nirat Hariphunchai to construct a new narrative based on the Buddhist concept of three levels of craving (tanha), divided into three acts: Act 1 - Kamatanha, representing infatuation with form, taste, smell, and sound; Act 2 - Bhavatanha, depicting the desire to remain in a satisfying state; and Act 3 - Vibhavatanha, reflecting the readiness to sacrifice everything for satisfaction. 2) Actor communication - designing movements and gestures corresponding to emotions in each act, with Kamatanha utilizing gentle, sweet movements incorporating traditional Lanna paired male-female dance, Bhavatanha alternating between rapid, intense and slow movements to convey passionate emotions, and Vibhavatanha employing graceful gestures representing detachment combined with swift and strong Jing martial arts. 3) Costumes - designing symbols through colors, patterns, and forms that conveyed character emotions and personalities, incorporating Lanna identity through traditional Lanna lanterns reflecting faith and love. 4) Music - utilizing indigenous Lanna musical instruments combined with traditional Lanna vocal styles including saw, joy, and kham khao narration, adjusting rhythm and melody to correspond with each scene's emotions. 5) Lighting - designing different colors and intensity levels according to scene moods, using shadow creation to convey emotional complexity. 6) Performance props - serving as symbols representing feelings and beliefs, comprising symbols of love, emotions, and faith. Phase 3:Evaluation (Post-Production) involved data collection from audience members through opinion questionnaires. The evaluation results showed that most audience members were satisfied with the overall performance, with suggestions to add narration or explanatory text and extend performance time for significant scenes. Therefore, this contemporary Lanna drama demonstrates that the systematic interpretation and construction of performing arts elements can effectively convey cultural and moral meanings while preserving and transmitting Lanna arts and culture in harmony with contemporary social contexts.