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Regent’s students transform the Globe in Metamorphoses
Grigor Manasyan as Midas
The Regent’s School recently presented a memorable Senior
School Production of Metamorphoses, adapted from Ted Hughes’s translation of
Tales from Ovid by Tim Supple and Simon Reade. ‘Where does life end and art
begin?’ was the question posed by the cast, but the question posed by the
audience seemed to be ‘Where does the audience end and the play begin?’
Entering into a mysterious space with the lights already up and the actors
lying immobile under a giant blood-red sheet, the audience was drawn into
the performance by the haunting opening words of the sinister and hypnotic
NC played by Hayk Mazmalian: ‘Now I am ready to tell how bodies are
transformed into other bodies.’
 Shannon
Clark as Narcissus
The epic tales were cleverly transformed into a fantasy that surrounded the
central characters of Jupiter (Jake Baker) and Juno (Ivie Wentworth). They
presented a variety of transformations, such as Arachne becoming a spider,
Tiresias turning from a man into a woman and back again, and king Midas’s
food irreversibly changed into gold.
A modern-dress production in front of a simple set of black and white
drapes, the performance celebrated the magic of theatre through the simplest
of means, with a length of cloth becoming a pond in ‘Salmachis and
Hermaphroditus’ or a seemingly lifeless doll transformed into a fractious
infant in ‘Tereus and Philomela.’ The performance was full of memorable
scenes and vivid images such as the horrific death of Penteus in ‘Bacchus
and Penteus’ and the sight of Tereus nonchalantly eating his supper, unaware
that the flesh he chews is that of his own son.
The evening was also notable for some outstanding individual performances:
as well as Jake Baker as the boastful Jupiter and Ivie Wentworth as his
vindictive wife Juno, numerous other performances stood out. These included
Sara Menges and Cat Sperbund bent on revenge against Florian Mueller’s
coldly vicious Tereus in ‘Tereus and Philomela’, Christian Wermelin as the
obsessed and doomed Penteus, Kim Burtchen as a particularly ‘cool’ Pan in
‘Pan and Apollo and Bandith Boonyeun’s bumbling and awkward Salmachis’.
However, there was an overriding sense of ensemble to the performance, with
many of the cast of 40 students doubling (and even trebling) roles. Every
student performed impressively in a confident and energetic production with
no weak links or loss of tempo.
The performance was significantly enhanced by an original music and sound
score composed by Year 12 IB Music student Kasidate (Ham) Sueverachai and
music teacher, Steve Tomlinson. The simple but effective costumes, designed
by Kathryn Liggins, further added to the theatrical impact of the production
which was directed by Sophie Martinez, Tim Rawlings, Martin Walsh, Mike
Thomas and Corin James, assisted by IB Theatre Arts students, Jake Baker and
May Duanglaithong.
Look out for the next Secondary School production, the comic science fiction
rock musical ‘Return to the Forbidden Planet’ to be performed next May.
Arachne and Minerva
Jesters and PSC build cafeteria for school
Supamit Sirakanthamakul
(front right), Lewis “Woody” Underwood
(front left), and Dennis Willett (center) cut the ribbon
to jointly open the school’s new cafeteria.
Ariyawat Nuamsawat
Pattaya Sports Club and Jesters Care for Kids worked together to
build a cafeteria for Pin Chamwichason School, under a budget of 360,000
baht. The school, which is in Huayyai, has to feed nearly 400 students
every day.
 The
cafeteria is open on 4 sides for ventilation.
Supamit Sirakanthamakul, deputy committee director of the Chonburi
Education Section in Zone 3 headed the ceremony to officially open the
cafeteria on December 27, along with Lewis “Woody” Underwood, president
of Jesters, and Dennis Willett, president of the PSC.
The new cafeteria is located next to the old building, and is open on
four sides to allow cooling breezes to flow through. The building has a
concrete floor, 20 ventilators, and fluorescence lights.
Chalee Sodsai, director of Pin Chamwichason School, described the
history of the school, saying that Mrs Kanit Kuiyakanon, owner of the
Wiset Niyom Factory had donated a plot of land measuring 35 rai and 2
ngan, and a budget for construction 30 years ago. The agreement was that
her parents’ name be used as the name of the school. Currently there are
20 classrooms, 380 students and 25 teachers for secondary school class
levels 1 - 6.
Chalee said that even though the school, which comes under the Chonburi
Education Department in Zone 3 is small and receives a support budget
from the Ministry of Education, it is not enough to provide a 100
percent level of education.
The new cafeteria is therefore of real benefit, especially as Pin
Chamwichason School was selected as the “One Tambon One Dream School” by
the Chonburi Education Department in 2004.
Before the new cafeteria
was built, students had to eat outside.
Charity organization throws
party for homeless kids
Peter Nordhues
On December 17, members and friends of the Verein Kinderleben,
an organization that supports homeless children, led by Alfred
Knappmann, held a Christmas party for all kids of the Street Children’s
Home. The club, registered in Germany, handed over a donation of 25,000
baht to support the young ones.
 Party
organizers Alfred Knappmann (left) and Vit Padmasuta pose with a couple
of kids for a souvenir shot.
“This home hosts kids that were picked up from the street,” said teacher
Francis Prasit Malae. “We try to offer them a better life and to find
their parents or relatives. That is a difficult task since many of the
children come from Burma or Cambodia.” The children thanked their
generous supporters with Christmas carols.
Five days later, the club invited all the children to a great pool party
at the Condotel in Jomtien. Some 60 kids enjoyed a day out with tasty
food, refreshing drinks and lots of ice-cream. The Condotel
administration supported the event by kindly making the swimming pool
available for no charge, and the fun went on until the late afternoon.
Suppachai Satherasinlapin,
director of the Street Children’s Home,
receives gifts for the kids from organizer Alfred Knappmann,
while Otto Hönerbach (left, standing) looks on.
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