สำนักราชบัณฑิตยสภา

The Journal of the Royal Institute of Thailand °“√π”‡√◊Ë Õß Tortilla Flat ¢Õß John Steinbeck ¡“®— ¥· ¥ß‡ªì π≈–§√‡æ≈߉∑¬ Vol. 32 No. 1 Jan.-Mar. 2007 196 Abstract Adapting John Steinbeck’s Tortilla Flat as a Thai Musical Play Malithat Promathatavedi Associate Fellow of the Academy of Arts, The Royal Institute, Thailand Chonprakhan Chanrueang, the producer and director of the experimental New Heritage Drama Troupe which concentrates on the Thai heritage by contemplating the changes that take place in Thai society in order to find a suitable format for drama, has turned John Steinbeck’s novel Tortilla Flat into a Thai musical play called Waniphok Ramphueng (The Vagabonds’ Lament). Most of the characters and the plot remain close to the original, with only the names, incidents and surroundings adapted to suit the Thai audience. Danny, the protagonist, a jobless vagrant who spends his time drinking with a couple of friends happens to inherit two houses from his uncle. Since that time Danny’s life has changed from being irresponsible and living from day to day to that of an owner of two houses and a changed status. Later on the houses burn down and, being unable to cope with all the stresses, he commits suicide. In the play, Chonprakhan uses Buddhist concepts to show that real happiness does not come from owning properties which are external things. It comes from internal peace of mind. As Danny or Bunthing in the Thai version still clings to desires and cravings, which are the causes of suffering, he fails to attain internal peace and so destroys his own life. Key words : John Steinbeck, NewHeritage Drama Troupe, Chonprakhan Chanrueang, The Three Signs of Being „πµÕπµâ π ∫ÿ ≠∑‘È ß‡™◊Ë Õ«à “°“√ ‰¥â ‡ªì π‡®â “¢Õß∫â “π À√◊ Õ°“√§√Õ∫ §√Õß«— µ∂ÿ ®–∑”„Àâ ‡¢“¡’ §«“¡ ÿ ¢ ‡¡◊Ë Õ ≈–§√¥”‡π‘ π‰ª ‡√“®–‡ÀÁ π«à “§«“¡ ‡™◊Ë Õπ’È ‰¡à ‡ªì 𧫓¡®√‘ ß ∑√— æ¬å ¡∫— µ‘ ¢Õß∫ÿ ≠∑‘È ß√— ß·µà ®–𔧫“¡¬ÿà ߬“° ·≈–§«“¡∑ÿ °¢å ¡“ Ÿà ‡¢“ ·µà ‡¢“°Á ‰¡à “¡“√∂µ— ¥¢“¥®“°¡— π‰¥â ‡¡◊Ë ÕÀ“ §«“¡ ß∫„Àâ µπ‡Õ߉¡à ‰¥â ∫ÿ ≠∑‘È ß®÷ ß ‡ ’ ¬ µ‘ ·≈–‡≈◊ Õ°∑’Ë ®–‰ª„Àâ æâ π®“° ‚≈°π’È ‰¡à «à “ «≥‘ æ°√”æ÷ ß ®–·µ°µà “ß ®“° Tortilla Flat ‡æ’ ¬ß„¥ ≈–§√‡√◊Ë Õß π’È °Á ∂◊ Õ°”‡π‘ ¥¡“®“°π«π‘ ¬“¬¢Õß ‰µπå ‡∫°‡æ◊Ë Õ· ¥ß§«“¡π‘ ¬¡™¡™◊Ë π „πµ— «π— °ª√–æ— π∏å ºŸâ π’È ¥â «¬«‘ ∏’ °“√ ¢Õß¡— π‡Õß «≥‘ æ°√”æ÷ ß ª√– ∫ §«“¡ ”‡√Á ®„π°“√∂à “¬∑Õ¥ “√Õ— 𠇪ì π “°≈∑’Ë ºŸâ ª√–æ— π∏å µâ Õß°“√ ◊Ë Õ ‰ª¬— ߺŸâ §π∑’Ë Õ¬Ÿà „π∫â “π‡¡◊ Õß·≈– «— ≤π∏√√¡∑’Ë ·µ°µà “ßÕÕ°‰ª‰¥â ‡ªì π Õ¬à “ß¥’ . ∫√√≥“πÿ °√¡ §≥–≈–§√¡√¥°„À¡à , ¡√¥°„À¡à , ¡ª∑. Punyanubhab, Sujib. Some Prominent Cha- racteristics of Buddhism . Bangkok: The Buddhist University Press, 1965. Steinbeck, John. Tortilla Flat . New York: Penguin Books, 1986.