Programs & Events
Pulitzer prize winning playwright Ms. Lynn Nottage visits Phnom Penh
Chinese House
September 24, 2009
Lynn Nottage, winner of the 2009 Pulitzer for drama and the MacArthur Genius Award, spent ten days in Phnom Penh on a program organized by the Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Embassy. Ms. Nottage’s play “Ruined” recently closed after a long run in New York and she found time in her schedule to travel to both Cambodia and Myanmar over the last two weeks.
In Cambodia she worked with the arts organization Amrita who recruited Lakoun directors and their students from the Royal University of Fine Arts. Public Affairs had translated portions of her play into Khmer and Ms. Nottage worked through the scenes with the group for four days. On the final day each director staged the scene for representatives from the Ministry of Culture, the arts community and the U.S. Ambassador all of whom came away impressed by the quality they were able to achieve in such a short period of time.
Ms. Nottage also visited the Khmer Arts Academy in Takhmao. There she spent time with Toni Shapiro, one of the managers of the operation, and their dance troupe which is currently rehearsing for performances abroad in the coming months. Ms. Nottage was able to view several of the pieces originally choreographed by Sophiline Shapiro and to talk with the students about the creative process and the western concept of narrative.
On her final two days Ms. Nottage spent time with classical dancers and musicians on a program organized by representatives from Cambodian Living Arts (CLA), and later held a one-day writing workshop with directors and actors that CLA regularly works with. Overall the visit was very successful and allowed Ms Nottage to introduce modern drama to the students and teachers of classical Cambodian stage.
