Despite a two-year hiatus, Nutchanat La-ongsri commanded a stage with unwavering power. Donning a large headpiece, she pulled on a white costume with a red strap tied on her upper body. Her back rose up like a bird's tail. She pressed her hands in front, showing silver bracelets and nail tips. After a wai kru ceremony, she staged a play in nora kaek, the dying breed of performance art from the Deep South.
In the story, she played the role of a leading actor engaged in the whirlwind courtship of two actresses, who struggle to get free of his chase. While they were twirling around the stage, the band alternated between fast and slow tempos. Nora kaek performers spoke fluent Melayu and Thai for the local audience, mostly Muslims and Buddhists, reflecting religious diversity in the three southernmost provinces.
