I'm not at all convinced by Terrence McNally's stage play Master Class, based on the legendary opera singer Maria Callas. On the other hand, Tarin Prinyaknit's production, featuring a tour de force performance from the award-winning actress Jaa Phantachat as the faded opera star, is a triumph of the Bangkok stage.
Running for six performances at an intimate room in River City Bangkok with a capacity of less than 100, it is an opportunity to get up close and personal with one of Thailand's most accomplished stage actresses. It is indeed a master class, not so much in opera singing but in acting and comic timing.
Not more than a few minutes into the play, one gives up attempting to suspend disbelief that we are in the presence of Callas. For this I am grateful as it makes the play far more enjoyable. Jaa looks nothing like the tall, willowy Greek opera singer and, in a witty new Thai language translation, speaks nothing like her either. Instead, she parades the stage, short and bespectacled, like a self-possessed Imelda Marcos, giving singing lessons with the subtlety of a sledgehammer.
For every second she is on stage, which is always, her diva antics eclipse the other performers who are more her victims than her singing students. Jaa plays the vain artiste, past her prime, to perfection and the hugely appreciative audience relish her hilarious performance without restraint.
I'm a great admirer of Callas -- I wrote a stage show about her life -- but I breathe a sigh after incredulous sigh at this strange play in which McNally turns Callas into a self-centred, paranoid, has-been. McNally, who died in 2020, claimed to have been a huge Callas fan, yet such is the psychological unravelling in Master Class that one wonders how the unfortunate woman didn't end her life in a mental institution. Callas, a dignified and private person, would have hated this play, with every reason to do so.
The real 1971 master classes at the Julliard School of Music, New York, on which the play is based, prove Callas was nothing like this portrayal. (They are available to listen on YouTube.) Although nearly 50 and retired from the stage, Callas can be heard singing quite marvellously at times, as she demonstrates the complexities of Verdi to her very capable students. When she gives instruction, she is generous and patient with no diva tantrums. (There are lots in Master Class.) Her manner is intelligent and often kind. In short, she is the polar opposite of McNally's narcissistic, deranged diva. So, why did McNally do it? The answer is obvious. Even decades after her death in 1977, Callas is still great box office.
Callas was famous for her distinctive voice, charismatic stage presence and her tempestuous personal life. At the height of her career in the 1950s, she created a sensation by leaving her husband and business manager for the richest man in the world, Greek shipping billionaire Aristotle Onassis. During their much publicised affair, Callas turned down singing engagements and neglected her voice, putting her career on hold for the man she loved.
When Onassis, without warning, dumped her in 1968 to marry the world's most famous widow, Jacqueline Kennedy, Maria was heartbroken. The iconic opera star spent her final years a virtual recluse in her Paris apartment, reflecting on a once glorious career. Callas died alone at the age of just 53, a tragic end to one of the greatest artistes who has ever lived.
In this production, the Thailand premiere of Master Class, the rest of the cast give great support. Kawirat Saimek, as pianist Manny, has a wonderful hang-dog expression throughout, even as the prima donna badgers him to pour water for her and frequently forgets his name. He underscores a lot of the monologues with finely balanced playing and cleverly guides the seamless transitions between scenes.
Of the three singers, Punyanuch Pornsakulpaisal has the most to sing and lets fly her strong soprano voice as Lady Macbeth in Verdi's Vieni! T'affretta!. She is admirably convincing when she finally confronts Callas on her outrageous behaviour, making one wonder why nobody did it earlier.
Tenor Surapong Wattananontachai makes Cavaradossi's aria from Tosca sound a lot easier than it is and Chanakan Amarangkun, as the sweet, geeky soprano, has very little to sing but is nicely nuanced in her dialogue. The show is effectively lit by Palita Sakulchaivanich and directed with a firm hand by Tarin, though the photographs of Callas projected on the back wall with Jaa's face superimposed may not have had the desired effect, eliciting giggles from the audience.
As a piece of theatre about a self-centred diva who can no longer sing, giving grandiose instruction to three young hopefuls, it is certainly entertaining. The pithy one-liners are funny; the derogatory comments are hilarious. As a star vehicle for an older actress with no shame about sending herself up, it's a gift of a role. (It has been played by Zoe Caldwell, Faye Dunaway and Tyne Daly.)
But McNally wanted his play to be big, so he presented Master Class as a portrayal of Callas, knowing that her towering reputation could be relied on to sell tickets. In reality, Callas was nothing like his cliched creation. It's true we cannot slander the dead, but it is our duty to look after their legacy with the utmost care.
Remaining Master Class performances will take place from tomorrow until Sunday at RCB Forum, 2nd Floor, River City Bangkok. Visit facebook.com/RiverCityBangkok or call 02-237-0077.
