Panpassa Tubtien
Department of Dramatic Arts, Faculty of Arts, Chulalongkorn University
This article aims to analyze the role of Prof Dr Mattani Rutnin in Thai dramatic arts as a scholar and theatre practitioner. Mattani was designated a national artist in Dramatic Arts in 2017. She is the founder of the department of Dramatic Arts and the Faculty of Fine Arts, Thammasat University. In addition, she was one of the first to introduce the art of Western drama to Thailand. Mattani is distinguished in terms of her academic abilities, along with the practitioners. She has shown the ability to blend Western and Eastern cultures. She has also written many articles and texts that are widely cited by academics around the world. Moreover, her work has reflected the context of Thai society in each period, which is a good example for dramatists who focus on the well-being of society and the voice of the people. Although Mattani has been retired for a long time, her knowledge is still used extensively not only by her students who have now become professors in many universities, but also by study of her textbooks and play translations.
(Presented in the international conference – Prominent Women in the ASEAN Community, 13 July 2018, Le Meridien Hotel, Bangkok, organized by Institute of Thai Studies and Faculty of Education, Chulalongkorn University)