Landscape-Based Performance from History and Local Legends of Phum Pon Ancient Sanctuary, Surin Province

Abstract

This practice-based creative research aims to create a landscape-oriented, site-specific dance-theatre work grounded in the history and local legends of Prasat Phum Pon (Phum Pon Ancient Sanctuary), Surin Province, Thailand. The methodology integrates documentary research and archaeological evidence with in-depth interviews and field observation of living communal practices and rituals. Conceptually, the study is framed by cultural memory, performance as collective memory-making, and the embodied design of movement, dialogue, and soundscape to engage audiences through a shared, immersive experience in the actual site.

The findings show that historical accounts and vernacular legends are closely connected to the monument, the water landscape and ancient irrigation system, and enduring ritual practices and belief systems transmitted to the present. These findings informed the creation of a three-act performance: “Kritchaya Nakhon Phum Pon”, presenting historical foundations and belief structures; “Phum Pon Irrigation Wisdom”, reflecting the interrelationship between water management, ritual practice, and notions of fertility/abundance; and “Rak Nakhara: The Phum Pon Oath”, staging the legend through themes of vow, truthfulness, and self-sacrifice for the polity/homeland. The work synthesizes the performative identity of Thai Khmer dance-drama with contemporary approaches in a light-and-sound theatrical form, drawing on culturally embedded resources to render the ancient sanctuary a living, meaningful cultural landscape. Contribution to knowledge: The study proposes an approach to developing landscape-based performance in the Southeast Asian context by articulating a systematic and verifiable pathway from archaeological data, cultural landscapes, rituals and beliefs, and community histories/legends to performance structure and audience experience design. Landscape-based performance is thereby positioned as a key medium for transmitting local histories and legends, fostering heritage learning and cultural-value awareness, and offering a framework adaptable to cultural tourism and future educational media.