We were lucky to catch up with Sanhawich Meateanuwat recently and have shared our conversation below.
Sanhawich, so great to have you sharing your thoughts and wisdom with our readers and so let’s jump right into one of our favorite topics – empathy. We think a lack of empathy is at the heart of so many issues the world is struggling with and so our hope is to contribute to an environment that fosters the development of empathy. Along those lines, we’d love to hear your thoughts around where your empathy comes from?
I chose this to be the first question to answer because empathy is also my core value in life. It’s also maybe the easiest one for me to answer. I’m working in a theatre where we tell stories. Our work allows us to explore stories, people, backgrounds, and why people act the way they do. And it’s the most beautiful work in the world because we can use our imagination and let ourselves into someone’s shoes. And I personally think that’s how people develop empathy. We listen to their stories, think about them, and learn to understand them.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I’ve always been a theatre kid. I started working in theatre when I was 15, and I vividly remember that theatre was my sanctuary from my painful childhood at that time. The theatre club in high school offered me a space to be myself and learn to create a space for others to work, have fun, and tell a story. Maybe this is why I never leave theatre. I decided to go to school for performing arts at Bangkok University. After I graduated, I was offered to be the instructor there for three years, teaching acting and directing. I also directed, translated, and adapted numerous plays there. Then, I decided to come to the U.S. for higher education at Illinois State University, where I got my MFA directing degree. After grad school, I moved to New York to pursue my dream as a theatre artist.
About my work, human relationships are what brought me to the theatre. I love exploring them. But the political situation in my home country has convinced me otherwise. I now believe that social structure fundamentally impacts how we form relationships. It can shape how we treat people. If we want better relationships, sometimes it must start with better social structure and living conditions.
From that fundamental shift in thought, I’ve discovered a profound passion for using my craft to create dynamic theatre. This theatre, I believe, has the power to support social movements, reflect on societal issues, and ask questions that impact the larger society, particularly in the context of cultural diversity. I am deeply committed to believing that my work should be a voice for the oppressed and, most importantly, provoke empathy. I am convinced that theatre can help people envision a better society and inspire them to strive for change collectively.
However, once I moved to New York, I got involved with the non-profit Thai Theatre Foundation. They have a mission to support and strengthen contemporary Thai theatre, and I admire their work so much. It’s been a year since I moved to New York, and I learned so much about how hard it is to make it work as a theatre artist, especially as an immigrant. So, this coming year, I decided to be more involved and help them run the organization with the hope that we can support more Thai theatre artists and help them grow in the direction they want to be.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
I don’t know if I’m in a position to give other people advice or not since I’m still in my early career. But three things that I think it’s essential for my journey are
First, be kind—to yourself and to other people. The world we live in is full of beautiful and bad things. We don’t know if someone just had a really bad day or what they’ve been through. Kindness is a little thing we can do for each other to get through the day.
Second, be grateful. Remember the people who give you opportunities and are good to you—that’s the first thing. But also be grateful for all the small, nice things that occur to you every day. One thing that I’ve always been grateful for is the fact that I’m still alive. That is the least I can do on a bad day. I’m still alive! So I can still go out and eat something that might make my day better. I always think that as long as you’re alive, you have an opportunity to make your life better.
Third, learn to live with rejections. There are so many reasons why people reject your requests or your applications. I wouldn’t take it personally. It is painful to be rejected, and we should acknowledge our feelings. But we also need to learn to live with it and then move forward. Don’t let rejections define you or your work.
To close, maybe we can chat about your parents and what they did that was particularly impactful for you?
I think the most impactful thing my mom did for me was that she trusted me.
I grew up in a country where most parents would encourage their children to do something to ensure a successful future, such as being a lawyer, doctor, or whatever. But my mom always supports me and my choices. I’m not saying that my choice is the best or my career is the best job in the world because it’s not, and there were times that I regretted choosing it if I’m honest with you. But I appreciate the opportunity and the freedom that my mom gave me. To try it myself, to win and to fail, and to learn from my experience. Most importantly, it taught me to be responsible for my choices. And I couldn’t ask for more of my mom.
Contact Info:
- Website: sanhawich.com
- Instagram: S_meateanuwat
Image Credits
My headshot was taken by Lauren Eliot
