Impressions of contemporary Vietnamese traditional art on the international stage

Characters Thi Mau and Thi Kinh in the ancient Cheo play Quan Am Thi Kinh. Photo: DHSKDA

“Like a raindrop” is a play with a special style, inspired by and using materials from traditional Cheo art, but imbued with the breath of contemporary theater. With the creativity in using traditional Cheo materials and contemporary acting, director Dr. Meritorious Artist Bui Nhu Lai - Vice Principal of Hanoi Academy of Theatre and Cinema, and the entire crew of the play "Like a raindrop" brought a unique and completely new artistic experience, creating a deep and emotional impression for international audiences.

The play provides an insight into the lives and fates of three women in the feudal system. The story revolves around three main characters: Thi Mau (the female lead - the female lead); Thi Kinh (the female lead - the female lead) in the ancient Cheo play Quan Am Thi Kinh and Xuy Van (the female lead - the female lead) in the Cheo play Kim Nham. These are all important characters in the Cheo script, each with their own tragic and troubled lives, characters that are symbolic and highly literary.

Character Xuy Van in the play Kim Nham. Photo: DHSKDA

With its complex situations and stories, the play "Like a raindrop" creates a multi-dimensional performance space, combining tradition and modernity. By combining traditional Cheo material with contemporary acting, the play "Like a raindrop" aims to convey a profound message about women's freedom, choice and self-determination. It opens a subtle window to explore the contrast between tradition and progress, and shows the contradictions and struggles of women in a society restrained by old rules.

Notably, the actors are lecturers and students from the Department of Traditional Drama; the Department of Theater, Hanoi Academy of Theatre and Cinema are the actors performing this play.

Three-sided stage in the Central Academy of Drama Theater, Beijing (China). Photo: DSU

Sharing about this play, director Dr. Meritorious Artist Bui Nhu Lai said: In the past, Cheo was often performed in communal house yards, pagoda yards, and yards of noble families' houses... The Cheo stage was usually just a mat spread in the middle of the yard, with a small curtain hanging behind. The actors performed on the mat, the musicians sat on both sides of the mat, and the audience could stand and watch from all three sides: in front and on both sides of the stage.

Actors interact with the audience. Photo: DHSKDA

Through a long historical development, the space for performing Cheo art has gradually changed. Nowadays, Cheo is not only performed in village communal houses but also staged on large stages with the support of modern sound and light equipment systems.

The use of Cheo music - one of the core components of Cheo stage art, has brought a traditional stage space imbued with Vietnamese culture. With a Cheo orchestra consisting of a full set of wind instruments, strings, and percussion, the director of "Nhu phan mua sa" has skillfully combined them harmoniously so that the musicians not only play a role in accompanying the singing, creating the background for the scene, creating dramatic situations, opening the play, etc., but the musicians have become the performing artists themselves, present throughout the stage.

Awarding of Outstanding Performance. Photo: University of Social Sciences and Humanities

In the play “Like a raindrop falling” with a simple stage setting, director Bui Nhu Lai focused on using the Cheo mat as a highlight and also a prop throughout the play. From the typical, primitive “Cheo mat” of the Cheo performing art, now, through a skillful staging with many implications, the director has breathed life into the Cheo mat, so that it is no longer just a mat covering the stage, it is like a living prop, playing many roles throughout the play, highlighting the story details of different characters.

At the 7th Asian Theatre Schools Festival, the play "Like a Raindrop" was performed on a 3-sided stage in the Central Academy of Drama Theater. With the support of the theater's modern facilities and stage techniques, the play brought international audiences a complete experience of enjoying art, immersed in a traditional art space imbued with Vietnamese culture.

The play created a special attraction, leaving a deep impression on international audiences. At the same time, for the first time in the history of participating in the Asian Theatre School Festival with the theme “The Charm of Asian Traditional Theatre”, the Vietnamese troupe achieved the top result with 1 Excellent Play Award and 2 Excellent Performance Awards.

Teachers and students of Hanoi Academy of Theatre and Cinema attend the 7th Asian Theatre Schools Festival. Photo: Hanoi Academy of Theatre and Cinema

“After the hour-long performance ended, the play received a round of applause from the audience. Afterwards, the audience stayed in the auditorium to interact and discuss with the “Like Falling Rain” performance troupe.

Chinese and international audiences have shown their love for the play “Like a Raindrop” and have also expressed great interest in the ideas and staging techniques of the play, and especially the issue: “How to effectively present traditional theatrical works on a modern stage”; “How to bring traditional theater to a contemporary atmosphere, so that it can reach a closer and wider audience to modern audiences...”, Dr. Meritorious Artist Bui Nhu Lai happily shared.

The warm reception from the international audience as well as the high awards for the play “Like a Raindrop” at the 7th Asian Theatre Schools Festival is an optimistic signal for traditional Vietnamese theatre and also contributes to affirming the level and enthusiasm of the team of young contemporary theatrical art creators.

According to Tin Tuc Newspaper

Source: https://baolaocai.vn/an-tuong-nghe-thuat-truyen-thong-viet-nam-duong-dai-tren-san-khau-quoc-te-post385281.html