If you have the opportunity to experience the walking street near Hoan Kiem Lake every Friday and Sunday evening, you will see a small corner on Ma May Street lit up with stage lights. There are excerpts from familiar plays of the past...
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| Tourists are fascinated by Tuong performances in the old town. (Photo: Phuong Anh) |
Here, locals and tourists can enjoy many famous works of traditional Tuong art performed for free by retired artists of the Vietnam Tuong Theater.
Through many years of dedication, they still nurture their passion for this unique art form and hope to spread it to the general public, especially the younger generation.
Special theater
Although imbued with Vietnamese cultural identity, Tuong is more difficult to learn and perform than other art forms because it requires a harmonious coordination between dancing, singing and acting.
This art often exploits the content theme from historical stories, literature and even everyday love stories. Each work has its own way of expression but all aim towards human values and profound messages.
Nowadays, Tuong is in danger of being lost and forgotten, so in order for this unique art form to continue to maintain its identity and get closer to the audience, especially young audiences, senior artists are still passionate about the profession.
Retired since 2018, People's Artist Huong Thom is always troubled by the biggest worry that Tuong art is increasingly lacking audiences, and at the same time, she wants to have audiences to see the beauty of Tuong.
She shared: “We know it is difficult, but we are always ready to pass on the passion of the profession to the next generations. Moreover, I believe that if Tuong is brought into schools, it will create new opportunities, helping children understand and love this traditional art form from a young age.”
With the permission of the Hanoi Old Quarter Management Board, this special troupe has maintained performances from January 2024 until now.
The number of members up to now is 19 people, most of whom are retired artists, but their burning passion has urged them to continue performing to keep the flame of traditional Tuong burning forever.
To serve the performance, Tuong artists must be present early to put on makeup. For them, this is a task that requires meticulous attention to detail, taking from 1-2 hours.
Each stroke and block of color clearly shows the personality of the character that the artist plays. That is why Tuong actors have to make up themselves, transforming themselves into professional artists.
At Ma May Street, they chose to perform familiar excerpts such as The Old Man Carrying His Wife to the Festival; The Lonely Soul Turns into a Fox; Clams, Mussels, Oysters, Mussels...
These are special excerpts that have been performed and practiced by artists throughout their years of working, so each artist when performing brings the soul of the character so that visitors can enjoy the most complete emotions.
Having been involved in Tuong art for about 40 years, People's Artist Van Thuy was moved to share: "Many people after watching the performance came to ask us about Tuong art. The domestic and foreign audiences were very excited, even children, even though they were only 5-6 years old, sat with their parents to watch the performance from beginning to end.
I am very happy to meet people who love Tuong, young generations who are interested in Tuong art like that. This is a good thing when Tuong can reach closer to young audiences."
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| Performance by Tuong artists on Ma May Street. (Photo: Phuong Anh) |
Keep up the good work
Since its early days, the Tuong troupe of these senior artists has become a unique spiritual food for locals and tourists every time they visit the old town.
Many domestic and foreign tourists have an additional interesting stop when strolling around Hanoi's Old Quarter.
The show is free but everything is carefully prepared from sound, light, costumes, props to characters and content.
All of these things create an impressive and colorful program, helping the audience immerse themselves in a space of light lit up by the passion, dedication, and “living for art, dying for art” of the artists.
With their thoughtfulness in acting and character creation, Tuong artists seem to bring the audience into the world of each character.
Through every gesture and line, each artist demonstrates their professionalism and passion, creating vibrant and meaningful works of art, giving visitors an unforgettable cultural experience.
Transforming into the role in the excerpt Hon Co Hoa Cao, Meritorious Artist Bich Tan left a deep impression on the audience. Having played this role for about 18 years, the female artist has mastered each action, facial expression and psychology of the character in a subtle and vivid way.
She shared: “Every time I perform, I feel like I am living with the character. This role not only requires high acting skills, a powerful voice and good health, but also a deep understanding of the character’s soul and fate. I always want to bring the audience the most realistic and emotional performances.”
No matter how hot or drizzly the weather is, that street corner is still lit up, attracting many spectators and tourists to stop and enjoy.
Perhaps, this is not only a place for performing arts but also a place where traditional cultural values are respected, honored and spread.
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| People's Artist Huong Thom is always troubled by the biggest worry that Tuong art is increasingly lacking young audiences. (Photo: Phuong Anh) |
Tuong artists in Hanoi's Old Quarter are not only preservers but also pioneers in renewing and popularizing Tuong art.
They have been making an important contribution to preserving and promoting a precious cultural heritage of the nation, while at the same time arousing pride and love for traditional art in the hearts of the public, especially the young generation.
The shows are not only an opportunity for Tuong artists to perform but also a place for people who love traditional art to meet, exchange and discuss.
Although we know there are still many difficulties in bringing Tuong closer to the audience, especially young audiences, in this way, this art form imbued with national spirit will continue to exist and develop with the rhythm of young life.
This is clear evidence that, with the passion and tireless dedication of retired artists, Tuong art can completely regain its worthy position in the hearts of modern audiences.
Tuong or Hat Bo, Hat Boi are the names of a unique traditional theatrical art form of Vietnam. With a learned literary language that skillfully combines Chinese and Nom scripts, Tuong is a synthetic art that includes literature, painting, music, performances... expressing the traditional values and identity of the nation. Currently, there are still many different and unanimous understandings regarding the time of birth of Tuong and the historical development of this art form. Most researchers affirm that Tuong is the oldest form of theatrical art, present in all three regions of the country, originating from the North and gradually spreading to the Central and Southern regions. In particular, Tuong reached its peak around the 18th-19th centuries, and was considered a national drama by the Nguyen Dynasty. |
Source: https://baoquocte.vn/giu-lua-tuong-tren-pho-co-ha-noi-272454.html
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