Artists as stage directors: Affirming the next generation

Passionate about traditional art

These days, artist-director Nguyen Dien Trung is busy recreating the classic cai luong play Cau tho yen ngua, in the role of assistant director for Meritorious Artist Hoa Ha.

Sharing about learning more about directing, Dien Trung said: “There was a time when my singing voice had problems. At that time, I suddenly thought that if one day I could no longer sing, what would I do to be able to stick with the stage, with the stage. And I decided to choose a professional directing career. Actually, at first, I only intended to learn the craft, so I followed teachers like People's Artist Tran Ngoc Giau, Meritorious Artist Hoa Ha, Meritorious Artist Le Nguyen Dat... to learn. Although I learned a lot of good things from the teachers, when I started to actually stage, I discovered that I still lacked a lot of basic knowledge, and could easily fall into instinctive ways of doing things. That's why I registered for a part-time stage directing class at the Ho Chi Minh City University of Theater and Cinema to gain basic knowledge for the job."

As an artist, Dien Trung has many advantages in understanding stage activities, so during his studies, he staged two cai luong plays, Duyen Kiep and Cay Le Ban, to participate in the National Cai Luong Festival in 2022 and 2024. Both plays received very good feedback from the audience and colleagues. Cay Le Ban alone received a Silver Medal at the National Cai Luong Festival in 2024.

Previously, the male artist had been an assistant director for many years for teachers, staging stage plays: Gia Dinh Citadel's Epic, Hau River's Voice, Passion and Power, In the Name of Justice, Ancient Co Loa Legend, Vietnamese Lotus...

Artist Le Trung Thao demonstrated his talent in all three roles of actor, author and director in the play Liu Long.

Unlike Dien Trung, artist - director Nguyen Minh Truong initially chose the directing profession just to better support his main job as an actor.

He confided: “At that time, I thought that if I understood the director's job, I would have a more comprehensive view of the play, understand and delve deeper into the character's psychology. However, when I studied and staged the play, I discovered that if the director understood the actors and the actors understood the director, they would complement each other's work a lot.”

Although he had just finished studying directing, Nguyen Minh Truong was trusted with many major plays such as: Co dao hat, Nang Xe Da... and staged some excerpts for colleagues to participate in competitions and theater festivals.

Confidence in the succession team

Director - Meritorious Artist Hoa Ha commented: “As actors studying directing, you have many advantages, because when you know how to act, it will be easier to grasp the psychology of the character. Currently, there are many young artists who perform while studying and working as directors, which is a new point, different from previous generations. You can be considered a hopeful future for the cai luong stage.”

However, director - Meritorious Artist Hoa Ha also admitted that making art requires passion, effort and undeniably requires natural talent. Not every good actor will become a good director, you need to have a realistic view, if you find it unsuitable, you should focus on one direction, do not let yourself be too distracted by many things, leading to difficulty in developing your career.

As for director - Meritorious Artist Le Nguyen Dat, the fact that young artists and actors learn the craft of directing is a good sign. Because they have many advantages compared to other young people such as being famous, easily finding support to stage plays; having the daring spirit of young people to experiment with new art forms; having a modern perspective, helping traditional theater gradually find a place in the hearts of young audiences...

“Famous artists like Le Trung Thao, Dien Trung, Minh Truong, Vo Minh Lam, Hoai Nam... will have many advantages in directing plays. And the important thing is that young people are always serious in their work. The plays directed by you show meticulousness, enthusiasm and youthfulness. The only thing you lack is experience, which will be honed over time.”

The efforts in their profession and the progressive spirit of many young artists and directors today have received the trust and hope of previous generations. The love for the profession and seriousness in learning, the professionalism of a generation of young artists are expected to bring to the city's stage many more good works, close to contemporary life, well meeting the entertainment needs of a large audience.

This also affirms the bravery and position of the worthy successor generation of Ho Chi Minh City's stage arts.

THUY BINH

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/nghe-si-lam-dao-dien-san-khau-khang-dinh-the-he-ke-thua-post788013.html