Few people see hard work
Behind the puppets weighing tens of kilograms, the work of Ms. Tran Thi Mai Anh (46 years old) - actress of Thang Long Puppets Theater and her colleagues is hard and arduous. The actors had to wear 2-5 layers of clothes, rubber suits, and gloves to be ready to go into the water.
Ms. Mai Anh said: "The characteristic of the theater is the very harsh temperature. The water is very cold in the summer, the winter is warm, but the temperature difference when going ashore is large. If unfortunately the rubber items were torn while going into the water, we would have to soak them directly. We are always in a state of low bends, soaking our hands in water for hours.
At Thang Long puppetry Theater, the actors work tirelessly all year round, regardless of the holidays. Working hours usually take place from 1pm to 11pm, not including additional performances serving groups that can take place at any time of the day, even 1am.
In the backstage, water puppet actors carefully check each puppet, ensuring smooth movement and good control mechanisms. Many puppets are decades old, weighing 20kg, passed down from generation to generation, requiring actors to have a very strong physical strength to be able to control them smoothly.
The water puppets depict boat racing, phoenix dragons, and large size controlled by male actors. While for women, the role is considered a classic, which is phoenix dance.
Ms. Mai Anh shared that girls who learn water puppetry are looking forward to being able to perform phoenix after a period of practice.
Soaking in water almost all year round, puppet actors often have a series of common diseases such as low joint, hand, foot and mouth disease, spinal cord pain due to frequent bending, muscle atrophy due to water pressure...
Persistent optimism
The friendship and camaraderie in the water puppet troupe are also very special - they are not only colleagues but also like a family, together overcoming difficulties, sharing the joys and sorrows in life.
Ms. Mai Anh excitedly showed off that she was the head chef of the group, "the theater opened a small kitchen so that the actors could cook for themselves, because we were bored with eating boxed rice and did not ensure our health. I often buy ingredients to come, wait for a 20-minute break after each play to go to the kitchen to prepare and cook. I cook all afternoon, and only finish one dish every 1 hour, to have the whole group rest for dinner in 6 hours".
Meritorious Artist Bach Quoc Khanh was also busy behind the scenes, because he took on the job of both reading the opening lines in a cheo voice and dancing with puppets. He humorously commented, "there are bad puppet actors, look at us wearing tight clothes like the Sun Queen".
The harsh working conditions of water puppetry - standing in the water for hours - have created a special connection between artists. When one person is in trouble underwater, others must quickly support to avoid risks. Each person is in charge of a part of the play, but the whole group coordinates smoothly and well, as Ms. Mai Anh commented: "Seeing the arm is knowing what the person next to you is about to do".
