People's Artist My Uyen and artist Chinh Ba made their mark with the contemporary musical "Ao Quan", a work marking the return of the Ho Chi Minh City Children's Theater with an experimental line. The play brings an open and humane perspective on psychological damage. Inspired by the phenomenon of "apophenia" when people try to find meaning in meaningless things, the play depicts the inner journey of two mothers after loss, with a complex system of symbols and an untraditional structure.
The special feature is Active that blends many art forms: Music, spoken plays, video arrangements, interactive livestreams. For the first time in Vietnam, video presentations have become a real "character" on stage, interacting directly with actors. The space is minimalist but contains many layers of meaning, created by director Nguyen Trong Thuy Khanh and the Colorholic team.
According to People's Artist My Uyen, this is a "dazzling comeback after 9 years" since "Dream" (2016). Active painting is not only an artistic challenge, but also a call for empathy and sharing with those facing mental health problems. I believe the audience will not only watch but also feel, but also see themselves in it - the female artist shared.
Director Chinh Ba added: We do not make plays to judge or teach, but to arouse empathy. Scenario allows artists to be wrong, to try and to touch human emotions in the most original way.
Not only the 5B Theater, many other artists are also "catching up" with the experimental trend. Director Doan Khoa - who was once associated with the genre of children's drama, suddenly reappeared with the play "Mingui Chuyen Tac Tu", gathering veteran artists such as People's Artist Kim Xuan, Hong Anh and Quang Thao. The play puts audiences in an unrelated space, where each character has no name, only loneliness and the desire to be listened to.
Experimentation is the way I dialogue with myself after many years in the profession. There, I can try new limits of emotions and forms, even though I know that it is not easy for the general public - director Doan Khoa shared.
Despite bringing many creative values, experimental theater is still a thorny path. With an unconventional structure, lacking familiar entertainment elements and philosophical themes, this type of play is often picky about viewers. However, that is what makes artists consider this a "intellectual exercise" - where they work with the purest passion.
Hong Anh - who is both an actress and a producer of I talk to You admitted the pressure: I know experimental plays are not easy to sell, but I cant stop trying. We want to bring the audience an artistic choice, an experience different from traditional drama. She said that the crew had to deal with financial difficulties and limited performance space.
Experts believe that the return of experimental theater in Ho Chi Minh City is not only an artistic signal, but also a milestone of innovation in Vietnamese stage thinking.
Many young directors are also starting to take this path. Tran Van Hung, Minh Nguyet, Dinh Manh Phuc... all believe that innovating the staging form is the only way for the stage to compete with cinema and digital entertainment platforms.
Experimental scripts have never been an easy path, but it is there that artists can live fully with their passion for creativity. Regardless of financial difficulties, audiences or staging conditions, the efforts of People's Artist My Uyen, Chinh Ba, Doan Khoa, Hong Anh and many other artists are showing a spirit of appreciative commitment.
