20 stages, 26 plays, 300 actors
The first Ho Chi Minh City Theater Festival 2024 (Festival) takes place from November 12-29 with the participation of 20 theater units operating in Ho Chi Minh City, competing in 26 plays (duration 90-150 minutes, staged from 2021 to present or restored with new creative elements, never participated in professional competitions) with 300 artists and actors. The Organizing Committee expects the Festival to become a major cultural event in Ho Chi Minh City.
Strong brands of Ho Chi Minh City theater participating in this festival include: IDECAF Drama Theater, Small Stage Drama Theater (Drama 5B), Hong Van Theater, Hoang Thai Thanh Theater, The Gioi Tre Theater, Thien Dang Theater, Truong Hung Minh Art Theater...
The first time the festival was held, it received enthusiastic response from the stages. According to the reporter, the stages have completed their performances to participate. The themes of the performances are diverse, focusing on messages about family, soldiers, love, and environmental protection.
For IDECAF, the stage chose the historical play "The Left General Le Van Duyet - The One Who Carried 9 Death Sentences" by director Hoang Duan (performed on the evening of April 10, 2024), recreating a part of the life of the character respectfully called "Duc Ong" by the people. Two and a half hours long, the work captivates viewers thanks to its dramatic story. The portrait of Le Van Duyet is not only shown through his achievements, but also through dialogues with characters such as King Minh Mang, Deputy Governor Huynh Cong Ly, and his wife Do Thi Phan...
Another topic that received no less attention at this theater festival was revolutionary tradition with the play “Fire Field” by Quoc Thao Theater, “That Day, Heaven’s Gate” by Trinh Kim Chi Theater, and the post-war theme with the play “Comrade” by the Ho Chi Minh City Theater Association.
The plays “Ben lua long” and “Dem vuon ho” were brought to the competition by stage 5B. “Dem vuon ho” - a detective-horror play opens dramatically with a fight between 2 men and 1 person falling into a ravine, followed by mysterious deaths in a villa in the middle of the jungle. Feeling uneasy, the disabled owner of the villa hires a private detective to investigate and the horrifying secrets are gradually revealed...
The work first debuted on stage 5B around late 2014 - early 2015, during the period when horror plays were "making waves" on the stage in Ho Chi Minh City, and is now being re-performed for the festival.
With the Truong Hung Minh stage of Meritorious Artist Minh Nhi, the crew brought the play "Dau Ngot" to the competition. In this play, artist Cat Phuong took on the role of author, director, and also played the main role. The play conveyed a message about family affection, hatred, greed, and selfishness of people...
Children's plays are also given special attention at this festival. The plays presented include "The Adventures of Mexico" by Truong Hung Minh stage and "Colora - The Glorious Land" by Ban Mai stage.
Reaching audiences to stage plays in Ho Chi Minh City
Artist Minh Nhi said that by bringing the play “Sweet Strawberry” to this festival, he hopes to not only bring a work of art, but also an opportunity to promote the play to the audience, helping Ho Chi Minh City stages reach more potential audiences who love drama.
With other stages such as stage 5B, Hong Van stage, with plays brought to the festival, the artists hope to convey profound, positive messages to the audience through their performances.
According to People's Artist Tran Ngoc Giau - Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Theater Association, the first Ho Chi Minh City Theater Festival will help managers, professionals and the public have a comprehensive view of the appearance of the Ho Chi Minh City theater scene. From there, summarize the advantages and limitations to find solutions to contribute to orienting activities, promoting units to improve the quality of works and professionalism.
