The smile of life and stage mark
On Hong Van stage, the comedy "Bat ca 3 tay" that was just performed quickly became a highlight when marking the return of Meritorious Artist Oc Thanh Van alongside Thanh Duy and Lam Vy Da. The play is set in the Minh's living room played by Thanh Duy. Instead of chasing complicated decorative changes, the crew proactively minimizes space to focus on fast-paced plays and situations.
The minimalist setting helps the cast have more "land" to show off their inner strength. Every time they appear, Oc Thanh Van and Lam Vy Da receive applause for their ability to coordinate well with co-stars, both creating laughter and keeping the story from falling into exaggerated acting.
catching fish with 3 hands is positioned as an entertainment comedy, but it does not stop at simple laughter. The message that the play conveys is quite clear: Appreciate what you create, especially in relationships, instead of arranging love as a work schedule and eventually becoming a penniless person.
In parallel with regular performance activities, Hong Van Drama Theater also left its mark on the international stage map. At the 6th International Experimental Theater Festival 2025, the play "Nguyet Ha" ( script: Le Duy Hanh, director: People's Artist Hong Van) won a gold medal. This is one of the works representing the Ho Chi Minh City stage participating in the festival, along with "Ao Quan", "Son Ha", "Con Hong thuy", "Chuyen cua Na", "Hon tho ngoc"...
Many artists in Ho Chi Minh City were awarded individual medals. Meritorious Artist Oc Thanh Van received a Gold Medal for her supporting role in Nguyet Ha, along with Bui Cong Danh. In the Silver Medal group, there are young actors participating in "Red Water", "Jade of the Jade", "The Story of Na", "Underground"...
Experimental wave, horror drama, physical drama and efforts to retain audiences
In addition to the comedy of life on socialized stages, 2025 will witness significant efforts by theatrical units in Ho Chi Minh City in exploiting the theme and experiential form. "The Red Water" of the Ho Chi Minh City Theater - Cinema Association is one of the typical examples. The play puts the audience in a post-apoc golden setting: after the great flood, civilization collapsed, the earth turned into a "landfill island", where three people drifted together in a state of survival.
From the perspective of staging, director Nguyen Thanh Thuong chose to step out of his comfort zone. The stage was simplified, giving way to emotions, body language and contemporary dance. Actors must rely on actions, expressions, and movements to express their inner thoughts, instead of relying on the setting and props. This approach contributes to showing that the city stage does not stop at entertainment but also seeks new forms of expression.
Along with "The Red Water", plays such as "Obscenity", "Son Ha", "The Pearl Heart", "The Story of Na", "Tam Cam", "Unspace", "The Dream of the Blue Frog" ... were honored at the 2025 International Experimental Theater Festival, showing a rich picture of the type and language of the stage.
Currently, the units are still regularly lit with many options for the audience. Some stages introduced horror plays such as "Ngan lanh so 44" by Truong Hung Minh stage exploited the scary elements combined with laughter. On the other hand, social comedies like Million Dollar Girl question the limits of money, reiterating that not every value can be bought.
Ho Chi Minh City stage is moving in many directions to avoid falling behind in urban cultural life. In the context of rapidly changing entertainment habits under the impact of digital platforms, the fact that audiences are still lit up, with closed performances is a positive signal.
