Worries about performance venues and drama innovation
At a meeting with Ho Chi Minh City leaders with representatives of press and publishing agencies and typical artists at the beginning of the Binh Ngo 2026 spring recently, many artists frankly raised recommendations related to the operating conditions of socialized theaters.
According to artists, the situation that public service centers only sign location rental contracts annually is putting the theater in a passive position. A 1-year contract is too short for an art form that requires long-term investment: From renovating performance spaces, sound and lighting systems, to staging scripts, training actors, building audiences. When the future of the premises is precarious, many units dare not "pour" money into large works.
Artist Minh Nhi shared that spoken drama artists not only perform for the public but also keep the fire of the profession, and pass on the profession to young people.
Wanting to have a grand work for future generations to learn from, I don't dare to put in all my strength because I'm afraid," Minh Nhi expressed, and at the same time hoped that the government and local authorities in the theater would cooperate to create conditions for artists to feel secure in their profession.
Sharing the same view, artist Quoc Thao believes that socialized theater is falling into a "crisis of performance venues". He emphasized that doing art requires an investment time of 5-10 years, but in reality, a 1-year rental contract makes the unit operate vaguely, not knowing how to continue investing.
Artist Quoc Thao suggested that after arranging administrative units, many public works that are vacant can be converted into stable performance venues for the theater. When there is long-term space, spoken drama dares to invest in large works, becoming cultural products serving tourists in Ho Chi Minh City.
From the recommendations, it can be seen that socialized theater is lacking "minimum stability" to operate. When performance venues are still precarious, improving quality and developing the cultural industry is difficult to go long-term.
Gen Z returns to theaters and the efforts to "change the rhythm" of the stage
Amidst many worries, a positive sign appeared at the beginning of 2026: Young audiences are returning to the stage. Many stages in Ho Chi Minh City recorded a clear presence of Gen Z - young people coming to theaters to "really experience", then share emotions on social networks, helping the play spread in a new way.
This change is not natural. Many theaters have proactively expanded dialogue with young audiences: Organizing talk shows after performances, interacting actors - audiences, establishing audience clubs, building communities on social networks.
A noteworthy direction is the dialogue theater model. This approach creates a feeling that viewers are respected as part of the creative process, true to Gen Z's psychology: Want to be listened to, want to participate, do not like to be imposed. "phenomenons" sold out like the play "Miss Island" show that the purchasing power of young audiences is real, and the demand for live entertainment is real.
A positive sign from Gen Z is not just the story of ticket sales revenue. More importantly, it gives the stage more reason to continue innovating. However, for that "breath" to be sustainable, the stage needs a fundamental fulcrum, which is a stable level and long-term policy. Young audiences can create a new wave, but if the stage continuously moves places, that wave is very likely to break.
