Expectations for young people
The atmosphere at Tran Huu Trang Cai Luong Theater in mid-May became more lively than usual when dozens of young artists entered to compete. After the opening ceremony at the City Theater on the evening of May 17, consecutive competition nights attracted a large audience, showing that Cai Luong still has its own attraction in today's cultural life.
This year's competition gathers 36 contestants from 12 public and non-public art units across the country. From long-standing theaters such as Tran Huu Trang Cai Luong Theater, Cao Van Lau Theater, Hanoi Cai Luong Theater to socialized units, local art troupes, all bring a diverse picture for modern Cai Luong stage.
According to experts, what is noteworthy is not only the number of contestants but also the thinking of choosing roles, the staging style and the spirit of daring to experiment of young artists. Many actors do not choose safe excerpts but actively try their hand at difficult roles, requiring psychological depth and stage presence.
At the competition on May 19th, the performances of artists from the Vam Co Cai Luong Art Troupe received much attention. Actor Nguyen Tran Minh with the role of Genghis Khan showed confidence in handling historical characters with complex inner feelings. Meanwhile, Truong Huynh Anh Nhi with the role of Empress Ca Ong chose to express herself with moderation, going deep into the character's emotions instead of showing off technique.
Trong Tanh's solo performance in the excerpt "Acting alone" is considered a big challenge because the actors almost have to maintain their emotional rhythm on stage. Artist Bich Tram's performance with the role of Thi Binh in "Loi Vu" was also highly appreciated.
Efforts to keep the fire of traditional theater
Not only in talent competitions, many stage activities recently have also shown that artists are making efforts to find ways to bring audiences back to theaters.
Hanoi Cai Luong Theater will bring the play "Duyen kiep Bach Tra" back to the stage on the evening of May 30 at Chuong Vang Theater (72 Hang Bac, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi). The work explores the life of Princess Huyen Tran - who accepted to sacrifice her private love to marry King Che Man in order to maintain peace and expand the territory of Dai Viet.
Not only in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, many local artists are also silently keeping the fire for Cai Luong with love for the profession. Artist Pham Thi Ngoc of Thanh Hoa Cai Luong Art Troupe is an example. Attached to the stage since 2013, she has overcome many difficulties to pursue the acting profession and continuously participate in professional festivals and competitions.
After making her mark at "Golden Bell of Vong Co" 2020, the female artist continued to win many awards at national Cai Luong festivals. Not only performing, she also participated in guiding young artists in the troupe, passing on her singing and acting experience and stage skills.
The Vam Co Cai Luong Art Troupe (Tay Ninh) also staged the play "Tieng trong Me Linh" to introduce to the audience. The work is directed by People's Artist Ho Ngoc Trinh, part of the series "Memories of Vietnamese History Cai Luong" that she has pursued for many years.
In the context of rapidly changing audience tastes, Cai Luong must find ways to innovate from staging thinking, stage technique to storytelling. However, that innovation must still retain the lyrical, narrative quality - the most important soul of Cai Luong.
From competition nights at Tran Huu Trang Theater to provincial stages with large audiences, it can be seen that cải lương artists today are not only trying to survive but also striving to find a new position for traditional stages in modern life.
