SOUTHERN CULTURE: 'Cải lương' (reformed opera), a form of Vietnamese theatre that originated in the 1920s in the South, will be featured in a series of books released by HCM City Theatre Association. Photo courtesy of Trần Hữu Trang Cải Lương Theatre.
By Thu Anh
HCM CITY A book on late scriptwriters Hà Triều and Hoa Phượng, who were leading theatre artists from South Việt Nam in the 1950s-60s, is scheduled to be released in December in HCM City.
The book will include information, photos and documents about the lives and careers of the two gurus of cải lương (reformed opera), a 100-year-old traditional genre of southern theatre.
The artists played a very important role in the theatre’s development in the South. They worked and wrote together in the period of 1955 to 1965.
Their works portray the South’s culture and lifestyle. Southern women and their characters are also highlighted.
They used their art to encourage poor farmers and workers to join national revolutionary movement.
The book will include famous plays, such as Nửa Đời Hương Phấn (literally translated as Half a Life with Perfume and Powder) and Thái Hậu Dương Vân Nga (Mother Queen Dương Vân Nga).
The history and development of cải lương, which began in the early 1920s in the Mekong River Delta region, will be also featured.
The HCM City Theatre Association and its partners are working on the publication.
Cultural researchers and veteran artists of cải lương, such as People’s Artist Trần Ngọc Giàu and scriptwriter Lương Nhứt Nương - Phượng’s daughter - have worked on writing and editing the book.
“We hope our book will provide young people with better knowledge of Southern theatre,” said Nương, adding the she hopes theatregoers can learn more about cải lương through the careers of Triều and her father, Phượng.
MASTERS AT WORK: Artists perform in 'Nửa Đời Hương Phấn', a famous production on social issues written by two scripwriters Hà Triều and Hoa Phượng—who played a very important role in the theatre’s development in the South. Photo courtesy of Hoàng Thái Thanh Drama Troupe.
'Cải lương' gurus
Scriptwriter Hà Triều was born in Rạch Giá Province (now Kiên Giang Province) in 1931. He died in HCM City in 2003.
Hoa Phượng was born in An Giang Provinve in 1933. He wrote 30 plays himself after working with Triều. He also died in HCM City in 2003.
The two began working together in 1955. They released 60 plays on love, women, and social issues.
Their works have been restaged many times by leading cải lương and drama troupes in the South.
One of the highlighted plays is Nửa Đời Hương Phấn, a production that features love and betrayal. Southern culture and lifestyle are also featured.
The musical was a phenomenon after its debut by the Thanh Minh and Thanh Nga Drama Troupe in Sài Gòn (now HCM City) in 1957.
The writers, Triều and Phượng, used new elements from the drama form of tragedy in French theatre.
The play is recognised as a Vietnamese version of La Dame aux Camélias (The Lady with the Camellias), commonly known as Camille, by French author Alexandre Dumas fils.
In October, Nửa Đời Hương Phấn was restaged in a new version for drama by Ái Như, one of the city’s very few female theatre directors.
Như and her colleagues from the private drama troupe Hoàng Thái Thanh have worked to renew a very old story while offering lessons about love and life.
“The morals of cải lương plays, written by Hà Triều and Hoa Phượng, are still fresh today. I believe young people will gain useful things after watching our show,” said Như, who has 30 years in the industry.
The play Nửa Đời Hương Phấn is staged on weekends at 139 Bắc Hải Street, District 10, HCM City. VNS
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