Viet Nam News
By Thu Anh
HCM CITY – For his latest cai luong (reformed opera) production, Rang Ngoc Con Son (Pearl in Con Son), director and Meritorious Artist Kim Tu Long simplified the set and costume design, and retained the authentic words used by Vietnamese centuries ago.
The result: tickets for the next three weeks have sold out in HCM City.
On opening night last week at the National Cai Luong Festival in Long An Province, nearly 1,000 people at the Long An Cai Luong Theatre enjoyed the play, whose theme revolves around the unjust death of national hero Nguyen Trai, one of Viet Nam’s greatest politicians and poets.
The two-hour tragedy, staged by the Kim Tu Long Entertainment Company, left a strong impression on theatregoers, a clear indication that people are ready for quality and innovative plays.
"I believe that cai luong will be alive if actors like Long and his staff are involved," said Tran Thi Suu, 25, a resident of Long An’s Tan An City.
"Although I really like cinema and musical performances, I’m willing to get a taste of what cai luong is like," said Suu, who took her parents to the first performance of Rang Ngoc Con Son.
Suu also said that historical plays contain lessons that help "youth learn more about the country’s traditional culture and lifestyle," she said.
New story
Since its debut by the Tran Huu Trang Theatre of HCM City in 1980, Rang Ngoc Con Son has been restaged several times.
This performance is targeted to young audiences.
Director Long invested several hundred million dong on high-tech equipment, including light and sound effects, artificial smoke and visual arts.
"Hero Nguyen Trai is popular among the Vietnamese people. We have tried our best to portray the hero and his career on stage as realistically as possible," said Long, who has more than 30 years in the industry, and is owner of Kim Tu Long Entertainment Company.
To highlight the play’s theme, he also asked costume designers to use the same colours popular during the time when Trai lived.
“I wanted to perfect the stage of cai luong to attract both older and younger generations,” he said.
Long’s play, based on a script by well-known playwright Xuan Phong, portrays the circumstances of Trai’s death, which resulted from a secret involving the death of King Le Thai Tong.
The production includes scenes in early 1442 when King Tong decides to visit Trai’s family.
The king meets Trai’s young wife, Nguyen Thi Lo, a native of Thai Binh Province, who was known for her great learning.
He decides to sleep at the manor Le Chi, owned by Trai’s family, and that night, he suddenly becomes ill and dies.
The court later blames Trai and his wife for the king’s death, accusing them of treason. Trai and Lo, and members of three generations of both of their families, are then executed.
Twenty years later, King Le Thanh Tong officially pardons Trai, declaring that the great scholar was innocent in the death of the late King Le Thai Tong.
Long said he and the rest of the actors faced many challenges staging the historical drama, which features the tragic life and death of Trai and his wife.
"I was very careful selecting the actors," said Long, who plays the role of Trai.
"Trai’s wife is famous for her beauty and learning. Her love, respect and faithfulness to Trai leave a strong impression on different generations, so the biggest challenge is how your young actress expressses her spirit."
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| Meritorious Artist Kim Tu Long and young actress Trinh Trinh perform in Rang Ngoc Con Son, a historical play staged as part of the 14-day National Cai Luong Festival in Long An Province, which opened on September 5.—Photo courtesy of the producer. |
In the title role of Trai’s wife, young actress Trinh Trinh, who is often seen in romantic roles, has had to refine her acting skills to successfully portray the famed woman.
"I improved my acting by working with my teachers and older colleagues like Long and Meritorious Artist Phuong Loan,” Trinh said. “I show that young actors can take serious roles."
The remaining shows of Rang Ngoc Con Son will begin at 8pm at Ben Thanh Theatre, 6 Mac Dinh Chi Street, in District 1 on Saturday and Sunday.
Familiar figure
Generations of Vietnamese students have studied the writings and poetry of Nguyen Trai, originally written in both Han (classical Chinese) and Nom (classic Vietnamese) scripts.
Among the most famous of his works are Binh Ngo Dai Cao (A Great Proclamation upon the Pacification of the Wu or the Chinese Ming Dynasty) and Quoc Am Thi Tap (Collection of Poems in the National Language).
Born in 1380 in Thang Long (the first official name of Ha Noi), Trai, also known as Uc Trai, joined the insurgent Lam Son army led by King Le Loi in 1416 to fight against the Ming and played a critical role in the victory of Le Loi’s army. After the war, he held a high rank in the new court.
After King Le Loi’s death in 1433, the young heir Le Thai Tong, however, did not trust Trai, who was known for fighting against corrupt officials and sycophantic courtiers.
Trai then decided to retire to the Con Son region’s northern province of Hai Duong in Chi Linh District, spending his time writing.— VNS