Sadness and joy in water puppetry

NDO - The art of water puppetry has long been a national cultural heritage, providing both interesting performances and a means to convey stories and legends with the talent and endless creativity of the artists. In the modern life, how water puppetry is developing, whether it is in tune with and meets the needs of the public or not... is a constant concern.

Water puppetry has its own unique characteristics, different from ordinary puppetry. While other types of puppetry are mainly performed on land, water puppetry uses water as the main stage. This stage is called a water pavilion, built in the middle of a pond or lake, with a balanced architecture symbolizing the communal house roof of a Vietnamese village.

The poetic beauty of the water pavilion.

Behind the stage, there is always a backdrop to create a separate space for the puppeteers to control the puppets so that the audience can feel the puppets are operating independently and naturally on the water. The water puppet stage is decorated with symbolic and impressive details such as flags, fans, parasols, elephants, and votive gates, bearing the mark of Vietnamese folk culture.

In spring, the gentle drizzle lingers throughout the space, bringing a gentle and quiet feeling. We visited the Vietnam Puppetry Theatre - the cradle of puppetry, bearing the mark of traditional culture.

Meritorious Artist Vu The Khien, Head of Art Department, Vietnam Puppetry Theatre.

Outside the street was bustling and busy, but when we stepped through the theater gate, we felt like we were lost in another world . The water pavilion was quiet, quietly reflecting in the clear water. The space was quiet and mysterious, as if time had stopped in the ancient beauty of this place.

Not far away is the puppet workshop, still echoing with the sound of carving. And in the workshop, only Meritorious Artist Vu The Khien is working hard and diligently. The "insiders" are familiar with that image, because for many years, his job has been like that, when there are no plays, he uses the workshop as his home. During peak times with plays, eating and sleeping at the workshop is normal.

The puppet characters are very lively and soulful...

The ancient water puppets were mainly made from light wood, which made it easy to float on the water and move. After being carved, carved and polished with unique stylized lines, each puppet would be decorated with bright colors, giving each character its own unique characteristics.

The body of the puppet floats on the water, representing the character, while the base sinks underwater to maintain balance. Under the artist's control, the character can move, creating unique movements and actions.

Puppetry art requires a high level of teamwork and cohesion.

Water puppeteers manipulate poles, ropes, and string systems set up either outdoors or underwater. To create captivating performances, they must not only be proficient in using the manipulation tools, but also have the skill and sensitivity to coordinate with music , rhythm, and other elements on stage.

Puppetry requires a high level of teamwork. A main role sometimes requires 3-4 people. There are main roles and supporting roles, but it is very difficult to distinguish and evaluate the main actors and supporting actors. When one person finishes his role, he still has to support the other. The environment requires artists to overcome their normal lives so as not to affect the stage, to breathe together; requires leaders to try to create space for artists to contribute, and to put professional ethics first.

People's Artist Nguyen Tien Dung, Director of Vietnam Puppetry Theatre

People's Artist Nguyen Tien Dung, Director of the Vietnam Puppetry Theatre, said: Puppetry requires a high level of collective effort. A main role sometimes requires 3-4 people. There are main roles and supporting roles, but it is very difficult to distinguish and evaluate the main actors and supporting actors. When one person finishes his role, he still has to support the other. The environment requires artists to overcome their normal lives so as not to affect the stage, to breathe together; requires leaders to try to create space for artists to contribute, and to put professional ethics first.

In the treasure trove of Vietnamese water puppetry, there are about 30 traditional acts and hundreds of modern acts, telling folk tales, the daily life of Vietnamese people and famous legends, such as: Thach Sanh, Tam Cam, or festivals, daily activities such as farming work, frog fishing, fox catching duck, dragon dance, lion dance, wrestling, martial arts, buffalo fighting...

The stages of the Vietnam Puppetry Theatre all attract audiences.

With such a rich treasure, the profession of making water puppets not only requires sophisticated techniques but also passion, enthusiasm and love for folk culture. The artisans have to endure heavy work pressure, from finding suitable materials to manipulating the puppets to make them soulful.

Thanks to the constant efforts and innovation of the artists, the Vietnam Puppetry Theatre has made many improvements. From mid-2024 to present, the theatre has performed nearly 800 shows at the A Oi Theatre in Hoang Hon Town (Phu Quoc); toured abroad 23 times; performed more than 700 shows in Hanoi and other provinces; and served daily guests in Hoang Hon Town and the Vietnamese cultural space in Hoan Kiem, Hanoi. Regarding international cooperation, the theatre has reached out to more than 70 countries and territories around the world, including places that have created markets such as Japan.

Artists often say: The profession chooses the person. Indeed, for those who have chosen this profession, the greatest joy is when they see the puppets they created perform successfully on stage, bringing moments of joy to the audience.

Meritorious Artist Vu The Khien was not a professional artist or a puppet maker, but his passion for art helped him overcome all difficulties to pursue this path. Graduated from the Department of Traditional Drama Actors, University of Theatre and Cinema in 1999, fate brought him to the puppetry profession.

The cultural identity of Vietnamese ethnic groups is vividly expressed through water puppetry.

With patience and passion, Vu The Khien spent time researching and learning about puppets and production methods. After the first puppets around 2004, he devoted all his heart to creation.

Sharing about his profession, Meritorious Artist Vu The Khien confided that he, like many other professionals, encountered many difficulties when entering the field of puppet making. He was not a professional artist and did not have a solid foundation in shaping, so it was even more difficult to make the puppets move in the most flexible, natural and creative way.

Water puppets now have many joints "opened", can blink, move fingers, stretch neck...

Now, instead of wood, he has successfully tested the application of foam rubber. Using foam rubber not only makes the puppets lighter and more durable, but also allows the puppets to move more joints, creating lively movements, bringing interesting experiences to the audience.

Puppetry is not simply about creating puppets, but also about portraying the character, putting soul into each movement of the puppet. We always focus on building puppet characters to have soul.

Meritorious Artist Vu The Khien, Head of Art Department, Vietnam Puppetry Theatre

Meritorious Artist Vu The Khien said: Puppetry art is not simply about creating puppets but also about the process of portraying the character's image, putting soul into each puppet's movement. We always focus on building puppet characters so that they have soul.

"Each puppet character has its own story, a destiny that it must portray, so the creation of each puppet must be done very meticulously and carefully. The details on the face, shape, eyes, mouth, and movements of the puppet must accurately reflect the spirit and personality of the character in the play," shared the Head of the Art Department, Vietnam Puppetry Theatre.

The Phu Quoc stage of the Vietnam Puppetry Theatre attracts thousands of domestic and international audiences every performance.

Puppet making requires not only skill but also a constant creative process. Puppeteers like Meritorious Artist Vu The Khien always strive to create, and sacrifice quietly. In a recent work, he used original brocade pieces to make his puppets more vivid and unique. Each small detail like this brings both novelty and preserves traditional cultural elements of the nation.

The character in "The Adventures of a Cricket" is loved by children.

The atmosphere was quiet, but when talking about puppetry, the artist's eyes suddenly lit up. For him, each performance has its own unique nuances, styles and emotions, from traditional water puppetry to creative works with a strong personal touch.

He couldn’t count how many puppets he had made or how many plays he had participated in. He also emphasized: Other artists are like that. At the Vietnam Puppetry Theatre, during the working process, the artists always interact directly, discuss and change unsatisfactory movements right on stage to achieve the best results. These works not only leave a strong impression on domestic audiences but are also introduced in many countries, bringing Vietnamese puppetry closer to international friends.

Vietnam Puppetry Theater has just actively participated in performing and exhibiting at the Vietnam International Defense Exhibition 2024.

Meritorious Artist Vu The Khien believes that in order to create puppetry, in addition to crafting skills, an artist needs to have a deep insight into the character's psychology and an understanding of the script. The process of creating shapes, researching materials, and actor movements is a process of self-study and continuous exploration. He was fortunate to have the opportunity to learn directly from People's Artist Nguyen Tien Dung, Director of the Vietnam Puppetry Theatre, who also inspired him, helping him have more opportunities to develop his career.

Busy with his role as theater leader, in 2024, People's Artist Nguyen Tien Dung still staged 6 puppet plays... He affirmed: "No matter what I do, I am still a professional, and I try to balance it. Occasionally, I still stage plays, taking advantage of the weekend. Management will eventually come to a stop, and the profession will come to its last breath. The profession gives me inspiration and motivation to be a manager."

Without passion, artists will find it difficult to overcome challenges.

Puppetry brings joy and creative satisfaction, but also many difficulties and challenges. A puppet may have to go through thousands of knife cuts, every detail on its face and movements must be carefully taken care of. Countless days of hard work, sometimes all night long, with the sole purpose of bringing the most perfect works.

Other positions in water puppetry also require sacrifice, sometimes to the point of cruelty. There were times when the Vietnam Puppetry Theatre ran out of the next generation and had to make efforts to select and train young artists. The remuneration for puppetry is still limited, and many positions cannot be clearly separated... However, for passionate artists, the greatest joy is when the work is accepted by the audience, when the national art becomes an indispensable part of the throbbing heart.

Regarding the difficulties and challenges in the profession, especially in integrating into contemporary life, the Director of the Vietnam Puppetry Theatre affirmed: "If you know how and are determined, you can solve them all. The theatre has a team of skilled, professional and passionate artists, which is a factor that helps overcome difficulties. But the most difficult thing is to overcome yourself, overcome old thinking to reach a new thinking, find more paths, elevate the art, follow the trend without losing the identity. From the legacy left by previous generations, today's link must create momentum for the next step."

Source: https://nhandan.vn/buon-vui-trong-nghe-mua-roi-nuoc-post861098.html