Touching the Soul of Puppetry - Connecting the Heritage

Conquer the audience with "talking hands"

Water puppetry is a long-standing traditional theatrical art form, closely associated with the rice civilization of Vietnam. Originating in the Northern Delta, puppetry is not only for entertainment but also deeply reflects the life, culture and beliefs of ancient Vietnamese people. The plays often recreate daily life, fairy tales, legends, epics or symbolic performances, clearly expressing the cultural identity of the region.

Art program "Nursery Rhyme". Photo: Vietnam Puppetry Theatre

Over time, the intricately carved and brightly painted wooden puppets have retained their appeal. According to People's Artist Nguyen Tien Dung, Director of the Vietnam Puppetry Theatre, compared to other forms of theater, puppetry has many limitations: the characters are puppets, without facial expressions or flexible gestures, making it difficult to convey emotions to the audience. To turn an inanimate object into a soulful character, the artist needs skillful skills and deep perception.

All of that depends on the artist's hands. But to have puppeteers with "talking hands" is extremely difficult. People's Artist Nguyen Tien Dung said that there are characters that require the harmonious coordination of 5 artists. Every movement, from lifting hands, turning to moving, must achieve absolute synchronization. Even though a play only lasts a few dozen minutes, the artists must spend 2-3 months practicing together, honing each movement to make it coordinated and smooth.

The puppets on the water dance with vitality and grace, attracting all eyes. However, few people understand that behind each captivating performance is a process of dedication and silent sacrifices of the artists. Meritorious Artist Nguyen Lan Huong, an actress at the Vietnam Puppetry Theatre, shared: "With weak limbs, female artists cannot take on heavy puppet characters like men, but compared to women's strength, it is still heavy, especially difficult to move underwater in rubber suits. Whether it is freezing cold in winter or hot in summer, having to soak in water for hours, facing the temperature difference between inside and outside the body is a daily occurrence."

However, overcoming all these difficulties is the great happiness that the audience still comes to puppetry. This is the motivation for the artists to continue to dedicate themselves, keep the passion alive and ensure that the art of water puppetry will not be lost in the future.

Efforts to attract young audiences

People's Artist Nguyen Tien Dung said that puppeteers always aspire to spread this art form, especially to the younger generation. Because the companionship of the younger generation plays an important role in preserving the national cultural heritage. Many new plays based on ancient stories have been created, uniquely combining water puppetry and stage puppetry, such as: "Thang Long Imperial Citadel", "Mid-Autumn Festival Fairy Tale", "Nursery Song"... Maintaining regular performances and creating a familiar and attractive traditional art space are also important factors to attract young audiences.

Renewing to bring water puppetry to young people. Photo: Teu's House

To breathe new life into traditional arts and arouse a love of culture among the younger generation, many projects and activities have been implemented. Among them, the project “Touching the Soul of Puppetry - Connecting Z Heritage” was implemented by the Vietnam Puppetry Theatre in collaboration with students from the Diplomatic Academy. This project not only arouses national pride but also recreates cultural values ​​in a creative and modern way, bringing puppetry closer to Gen Z in the midst of contemporary life.

The project launched the “Zội tạo lời” dubbing challenge, creating opportunities for young people to connect with heritage in their own way: dubbing the puppet play “Thần mệnh Nàng Kiều” to express the emotions and psychology of the characters through each line, and creating new lines, bringing a modern breath while still maintaining traditional cultural values. In addition, experiential activities were deployed at schools, where young audiences could try their hand at remembering puppet names, creatively coloring puppets, learning more about the art of puppetry and discovering unique products inspired by this art.

Many puppetry art units have created new plays and activities to introduce puppetry to young audiences. Recently, at Ho Chi Minh City Book Street, the Nha cua Teu group, consisting of Gen Z youth with a special love and effort to promote traditional art, organized the workshop "Connecting, Connecting Puppetry". This is an open space to experience and explore the art of water puppetry, from learning about the origin and development of water puppetry to making and decorating wooden puppets yourself, while listening to stories from those who are preserving this art.

The art program "Roc ra Roc tach" is also performed by Nha cua Teu and Phuong Nam Art Theater, the lively puppets recreate familiar stories with modern music and lighting effects, to bring a unique experience of water puppetry. The infographic exhibition on water puppetry provides a comprehensive view of the history, development and characteristics of water puppetry, through images, documents, artifacts and performances of artisans...

Such programs and activities aim to create a creative artistic space for young people to explore and experience water puppetry in a new way, and better understand a part of Vietnam's unique cultural values.

Source: https://daibieunhandan.vn/cham-hon-roi-noi-di-san-10373455.html