Touching the soul of puppets - Connecting heritage

Water puppetry, a unique art form of Vietnam, is striving to reach a wider audience, especially young people, through new performances and engaging experiential activities.

Captivating audiences with "hands that speak volumes"

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

The art program "Children's Rhymes". Photo: Vietnam Puppet Theatre.

Over time, these intricately carved and brightly painted wooden puppets have retained their appeal. According to People's Artist Nguyen Tien Dung, Director of the Vietnam Puppet Theatre, compared to other theatrical forms, puppetry has many limitations: the characters are puppets, lacking facial expressions or flexible gestures, making it difficult to convey emotions to the audience. To transform an inanimate object into a soulful character, the artist needs masterful skill and profound sensitivity.

All of that depends on the artist's skillful hands. But having puppeteers with "speaking hands" is extremely difficult. People's Artist Nguyen Tien Dung said that some characters require the harmonious coordination of five artists. Every movement, from lifting a hand and turning to moving, must be absolutely synchronized. Even though a performance only lasts a few dozen minutes, the artists must spend 2-3 months practicing together, refining each movement to ensure it is perfectly coordinated and smooth.

The puppets on the water dance with vitality and grace, captivating all eyes. However, few understand that behind each captivating performance lies a long process of dedication and silent sacrifice from the artists. Meritorious Artist Nguyen Lan Huong, an actress at the Vietnam Puppet Theatre, shared: "Because of their delicate nature, female artists cannot handle the heavy puppet characters like their male counterparts, but even then, it's still quite demanding for women, especially the difficulty of moving underwater in the rubber suit. Whether it's freezing cold in winter or scorching hot in summer, being immersed in water for hours, facing the temperature difference between the inside and outside of the body, is a daily occurrence."

However, overcoming all these difficulties is the immense joy of seeing audiences still come to see the puppet shows. This is the motivation for the artists to continue dedicating themselves, keeping the flame of their passion alive, and ensuring that the art of water puppetry will not fade away in the future.

Efforts to attract a younger audience

People's Artist Nguyen Tien Dung said that puppet artists are always eager to spread this art form, especially to the younger generation. This is because the participation of the younger generation plays a crucial role in preserving the national cultural heritage. Many new performances based on ancient stories have been created, uniquely combining water puppetry and dry puppetry, such as: "Thang Long Imperial Citadel," "Mid-Autumn Festival Fairy Tale," "Children's Rhymes," etc. Maintaining regular performances and creating a familiar and attractive traditional art space is also an important factor in attracting young audiences.

Innovating to bring the art of water puppetry to young people. Photo: Teu's House.

To breathe new life into traditional art and ignite a love of culture in the younger generation, many projects and activities have been implemented. Among them, the "Touching the Soul of Puppetry - Connecting Generation Z" project, a collaboration between the Vietnam Puppet Theatre and students from the Diplomatic Academy, not only awakens national pride but also recreates cultural values ​​in a creative and modern way, bringing puppetry closer to Gen Z amidst contemporary life.

The project launched the "Puppets Speak" voice-over challenge, creating an opportunity for young people to connect with heritage in their own way: voice-overs for the puppet play "The Fate of Lady Kieu," expressing the emotions and psychology of the characters through each line of dialogue, and creating new dialogue that brings a modern feel while still preserving traditional cultural values. In addition, experiential activities were implemented in schools, where young audiences could test their skills with games like memorizing puppet names, creatively coloring puppet figures, learning more about puppetry, and discovering unique products inspired by this art form.

Many puppet theater groups have created new performances and activities to introduce puppetry to young audiences. Recently, at the Ho Chi Minh City Book Street, the "House of Teu" group, comprised of Gen Z individuals with a special love for and commitment to promoting traditional art, organized the workshop "Connecting, Creating Puppetry." This was an open space to experience and explore the art of water puppetry, from learning about its origins and development to crafting and decorating wooden puppets, while also listening to stories from those preserving this art form.

The "Róc ra Róc rách" art program, also performed by Teu's House and the Southern Art Theatre, features lively puppets recreating familiar stories against a backdrop of modern music and lighting effects, aiming to provide a unique experience of water puppetry. The infographic exhibition on water puppetry offers a comprehensive overview of the history, development, and characteristics of water puppetry through images, documents, artifacts, and performances by artisans…

Such programs and activities aim to create a highly creative artistic space, allowing young people to explore and appreciate water puppetry in new ways, and gain a deeper understanding of a unique aspect of Vietnamese culture.

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