Gen Z Artist Story: Bringing Tuong to the Streets and into Schools

Entering a difficult field like the art of Tuong, the Gen Z artists of Nguyen Hien Dinh Tuong Theater (Da Nang City) have overcome many obstacles to become the next generation of brave and passionate actors...

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On a weekend night, the crowd gathered around the makeshift stage in the park on the east bank of the Han River Bridge ( Da Nang City) cheered when an actress wearing traditional costumes, heavy makeup, and holding a sword stepped out. That was Tran Vu Quynh, an actress only 24 years old but with 8 years of experience in the art of Tuong in Quang Nam. Quynh, with her excellent ability to express the inner feelings of the characters, skillfully led the audience from one emotion to another.

Gen Z Tuong artists introduce characters to student audiences

PHOTO: HOANG SON

At the age of 16, Quynh was selected and sent by Nguyen Hien Dinh Tuong Theater to Hanoi to study Tuong art for 4 years. As a girl who only lived in the countryside of Nam Phuoc (Nam Phuoc commune, Da Nang city), accustomed to having her mother and father by her side, she cried many times because she missed home. Although she had a little talent to be selected to study, the world of Tuong art was too big for Quynh. Not to mention the many times she failed to practice dancing and singing, Quynh considered dropping out. Quynh said, in the digital age, her peers chose trendy careers such as technology, media... but she went against the flow with a career associated with the two words "hat boi", which sounded "old-fashioned". But then, with the encouragement of her parents and the thoughtful guidance of her teachers, Quynh completed the course and became a "sister actress" when she was only 20.

Tired and discouraged on the first day of studying Tuong was also the feeling of Le Van Tien (from Lanh Ngoc commune, Da Nang city). "The more I studied, the harder it became. There was a day when I closed my room door and skipped class... Teachers came to advise me. There was one sentence that I will always remember: What is the reason you are here? I answered that question and suddenly woke up," Tien said. From that time on, Tien worked harder and more diligently and successfully obtained a diploma in Tuong. Like his friends, Tien managed to complete the high school program before returning to Da Nang city.

In 2020, Tien, Quynh and 18 other young people participated in the actor audition organized by Nguyen Hien Dinh Tuong Theater. This was a 1:1 competition to select 10 positions for the theater. Tien, Quynh and 8 others were retained by the theater. After learning the art of Tuong, young actors were transferred to vocational training.

Da Nang students eagerly welcome the art of Tuong at school

PHOTO: HOANG SON

NEW VITALITY FOR TUONG CO

The young actors I met all agreed that the knowledge learned in the classroom is only a small part of the art of classical opera. When in Hanoi , they learned the art of classical opera from different regions, but when they returned to the theater with a stage imbued with the art of classical opera from Quang Nam, the young actors had to learn almost from scratch. Thanks to veteran artists such as People's Artist Phan Van Quang, People's Artist Nguyen Thi Thu Nhan... teaching through the productions, the generation Z actors gradually improved and went on to take on the main roles in the plays.

"Thanks to the teachers' teachings, we quickly caught up with the knowledge we were equipped with. I have never hesitated when assigned roles, from soldiers to main actors. It was the small roles in plays such as "Uong Song" and "Nua Gioi Son Ha" that helped me gain stage experience," said artist Trinh Ky Vu (25 years old). And the result came in 2023, when Vu was 23 years old. At the National Talent Competition for Cheo, Tuong and Folk Opera Actors organized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Vu won second prize for the role of Dong Kim Lan (in the excerpt "Dong Kim Lan Qua Deo ").

"Actor" Phan Tung Lam performs the movements of a traditional opera character

PHOTO: HOANG SON

Phan Tung Lam (25 years old, from Hiep Duc district, Quang Nam) is also considered a promising actor. Lam and his fellow actors and actresses are assigned tasks that are appropriate to their age and experience. "We often perform Tuong in parks, on sidewalks, at airport terminals... Each time is a different experience, but the most special is the time we stand in the school yard to introduce Tuong art. Seeing the students' eyes widen with interest, I feel more motivated to bring Tuong to school," Lam shared.

Tran Vu Quynh was exposed to Tuong quite early through watching performances at the village school. In 8th grade, she joined a children's Tuong class. It was from that experience that Quynh concluded: The best way to preserve and maintain values ​​is to bring Tuong to schools. "Who knows, after my performances, among the thousands of students who watched, there will be someone who loves Tuong and then follows the profession like me. Young people like me are still practicing every morning and every evening and waiting for their roles to perform for students and tourists to see," Quynh confided.

According to People's Artist Phan Van Quang (Nguyen Hien Dinh Tuong Theater), Tuong is a comprehensive art, requiring actors to have "voice, beauty, maturity, spirit, and spirit". "Generation Z Tuong artists love their profession and only need to achieve 3 of them to be considered valuable", Mr. Quang shared and commented: "Tuong does not have a "peak", but only "nine" professions or not. To shoulder the future, it requires you to practice hard and persevere. You have passion for the profession, but whether it burns or not depends on your efforts...". (continued)

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/chuyen-nghe-nhan-gen-z-dua-tuong-xuong-pho-vao-truong-hoc-185251015205306443.htm