People's Artist Thanh Ngan in a production of "The Drum of Me Linh". Photo: DUY KHOI
I'm recounting this story to show that this girl disrespected art, failed to appreciate the legacy left by previous artists, and was too lenient with herself. And, the audience's criticism, even condemnation, is justified.
However, in a different story, the Vam Co Cai Luong (traditional Vietnamese opera) Troupe ( Tay Ninh province) announced a revival of the play "The Drum of Me Linh" to perform for the audience, but it was met with unwarranted attacks and backlash. According to the troupe's plan, the play would be directed by People's Artist Ho Ngoc Trinh, with Meritorious Artist Ngoc Doi playing Trung Trac, Golden Bell Award winner Le Hoang Nghi playing Thi Sach, along with a host of other renowned artists, including Meritorious Artists and Golden Bell Award winners.
Many people believe that this cải lương (Vietnamese traditional opera) troupe is "copying" and contributing to "ruining" classic cải lương plays, criticizing the actors and artists. However, Meritorious Artist Ngọc Đợi is a talented actress who has performed on many national-scale stages and won numerous prestigious awards. The other artists also have proven professional credibility. The play hasn't even started yet, but many people are criticizing it as if they've already seen it and witnessed it firsthand.
In fact, since the iconic performances of the late artists Thanh Nga and Thanh Sang in the late 1970s, the Cai Luong play "The Drum of Me Linh" has continued to be performed by many other artists. These include People's Artist Bach Tuyet, People's Artist Ngoc Giau, People's Artist Thanh Ngan, People's Artist Que Tran, Meritorious Artist Thanh Hang, Meritorious Artist Phuong Hang, Meritorious Artist Cam Tien… Even male singer Hoai Lam in the "Familiar Faces" program boldly and successfully transformed into the female artist Thanh Nga in the role of Trung Trac, earning the love of the audience.
These examples illustrate that audiences need to judge fairly. A young woman lacking skill and disrespecting art is one thing; a professional performing arts troupe re-enacting a performance is something entirely different. In the world of art, the line between preservation and creation is always thin. On the one hand, the public has the right to demand standards, especially for classic works that have become iconic. But on the other hand, if every experiment is scrutinized so strictly from the very beginning, even from the conceptual stage, the theater will struggle to develop and may even become confined to the past.
"The Drum of Me Linh" is not a static statue to be admired only from afar. It is a living work, renewed and infused with different contemporary elements by each generation of artists. It is this inheritance and innovation that allows the performance to endure in the hearts of the public.
Criticism, if fair, can be a driving force for artists to improve. But if hasty and emotional, it can become an invisible obstacle, stifling creativity. The worrying thing is not that a performance may not be perfect, but the hesitant mindset, the fear of innovation for fear of being "judged" even before it begins. Let "The Drum of Me Linh" not be covered in the dust of time, but continue to resonate with new "drumbeats" in contemporary life.
DANG HUYNH
Source: https://baocantho.com.vn/cong-tam-khi-phan-xet--a200838.html
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