I entered the theater of Ba Chua Xu Temple on Sam Mountain when it was starting to get dark. This was when the artists of the Ngoc Khanh Traditional Opera Troupe ( Dong Nai Province) put on makeup and prepared for the 3 a.m. performance. Before completing the costumes and makeup for the characters of generals, beauties, flatterers, servants, etc., they were very ordinary people in society, living by all kinds of jobs. "Bread and butter are no joke for poets", so they patched up their daily lives, collecting little by little for their passion for the special art form they fell in love with.
At 52 years old and 34 years in the profession, lead actress Kim Hien (residing in Ba Ria - Vung Tau province) is still absorbed in the layers of makeup and gorgeous costumes of hát bội. “When I was young, I loved watching opera so much that I hid from my parents to go see it. Without money to buy tickets, I would crawl into a dog hole, listening to every word of the characters on stage, memorizing the lines without realizing it. I was taught by teachers, including Ms. Nguyen Thi Ngoc Khanh (owner of the Ngọc Khanh troupe). At that time, I was 28 years old, but my singing voice and gestures were not yet completely “neat”. Ms. Ngoc Khanh guided me to worship the ancestors of the profession, “beat” me with a few symbolic whips, told me to respect the elderly, respect the profession, and was willing to teach colleagues and juniors; wholeheartedly honed me to stick with hát bội…” - Ms. Hien recalled.
Artist Kim Hien loved her profession so much that she devoted herself to it. In the time when technology and information were not yet developed, it was very difficult to have lines for a play. She sat and watched her seniors sing, asking to play the role of a soldier, and wrote down what she heard in her notebook, patching together the lines into complete lines. After writing, she studied and sang until she knew them by heart. If the troupe was short of people that day, she volunteered to perform… Gradually, the profession also loved her, bestowing glory upon her. Her greatest happiness was when the late Professor Dr. Tran Van Khe - a great figure of Vietnamese traditional music - praised and encouraged her with the saying: "Artist Ngoc Khanh has an excellent disciple, artist Kim Hien".
Leaving the stage, she is a family woman, focusing on taking care of her children and doing housework. But in her free time, she misses her job. “In the past, in the second lunar month, we performed 30 shows in a row. After performing at one place, we would go to another place with our faces and makeup intact. Performing at places with martial arts is definitely better, but when we meet temples and pagodas, we only cover them with tarpaulins. When it rains, the whole troupe gathers together to pack up and run. One day, we slept temporarily on the riverbank, the water rose and soaked all our belongings. Although it is hard, there is nothing happier than standing on stage. When I am on stage, I live the life of my character to the fullest. When I am bored at home, I call to ask when there will be a show,” Ms. Hien shared.
Without enough love for the profession, perhaps the hát bội artist cannot overcome the harshness of the profession and the times. Nowadays, the traditional art forms have to give way to young music, the audience market is getting narrower. Many people are fed up and criticize. The number of performances is getting smaller. There are stages to sing, but the audience is getting smaller. Co-stars are gradually disappearing, less than 10 fingers can count.
“I come from a family of traditional artists, so I have been attached to hát bội since I was young. This troupe was established 35 years ago and has served at Bà Temple for 33 years. We live according to the Kỳ Yên festival, which lasts from Tet to the end of the fourth lunar month, returning in the tenth and eleventh lunar months. Most artists have to have a second job to make ends meet when they are not performing. Sometimes they fix tires, work as manicure technicians, etc. But to step on stage, from head to toe, it cannot be less than 20 million VND, including: hats, clothes, cosmetics. The main actress only has a salary of 800,000 VND/show. For each performance, I have to take care of 25 million VND, not to mention the transportation costs for the whole troupe of 30 people,” Ms. Ngọc Khanh calculated.
In the past, adults advised her not to pursue this profession, because “old age leads to old age”, and the career only lasts until 40. But she accepted to pursue it, just because of her passion. Today, when hát bội is gradually coming to an end, her children and grandchildren still step into it. Her granddaughter Vân Anh (20 years old), her grandson Hữu Khang (22 years old) strongly assert themselves on the traditional tuong stage. Seeing this, she also felt somewhat comforted: “Hàt bội is an art form with a strong national identity, it can be proposed to be introduced into schools, to be taught to the younger generation. I also hope that the Central Government will pay attention to promoting and making a dossier to recognize hát bội as an intangible cultural heritage, so that it does not fade away”.
The sky gradually brightened. The play lasted 3-5 hours, the artists sang better and better, the listeners felt more and more deeply. Many middle-aged and elderly women with a lot of experience went to watch the play, carrying nylon tarps spread on the ground as seats for 2-3 people, with a basket next to it containing drinks and food. Mrs. Ba Sat (65 years old, living in Bac Lieu province) arrived at the Lady's temple at 2am, her eyes still following every movement of the characters. "Knowing that I love watching plays, the kids took me to the Lady's temple, taking the opportunity to enjoy it. I have watched every play, sometimes dozens of times, almost wanting to memorize it, but still want to watch more..." - she answered me hurriedly when the play was about to start.
That day, artist Kim Hien played the role of Pang De’s wife in the play “Guan Yu builds a dam to capture Pang De”. She became a woman with a torn heart, determined to stop her husband from going to war, but he still insisted on leaving to repay the “national favor”. Therefore, the wife decided to commit suicide, so that her husband could leave without any worries. The singing and tears blended together in the colorful lights of the stage, sometimes melodious, sometimes brave and courageous…
GIA KHANH
Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/dang-sau-san-khau-hat-boi-a422352.html
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