Thuy Dinh stage still attracts many young souls every night. Behind the bamboo curtain, a man always silently cherishes and controls the puppets. That is director Tran Duoc, who has devoted his whole life to the art of water puppetry.
Quiet dedication
The water puppet show "Before the Waves" - the first work to exploit the theme of the sea and islands staged by Tran Duoc - has created a buzz in the life of the puppetry stage in Ho Chi Minh City.
"Before the Waves" is like an epic about patriotism, about the will to protect the homeland's sea and islands through the language of water puppetry, a folk art form that seems strange to city children.
Director Tran Duoc
For the first time enjoying the theme of islands and seas expressed through water puppetry in Ho Chi Minh City, the audience was surprised and delighted when the images of boats, island soldiers, seagulls, waves... were vividly portrayed on the water surface right in the heart of the city.
Not only "Before the Wave", director Tran Duoc also made his mark with the play "The Legend of Yet Kieu" (author: Journalist Thanh Hiep).
The water puppet plays “Before the Waves” (pictured above) and “The Legend of Yet Kieu” are causing a “fever” on the puppetry stage.
People's Artist Tran Minh Ngoc commented: "In a city without a traditional puppet village, without natural rivers and lakes, water puppetry seems to have no place to perform. Yet for over 30 years, director Tran Duoc has quietly paved the way for a new flow, bringing water puppetry to serve children in Ho Chi Minh City."
Tran Duoc always has a long-term strategy in mind for children's water puppetry: "I hope to create a permanent water puppet performance space for children in Ho Chi Minh City, where there will be performances every week, puppet making classes, folk storytelling activities..."
Not only stopping at performing, Tran Duoc is nurturing many interactive stage production projects, where children not only watch but also participate in making puppets, touching puppets, and acting with puppets, so that the connection between tradition and the young generation is re-established in the most natural way.
Persistent with passion
When he was a student at the Hanoi Academy of Theatre and Cinema, Tran Duoc was a promising name in the MC profession. At that time, he was the main MC for most of the big restaurants in the capital, then got involved in commercials and became the representative face for dozens of big brands on national television. From Vietnam Airlines to Knorr, Yamaha, Castrol, Viettel..., Tran Duoc's image crept into every kitchen, living room, billboard - becoming a "national father", "model businessman" on the small screen, something that many A-list stars also dream of.
Behind that halo, Tran Duoc is still faithful to his love for the stage, especially water puppetry. He once intended to stop because it was too hard, because "performing without anyone seeing his face", because "his hands were blistered, the water was up to his chest and he was cold to the bone". But then, it was the encouragement of his teacher, People's Artist Nguyen Hoang Tuan, that kept Tran Duoc going. And from then on, he delved deeper into the world of art.
From Thang Long Puppetry Theatre to Phuong Nam Arts Theatre in Ho Chi Minh City, Tran Duoc continued his journey as an unpretentious artist. He staged many works, bringing the art of water puppetry to children in a dazzling way.
"I want city children to be exposed to traditional cultural values in the most familiar and understandable way. And water puppetry is the language I choose to fulfill that wish" - Tran Duoc confided.
For over three decades, director Tran Duoc has remained steadfast in his passion for water puppetry, diving into the cold water to tell stories to children in the language of puppets. He also tinkers with each puppet and designs the sound for the show. For him, water puppetry is not simply a profession, but a mission.
Director Ton That Can acknowledged: "Tran Duoc's love for his profession is very admirable. He is the one who sows the seeds of Vietnamese folk memories into his plays. In a trend filled with digital images and trendy visual playgrounds, there is an artist who still quietly "swims upstream" and is still attached to puppetry. Truly admirable!"
Coming to Ho Chi Minh City alone to start a career, Tran Duoc had to work as an extra and eat out to support his dream of staging water puppet shows. He is very passionate about spreading folk memories and bringing Vietnamese soul into the dreams of the younger generation. He believes that the greatest reward and happiest thing for him is to hear the clear laughter of young audiences when watching the water puppet shows he staged.
Source: https://nld.com.vn/dao-dien-tran-duoc-nguoi-boi-nguoc-dong-196250531203320678.htm
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