Keeping the flame alive for traditional theater.

With the desire to actively contribute to the early recognition of Cheo (traditional Vietnamese opera) as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity, alongside the vibrant activities of amateur art clubs in the province, the artists and actors of Thai Binh Cheo Theatre are also striving every day to keep the "flame" of the stage alive and preserve the "soul" of traditional art in the face of competition from modern forms of entertainment.

The traditional Vietnamese opera "Legend of the Jade Couple" is performed by a group of artists from Đoàn 2, Chèo Theatre.

Traditional Vietnamese opera (Chèo) reflects the spirit of contemporary life.

On the evening of September 18th, a large audience of art lovers gathered at the Thai Binh Traditional Opera Theater to watch the performance of a modern-themed traditional opera titled "The Pain of a Mother's Love," presented by the artistic council. The story tells of a mother who dedicated her life to raising her three children. However, as she grew old and frail, her children, driven by petty selfishness, forgot their filial piety, shirking their responsibility to care for and support her. Humiliated by her inability to live with her children, the mother resorted to begging for a living, eventually being taken in and sheltered by a young street singer. While she was alive, the children squabbled over her well-being, failing to fulfill their filial duties. Yet, on the anniversary of her death, they held lavish memorial services, inviting numerous relatives to feast and drink excessively, without a second thought about searching for their mother. The mother returns home to her eldest son that day disguised as a street singer earning a living, singing songs about maternal love. From here, the play unfolds with many unexpected and captivating plot twists, engaging the audience while reminding everyone to always be filial and respectful to their parents, to be grateful for their roots, thereby forming the standards and values of a happy family and contributing to building a humane society.

Watching the traditional Vietnamese opera "The Pain of a Mother's Love" intently from the audience seats, People's Artist Van Mon, now over 80 years old, was still deeply moved. He believes that the love and passion of today's generation of artists and actors will contribute to preserving traditional art.

People's Artist Văn Mởn stated: "It can be said that Thái Bình has the strongest number of actors and musicians since 1959, with many beautiful voices, showing that the theater has made great efforts. However, currently, due to the influence of many other art forms, Chèo is facing difficulties. This is the time when professional Chèo artists must make great efforts, especially now that we urgently need modern plays that reflect the feelings of people. We must have plays that reflect modern life today, where material things are improving but human relationships are showing signs of decline, to sound the alarm about the need to preserve morality and human compassion."

The traditional Vietnamese opera "The Pain of a Mother's Love" features many scenes that deeply move the audience.

Spreading the love for traditional art.

People's Artist Van Mon's concerns about the difficulties facing traditional theater in the current period are also shared by many artists and actors of the Thai Binh Cheo Theater. Alongside the restoration of classic Cheo plays to preserve traditional values and pass on skills to young actors, there is also the launch of new plays to meet audience demands. People's Artist Vu Ngoc Cai, Director of the Thai Binh Cheo Theater, said that in this period, traditional theater must operate more professionally in every aspect, from selecting themes and developing scripts to staging, acting, stage design, sound, and lighting... all require in-depth, groundbreaking investment while still preserving the "essence" of the nation's traditional art.

Compared to the period before the Covid-19 pandemic, traditional theater is facing many difficulties, especially with a significantly reduced number of performances. However, artists are still striving to maintain the direction of preserving and promoting the art form by persistently training and developing the next generation of actors, actively improving the quality of art, and meeting the information needs and aesthetic tastes of the audience.

Meritorious Artist Tran Anh Dien, Head of Group 2, Thai Binh Cheo Theater, shared: "Actually, in the most difficult times, we must cherish the Cheo singing of Thai Binh province even more, especially since Thai Binh has its own unique style of Cheo singing. Serving the people, serving the audience is the greatest happiness for an artist."

Alongside the efforts of the performing arts organizations, it is hoped that in order to preserve and promote traditional art, performing arts troupes will hold more regular performances, not only within theater grounds or at festivals, but also in central areas, attracting the attention of the public. More frequent performances will also make artists more passionate and dedicated to their profession, while giving the public, especially young people today, more opportunities to access and appreciate traditional art.