The fascinating 'Million-Dollar Birthday'

The Youth World Theatre (Ho Chi Minh City) recently premiered the play "Million Dollar Birthday" (written by Huu Tien, directed by Tien Luat), featuring a unique structure and captivating appeal that kept viewers enthralled for nearly two hours.

The story unfolds in a single scene, within a short timeframe, with a limited number of characters. How can it avoid becoming monotonous and boring, when audiences need visual and auditory elements, and the impact of stage effects? "Million Dollar Birthday " achieves this, overcoming obstacles to keep the audience constantly stimulated, curious, amused, suspenseful, startled, and even frustrated… All these emotional nuances are enough to create appeal and success. A seemingly simple scriptwriting and staging technique, yet actually quite challenging.

The story revolves around Minh, who accidentally has his briefcase taken by a gangster. The briefcase he receives contains a massive fortune worth millions of dollars. The money falls on his birthday, at a time when he and his wife are facing financial difficulties, triggering greed. Minh argues that since the other person took it by mistake, he is not at fault. A test ensues, drawing in many people: his wife, friends, the police, a taxi driver, and even the gangsters…

It's truly fascinating, because it's through trials that hidden aspects of a person are revealed. But the script isn't judgmental or tense; instead, it follows a path of joy and tolerance.

With such a script, the veteran cast members like Quang Tuan, Kha Nhu, Thuan Nguyen, Thu Trang, Tien Luat, Tieu Bao Quoc, Huynh Phuong…performed in a charming and captivating way.

Kha Nhu (left) and Quang Tuan in the play "Million Dollar Birthday".

PHOTO: HK

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/hap-dan-sinh-nhat-trieu-do-185251213223458666.htm