Crying along with 'Bitter Gourd Soup'

Having performed in cafes for 15 years, "pregnant" Hong Trang has always produced serious plays, and "Bitter Vegetable Soup" (written and directed by Lam Thang and Hong Trang), which recently premiered, is one such play.

Two hours of performance, equivalent to a large-scale stage production, the actors genuinely moved the audience to tears and laughter. The play transcended the small space of the stage, surpassing the scale one might imagine for a café theater performance. The structure was tight, the technique impeccable, thanks to the actors being graduates of theater schools, and the language was simple yet captivating, winning over both the hearts and minds of the viewers.

Hong Trang and Lam Thang in the play "Bitter Vegetable Soup".

Photo: HK

Inspired by the song "Still Loving the Bitter Herbs Growing Behind the House" by the late musician Bac Son, the two authors wrote a truly touching story. Two sisters in a village in the Southwestern Mekong Delta region lacked a mother's warmth from a young age. This explains why the younger sister clings to her older sister, while the older sister becomes the "mother" in the family, accepting sacrifices for her father and sister, and even for the man she loves. Therefore, we see scenes of the older sister plucking gray hairs from her sister's head, raising her own children alone, and staying behind to guard the ancestral graves so her sister can soar high and far...

The play's ending was very skillfully crafted, leaving the audience in tears. Furthermore, the Southern dialect was portrayed charmingly, as if the artist were preserving beautiful memories for the South. Bac Son's songs served as a backdrop, allowing the audience to feel the poignant and sincere affection of the people of the South throughout the performance.

The four actors—Vo Ngoc Tien, Hong Trang, Lam Thang, and Hong Dao—played seven characters, demonstrating versatility and true skill. It is known that this play was commissioned by several universities for their students to watch. "Bitter Herb Soup" is a significant effort by the Life Drama Group in Ho Chi Minh City.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/khoc-cung-rau-dang-nau-canh-185250930204037511.htm