The Epic of Patriotism: Virgin Flowers in Bombs and Bullets

'The Virgin Petals', a play directed by Meritorious Artist Hanh Thuy, based on the script by Le Chi Trung and Ta Tuan Minh, appeared at the 2024 Ho Chi Minh City Drama Festival as a breath of fresh air.

Carrying youthful vitality, the play left an extremely beautiful impression on the audience, and it can be said that this was the play that received the most applause throughout the festival.

The play opens with the image of ten small graves lying quietly on the stage, evoking the quiet atmosphere of the past war. But then, from those graves, ten young girls appear, in pure white ao dai, white flowers in their hair, smiles as clear as the first petals of the season. They are ten air defense militia at the Lam Ha artillery site, Ha Nam , who sacrificed their lives during the years of war. The story does not stop at heroism, but also tells about their youth, the beautiful, simple and "life" days of youth.

An Tran Thanh Vy (left - role of Ngo Thi Ho) and Bich Chau (role of Nguyen Thi Thi) made a strong impression in the play Nhung canh hoa trinh trang.

PHOTO: HK

The girls aged 16-24 appear in very real moments: sometimes angry with their mother because she was scolded, sometimes lying on the porch listening to her lullaby, sometimes teasing the soldiers or competing to read unsent love letters. They are innocent, naive, never having tasted the sweetness of love. It is these everyday details that highlight the fragile beauty of youth, a youth that has not yet lived a full life but has to stop between life and death. When the bombs sound, when the girls fall, the image of small graves returns, the audience cannot help but be moved. That is the pain of youth forever trapped in the years of war, a reminder of the value of peace today.

Full of youth

Meritorious Artist Hanh Thuy, despite having established a position in the theater industry, still carries within her a youthful, creative spirit. She is not only a director but also a teacher who guides her students, who are still very new to the profession, through each step of staging the play. Most of the cast are young people, such as An Tran Thanh Vy, Bich Chau, Nguyen Hong Van, Phung Nguyen Huyen Tran, La Bao Duy... They step onto the stage with innocence and passion, turning Nhung canh hoa trinh trang into a picture that is both fierce and gentle.

Meritorious Artist Hanh Thuy plays the mother, Huyen Tran plays the daughter preparing to go to war

PHOTO: HK

The young actors, not yet constrained by technique, are the highlight of the play. They do not act with skillful moves, but with real emotions, with the innocence of their twenties. An Tran Thanh Vy brings a character Ngo Thi Ho who is tough and strong like a boy, but deep down has a heart that loves her teammates. Bich Chau, with the role of Thi, 16 years old, is playful and lovely, like a flower that has not yet bloomed and has already fallen. It is their youth that highlights the youth of the characters, creating a natural harmony, without forcing.

The roles of the two mothers, played by Meritorious Artist Hanh Thuy and Le Be La, also contribute to the completeness of the play. They do not try to make the audience laugh, but their wit and liveliness in acting bring moments of lightness amidst the tragedy. That sincerity makes the characters come alive, close, as if coming from real life. The youth of the actors blends with the youth of the characters, creating a natural harmony, making the audience easily moved by the emotions they convey.

Creation from hardship

The white petals were created from the lack of funds and the resourceful efforts of Hanh Thuy and her students. Costumes had to be borrowed, props were homemade, and the rehearsal floor was sometimes just a small, crowded corner. But from those limitations, a magnificent and vivid Lam Ha artillery battle appeared on stage. Bombs fell, smoke and fire, gunshots rang out, all were staged with astonishing ingenuity, leaving the audience in awe. Meritorious Artist Hanh Thuy, with her talent, turned difficulties into opportunities, using light and arrangement to create a space of war that was both brutal and poetic.

Even more touching is the spirit of the cast. None of them accepted a salary, they acted with love for art and respect for those who sacrificed. That dedication was evident in every look, every gesture. When Thanh Vy screamed in the battle scene, it was a scream from the heart. When Bich Chau fell, her clear eyes seemed to pull the audience into the wordless pain.

The curtain closed, the audience still lingered, some even wished to see the play again. It was the greatest success of the crew, a living proof that young people can create miracles. The play is a song of youth - the youth of the female militia who sacrificed, the youth of the enthusiastic cast, and the youth of the audience when they were still moved by noble values. (to be continued)

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/khuc-trang-ca-cua-long-yeu-nuoc-nhung-canh-hoa-trinh-trang-trong-bom-dan-185250430215106373.htm