A scene from the play "Living Together" by Thien Dang Theatre.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the Ho Chi Minh City Drama Theatre at the Workers' Theatre after a 7-year hiatus for renovations, People's Artist Nguyen Thi Thanh Thuy, Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Culture and Sports , expressed her appreciation for the efforts of the artists, actors, and creative team who have contributed to the formation of a new theatrical institution for the city. "The official opening of the Ho Chi Minh City Drama Theatre is of great significance in the process of building and developing the city's cultural institutions. This will be a professional creative space, a gathering place for talented artists, contributing to the creation of works with ideological and artistic value, serving the increasingly sophisticated tastes of the public," emphasized People's Artist Nguyen Thi Thanh Thuy.
People's Artist Nguyen Thi Thanh Thuy – Deputy Director of the Department of Culture and Sports of Ho Chi Minh City – expressed her appreciation for the efforts of the collective of artists, actors and creative team of the Ho Chi Minh City Theater on the evening of the first day of the Lunar New Year of the Horse.
She also expressed her confidence in the unit's artists in the new phase: "We expect the Theater to become a prestigious cultural hub, making a positive contribution to Ho Chi Minh City's cultural industry development strategy in the coming time. We wish the Ho Chi Minh City Drama Theater effective operation and sustainable development; and we wish the artists to always maintain their passion for creativity, continue to contribute valuable works, and contribute to building a rich cultural and spiritual life for the people of the city."
The spirit of "galloping forward" doesn't lie in haste, but rather in the lengthy preparation process, from scriptwriting and directing style to building a unique aesthetic brand. Therefore, the city's fashion scene enters the new year with a vibrant energy, ready to conquer audiences with meticulously crafted artistic values.
When each stage establishes its own creative "racetrack"
The stage landscape of Ho Chi Minh City at the beginning of the Year of the Horse 2026 shows synchronized movement, in which each unit chooses a clear direction, creating its own identity and contributing to the formation of a diverse performing arts ecosystem.
Thien Dang Theatre, with the distinctive touch of artist Thanh Loc, continues to affirm its sophisticated staging style, focusing on acting and the psychological depth of the characters, despite having only been in operation for just over two years.
The performances are structured as condensed artistic spaces, where light, rhythm, and the actors' expressions blend into a highly aesthetic whole.
Fans of Meritorious Artists Thanh Loc and Huu Chau flock to this stage because both rarely participate in events, game shows, or reality TV. They even refuse to create their own YouTube channel and content.
That is what has contributed to building the brand of Thien Dang stage.
Large audiences flocked to watch and cheer on the new plays at Thien Dang Stage during the Lunar New Year 2026 performance season - a scene from the play "The Man Who Goes Against the Current".
Hong Van Theatre maintains its position with satirical comedy plays, reflecting life's paradoxes with sharp humor.
The advantage in this stage's rapid growth lies in its training. Through nearly 30 training courses throughout its formation, Hong Van Theatre has made a significant contribution to the human resources of the city's theatre scene. Her students have become successful and returned to contribute to promoting the theatre brand at the City Student Cultural Center.
Director Viet Linh's Hong Hac Theatre continues to be true to its style rich in cinematic and literary elements. Each performance is like a "living frame," where light, space, and movement are handled with modern visual language, creating a cinematic viewing experience on stage.
In 2026, she also plans to bring the trend of spoken drama to audiences in cafes and venues with warm spaces where audiences can listen to plays read aloud, complete with sound effects.
A scene from the play "If You Were Still Alive" by Hong Hac Theatre.
Hoang Thai Thanh Theatre remains committed to family and social drama. Everyday stories are explored with human depth, highlighting internal conflicts and the evolving moral values in urban society.
On the evening of the second day of Tet, the play "29 Anh Ve" (29 Brothers Return), featuring Meritorious Artist Phuong Hong Thuy, was warmly applauded by the audience. Meanwhile, on the night of the first day of Tet, this theater celebrated its 16th anniversary in the joy of all the artists who contributed to the dazzling "dragonfly wings" (the logo symbol of Hoang Thai Thanh - PV).
Aiming for stylistic diversification.
Furthermore, the Saigon Flat – Youth World stage focuses on the plight of young people, reflecting their aspirations, anxieties, and choices in a rapidly changing social context. This is a flow that reflects contemporary life with deep empathy for the new generation.
The Ho Chi Minh City Small Stage Theatre continues its role as a testing ground for new staging forms. The plays are experimental, exploring modern theatrical structures and addressing issues of contemporary public interest.
The Truong Hung Minh Art Theatre, led by Meritorious Artist Minh Nhi and Artist Viet Huong, chooses a direction that combines folk comedy with mystical elements, even adapting classic works, creating an intersection between tradition and contemporary theatrical sensibility.
A scene from the play "Hang's Daughter" by Truong Hung Minh Art Theatre.
Meanwhile, the theater group Xóm Kịch (Theater Village) of Meritorious Artist Vũ Xuân Trang and Artist Hoàng Thy has become a meeting place for young actors trained by the couple.
Performances with rather edgy and powerful themes such as "Huyen" and "Apartment No. 13" made a very impressive debut to the audience at the experimental stage of the Ho Chi Minh City Dance School, creating a dynamic creative environment and helping the new generation affirm their ability to embody characters and their professional skills.
On a moderate scale, Team Huong Saigon has developed a café theater model at the stage on the first floor of 5B Vo Van Tan Street, Xuan Hoa Ward, Ho Chi Minh City, featuring short, relatable love stories that suit the rhythm of modern urban life.
The New Stage, where Meritorious Artist Hoai Linh is based at Khang Film Studio (5B Pham Ngu Lao Street, Hanh Thong Ward, Ho Chi Minh City), explores comedic portrayals of everyday life, reflecting the fate of working people through storytelling rich in humanistic values.
A scene from the play "The Village of Thieves" by the IDECAF Theatre.
In particular, the two theaters owned by impresario Huynh Anh Tuan – the Youth Theater and IDECAF – continue to affirm their appeal with themes relevant to youth, history, and social satire, creating works with high topical relevance.
The play "Miss Island" by the Youth Theatre was awarded the Mai Vàng Prize in the category of Most Popular Play of 2025, which is a positive sign for this theatre as it has chosen a theme that young audiences love and are interested in.
"Galloping" from a well-prepared foundation.
According to People's Artist Tran Minh Ngoc, the strong movement of the theater today is the result of a long process of accumulation: "The 'galloping' spirit of the theater is not about chasing quantity but about maturity in staging thinking."
"This year's Tet performance season has seen theaters meticulously prepare, from scripts to performance styles, creating works with depth," commented Meritorious Artist Ca Le Hong, speaking about the diversity of styles that has broadened the audience's reach.
According to her, each stage today is like a unique aesthetic brand. Audiences can choose according to their taste, from comedy and social drama to experimental theater.
A scene from the play "A Relatively Confused Encounter" by Hong Van Theatre.
People's Artist Hong Van believes that establishing a unique identity is crucial for survival: "For a theater to survive, it must create its own distinctive mark. When audiences remember a style, they will return; that is the most sustainable foundation."
Meritorious Artist Minh Nhi sees the return of the audience as a positive sign: "Audiences are returning to the stage because they find stories that are close to their lives. That motivates artists to continue creating."
The new face of the stage in the flow of the cultural industry.
Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Thi Minh Thai believes that the theater scene in Ho Chi Minh City is entering a restructuring phase: "The diversity of styles is a sign of a mature theater scene. This is the foundation for theater to participate in the value chain of the cultural industry."
Associate Professor Tran Yen Chi emphasized the role of socialized theaters: "Socialized theaters have demonstrated strong creative capacity. They are flexible in organization, sensitive to audience tastes, and contribute to creating new vitality for the theater."
A scene from the play "29 Brothers Return" by Hoang Thai Thanh Theatre, performed on the evening of the 2nd day of the Lunar New Year (Year of the Horse).
The "galloping" spirit of the Year of the Horse therefore doesn't simply mean speed. It represents a transforming theatrical landscape, with artists, directors, and investors all striving towards a common goal: creating works of artistic value and the ability to captivate the public.
Ho Chi Minh City's stage enters the new year with renewed confidence. Each emerging style marks a milestone. In the galloping pace of the Year of the Horse, the stage is asserting its position as a vital element in urban cultural life, contributing to shaping the future of Vietnam's cultural industry.
The Ho Chi Minh City Drama Theatre marked a strong comeback with two works, "Ma Dao Khai Xuan" and "Ra Gieng Anh Cuoi Em," which closely reflect social life and attracted a large audience.
Source: https://nld.com.vn/nam-ngo-san-dien-phi-nuoc-dai-196260219060118748.htm
Comment (0)