People's Artist Thu Hien: More than 60 years of "keeping the fire" of Cheo

As one of the two Meritorious Artists of Thai Binh province to be awarded the noble title of People's Artist (NSND) in March 2024, artist Do Thi Thu Hien has devoted herself to the art of Cheo with many famous roles, leaving an impression on the hearts of art lovers. After many years away from the professional stage, now in her seventies, NSND Thu Hien is still tirelessly involved in the mass art movement.

People's Artist Thu Hien still practices singing, dancing, and performing Cheo every day.

Watching the artists of Thai Binh Cheo Theater stage an ancient play, People's Artist Thu Hien recalled the first days of her "fate" and attachment to the profession.

She said that she was born and raised in Phong Chau commune (Dong Hung) - one of the famous Cheo villages of the province, so since she was a child, she had participated in the performances of the Cheo team in the village. Being guided and taught by generations of artisans from Khuoc village in each dance and singing style, after 2 years of practice, as soon as the Thai Binh Cheo Troupe came to recruit, she decided to leave her hometown and stick with the art of Cheo. In the early days of joining the troupe, she was still young, faced many difficulties and confusion, but she also made efforts to mature and "have a profession". Although it was so difficult, there were times when she was lucky enough to be assigned a leading role, but because she was not confident enough, she firmly refused to accept it.

More than 60 years have passed, recalling the memories of the day she "took her first steps" into the troupe, People's Artist Thu Hien still silently thanks the previous generations of artists who have worked hard to guide and "fuel" her passion for art so that she always tries to practice and demonstrate her full potential in the assigned tasks.

People's Artist Thu Hien shared: During my years working on the professional Cheo stage, I practiced and performed hundreds of roles, but looking back, the unforgettable memories are the role of Thi Kinh in the ancient Cheo play "Quan Am Thi Kinh" and the role of Dao in the play "Co gai lang cheo" which won a gold medal at the national festival. These are all female roles in Cheo. Perhaps because of their suitability and certain successes that have left a resonance and mark in the hearts of the public, throughout my years in the profession, I have always taken on the female role, maintaining that image on the Cheo stage.

Having had many opportunities to watch the premiere nights of the art programs of the artists and actors of the Thai Binh Cheo Theater, for People's Artist Thu Hien, it is always a feeling of excitement and emotion. In the deep space of traditional art, the audience seems to cry, laugh together, sympathize with the joys and sorrows on stage, making her remember the days when she and her colleagues in the troupe toured all over the localities, serving the people's need to enjoy Cheo art.

Back then, transportation was not convenient, to get to the performance venue, the artists in the troupe had to pull boats on the river, push carts, and rush to have their meals before the performance to complete the stage and makeup. Each performance usually lasted 2-3 hours, and after the performance, they were both hungry and tired, but the next day, the artists continued to wake up early to practice singing and acting without stopping. The passion for the profession became the driving force for not only People's Artist Thu Hien but also the generation of artists of those years to be determined to stick with the acting profession, with passionate nights on stage amidst the thunderous applause, attentive and eager eyes of the audience...

People's Artist Thu Hien shared: There was a period when the public seemed to no longer be interested in Cheo art. I felt very sorry for the next generation of artists because performing with a small audience was a huge disadvantage for the artist. Currently, the good news is that there are more and more audiences of all ages, not only middle-aged but also teenagers and children who spend time going to Cheo theaters to watch many art programs, plays, and excerpts from ancient Cheo. Sitting next to the children, seeing their eyes watching Cheo performances with great passion, I am happy because young people are gradually returning to traditional theater.

People's Artist Thu Hien practices Cheo dancing with members of Le Quy Don Club.

With a heavy heart for the bright stage nights, People's Artist Thu Hien spends a lot of time sharing her own experiences that she has "synthesized" after decades of persistent dedication to art. According to her, to perform well in a Cheo play, an artist needs to conduct research on the context of the work's creation. In particular, if the role is a historical figure, the actor needs to consult many official sources to understand the background, career and life stories of the character, from which they can "transform" into the most suitable and authentic role. In addition, it is necessary to practice diligently because in addition to the hours of practicing with the whole group on stage, not only she but also other artists always spend a lot of time thinking and worrying about their roles.

“The question is always: how can I perform better? How can I make the audience cry, laugh, rejoice, and be happy with my role? A whole generation of artists at that time lived and devoted themselves to art like that, so the Thai Binh Cheo troupe had many famous years, with many tours to the people not only domestically but also internationally,” said People's Artist Thu Hien.

People's Artist Thu Hien said goodbye to us when her rehearsal time with the art troupe at Le Quy Don Club was about to begin. Now 78 years old, she shared that the art of Cheo has brought her so much, not only the years of enthusiastic dedication on stage, the love and respect of the audience and the honor of the noble title but also health because every time she practices singing, dancing and performing Cheo, the spirit of the artist becomes more excited and fresh./.

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