Artists Quang Thảo and Hồng Ánh: We need to keep the fire burning in our hearts.

The play "Under the Shadow of a Beautiful Woman," written and directed by Quang Thảo, has garnered significant acclaim and is a great source of joy for the theater scene during these challenging times.

Quang Thảo is also a familiar face on both the stage and in television, beloved by audiences. He is also well-liked by his colleagues for his gentle and considerate nature. Meanwhile, the beautiful actress Hồng Ánh is a talented artist in both film and television, as well as in stage plays. Her portrayal of Thúy Kiều earned her the admiration of audiences for both her talent and strength.

Thanh Nien newspaper had an interesting conversation with Quang Thao and Hong Anh.

What is the reason he doesn't hesitate to "touch" a classic work like The Tale of Kieu? Because there will be many eyes scrutinizing every detail…

"From the producers to the artists, everyone thinks that even if it costs money, they'll still do it, considering it a way to repay the ancestors of the profession and to thank the audience who have supported other programs...", director Quang Thảo said.

UK: NSCC

Director Quang Thảo: I spent five years writing this script, revising it many times. During the Covid-19 pandemic, I had to stay home frequently because theaters were restricted, and suddenly I thought of The Tale of Kiều. I then reviewed works about Kiều, from poetry and cải lương (Vietnamese traditional opera) to plays… and finally I chose the path of "inspired interpretation." Because if I interpret it, I will have the opportunity to explain and express my thoughts on the details and characters in Kiều, which will, of course, be completely different from the original and previous versions. A great work always suggests many paths of interpretation, and as the times change, our interpretations will differ slightly. I think I can share that with today's audience.

Yes, that's how we get what's called "derivative works," and the creator or the viewer "has the right" to do so. But aren't there still certain difficulties when bringing them to the stage?

The first difficulty was that impresario Huynh Anh Tuan refused to invest. He said, "Thao, why do you have to do Kieu? I'm tired of being scrutinized. I'm willing to invest in a different work for you." But I persistently persuaded him for a year, and finally, Mr. Tuan agreed. Honestly, if IDECAF hadn't invested, I don't know where I would have staged it, because these days, few people are willing to invest such a large and serious amount of capital in a play like that. I am still grateful to IDECAF for their dedication and support, especially impresario Huynh Anh Tuan for fulfilling all my requests when staging the play, sparing no expense.

Honestly, investing billions of dong to stage a play, plus another 200 million dong for each performance at the Ben Thanh Theater (Ho Chi Minh City), makes it very easy to lose money. At best, we might break even (because the average ticket price is only 350,000 dong), but investing billions of dong... forget it. But from the producer to the artists, everyone thinks, "Even if it's a loss, we'll still do it." It's a way of repaying our debt to the profession and thanking the audience for supporting other programs. It also keeps our passion alive, making us feel incredibly inspired and excited. We still have to make a living, but we occasionally need works like this to balance things out.

Dinh Toan (left) plays Ho Ton Hien, Dai Nghia plays Tu Hai

PHOTO: HK

But the audience still found the play to have a balance between artistic merit and entertainment value; it's not a niche genre...

My approach was to make the play serious yet easy to watch. However, the basic costs, from renting a large theater to everything else, were already quite high, and plays couldn't have overly expensive tickets, nor could we rent a smaller theater for such a grand production. So, we had to accept it, as long as we and the audience enjoyed it.

It seems that in this play, the focus isn't solely on Kieu, but that he's also given screen time to many other characters, including minor characters like Hoan Thu, Tu Ba, and Ho Ton Hien, all of whom have more fully developed feelings, fates, psychology, and personalities.

I want a collective that shines together, because we all share the same fate as women. Regarding Ho Ton Hien, I portray him as an educated politician , skilled in music, not some uneducated, brute. And from a political standpoint, he wasn't wrong; it's impossible to have two kings in one territory, one of whom is also a bandit, so naturally, Tu Hai had to be eliminated. I'm not defending Ho Ton Hien; I'm simply clarifying things from an objective perspective.

On stage, we artists also want to shine together, not compete with each other. We want to prioritize the common good of the stage over our own egos. Of course, in a play there are main roles and supporting roles, but if we perform with heart and soul, united as one, it will be very different.

You once mentioned director and Meritorious Artist Hoa Ha; how have you been influenced by her?

I sincerely consider director Hoa Ha my "mentor." Because I've seen so many plays she directed (for example, "Who Killed Kieu?", "The Swan's Dress," "Nang Xe Da," "Le Van Duyet," "Passion and Power ," etc.), I've learned many valuable things from her. For instance, her quick and concise editing, fast and modern rhythm and tempo, and her ability to provide the audience with visual enjoyment first and foremost—meaning to satisfy their entertainment needs. Hoa Ha is one of the few directors who specializes in staging grand and highly successful plays.

Thank you!

And may I ask actress Hong Anh, I heard you coughed up blood during rehearsal, soaking a whole roll of tissues, causing panic among your friends and colleagues?

Actress Hong Anh: Yes, when I was only halfway through rehearsals, I got sick like that. I went to the doctor and found out I had a thyroid problem and acid reflux. The doctor told me not to speak loudly, not to get stressed, not to cry or laugh too much, and not to stay up late… Oh my God, my acting career has all those problems. Well, I just took the medicine and continued working, and luckily, things are okay now.

Hong Anh (left) plays Thuy Kieu, My Duyen plays Dam Tien.

PHOTO: HK

Out of 14 scenes, Hong Anh had to appear in 11, including a scene where she played the drums with her bare hands, leaving her bruised all over. Her role was truly demanding; she didn't seem delicate or fragile like Kieu at all...

I accidentally hit the edge of the drum and got a bruise like that; I'll be more careful next time. But I prefer strong characters, not weak ones. I have dark skin, I've studied martial arts, and I have a masculine personality. Asking me to walk slowly and delicately is pure torture. So I portrayed Kieu differently from before; she knew how to struggle, but to save her family, the brothel, and even the madam, she sacrificed herself. And in that sacrifice, there was still a touch of defiance and an understanding of the purpose of her actions. I think director Quang Thao also saw the underlying strength in me, which is why he accepted my portrayal of Kieu in that way.

She turned down 3-4 film and television projects to choose to play Thuy Kieu, and everyone knows how big the difference in pay is between film and stage acting, so it must have been a sacrifice, right?

The word "sacrifice" sounds too grand. I simply thought, it's been a long time since I've had such a great stage script, I shouldn't miss this opportunity. As for films, there are more, we'll encounter them again later. In this profession, you need moments of exhilaration and joy to keep the fire burning in your heart. If it were another artist, they would probably have made the same choice as me.

Thank you!

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/nghe-si-quang-thao-va-hong-anh-can-nuoi-lua-trong-tim-185241118115729564.htm