The dreams there

With focused eyes and skillful hands and feet, the artists manipulate the intricate system of wires connected to the vehicle, releasing shimmering tangram pieces onto the stage, transporting the audience on a dreamlike journey…

“Come visit us! I believe you’ll love it, and you’ll love the young artists here…” – Nguyen Hoai Thu, General Director of Vega Entertainment International Joint Stock Company (the operator of That Theater), replied when I asked to learn more about the theater.

Don't repeat yourself.

As Nha Trang's newest cultural and artistic landmark, the Theatre also houses a distinct artistic life with young artists persistently pursuing their dreams of preserving and innovating local cultural values. The basement area is divided into many functional rooms and bears a strong personal touch with props and puppets decorated and arranged along the corridors.

This place serves as both a specialized training ground and a prop workshop, as well as a common room. “The theater feels like a true ‘home’ for the artists, creating a close-knit space where each individual can be nurtured, developed, and feel connected for the long term. We don’t think of it as work, but rather as play; we could spend all day here without getting bored because we create together, and every day is something new,” shared dancer Van Thi Ngoc Huyen.

Perhaps few theaters have a daily rehearsal schedule for their cast, even though the play has been performed regularly for two years. The artists' schedule begins in the morning with warm-up and rehearsals in the basement. In the early afternoon, they rehearse the entire program on stage; refining, researching, and adding new details for the official performance in the evening. They want their play to always be "alive" so that they themselves can live with their passion. They don't repeat themselves. Therefore, audiences watching today may return after some time to find the play very different, even if the script remains the same.

z6726429573343-90c7c97aac7952b9ab615918b21ab163-4478.jpg — The cast and crew of "Puppet Show" pose for a commemorative photo with the audience after the performance. (Photo: MY HA)

Explaining this, Ms. Nguyen Hoai Thu said: “The key element that is invested in to maintain the creative vitality of the show is its live performance. Artists and audiences interact in real time and space. The stories told in the show are distilled by the actors themselves from their culture and lives, so they are constantly changing.” Most of the artists at the theater are young, under 40 years old.

While the theater was built with the clear purpose of providing an optimal stage for puppetry, the cast remains an intriguing mystery. Along with a few artists trained at professional art schools, the majority come from indigenous ethnic groups such as the Cham, Ra Glai, Ede, and Co Ho. This gives the theater its unique character, but also presents numerous challenges. The first major difficulty is the transmission and training of specialized performance techniques, such as the technique of controlling a bicycle connected to tangram puppets – a unique form of puppetry requiring seamless coordination of physical strength, emotion, and creativity.

This technique is almost unique to the Dream Puppet theater, so it cannot be learned from any pre-existing model; it requires systematic and persistent training. “However, the greatest advantage is the strong learning spirit and adaptability of the young actors. Although not formally trained from the beginning, their resilience, flexibility, and good body language skills from traditional culture are invaluable. Their innocence, simplicity, and inner strength contribute to the unique spirit and vibrant energy of Dream Puppet theater,” said Ms. Ngo Thanh Phuong, Artistic Director of the theater.

Puppet artist Ho Minh Tri is from Khanh Hoa province and studied at the Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre in Hanoi. When he decided to return to his hometown to contribute, Tri was attracted by the creative direction and artistic approach of the theatre. “I had to get used to new ways of thinking, new ways of expression, and even re-evaluating my own abilities. However, it was precisely this challenge that I found enjoyable, because each performance was a journey of discovery , not only about art but also about my own limits. I learned to be more open-minded, to dare to experiment, and to break free from familiar paths,” Tri shared.

Magical dreams

Infusing a modern "breath" into traditional local cultural heritage values, breaking free from ingrained patterns, is also how the play "Pòi Mơ" (Dream Puppetry) captivates audiences. The idea for the play originated from director Nguyen Nhat Ly, an expert who has participated in staging many unique artistic performances about Vietnamese culture. With "Pòi Mơ," the team creates a continuous and subtle transition between different performance languages. The play is not fixed to a single puppet form, but rather a flexible interplay between water puppetry, string puppetry, cartoon puppetry, shadow puppetry, tangram puppetry, contemporary dance, and more.

This combination not only enriches the expressive language but also opens up multiple layers of emotion. One of the decisive factors in achieving the desired artistic effect is the uniquely designed stage of the Theatre, featuring multiple spaces: water, air, land, and projection screens. “The constant change in performance language is essential to match the emotional rhythm, the abstract content, and the ever-evolving nature of the play. It is this freedom of perception that 'Dream Puppetry' aims for – like an open dream, full of color and emotion, allowing each person to reflect and connect in their own way,” emphasized Ms. Ngo Thanh Phuong.

Watching "Dream Puppetry," the audience feels transported through magical dreams, with pristine colors and music that is sometimes melodious and gentle, and at other times fast-paced and vibrant. The performance is completely wordless; the artists make optimal use of traditional musical instruments and cultural elements. From the hauntingly beautiful Co Ho folk songs echoing from the mountains; the mysterious and profound sounds of the goong, klong-put, and gongs; the clear and resonant sound of the zither; the sounds of nature and animals; the brocade costumes; the purely Vietnamese props… all are pristine yet captivating, expressing a unique spirit and powerful vitality.

“This is truly a one-of-a-kind performance. I’ve never seen anything like it. We were very impressed with the seamless coordination of the entire troupe. Even though we knew it was a puppet show, the atmosphere of the performance completely immersed us, as if we were transported to a completely different dimension,” said Cathrine Mozz, a foreign tourist. With "Dream Puppetry," each artist is encouraged by the team to incorporate cultural details from their own ethnic group into the performance. As a Cham ethnic woman, Van Thi Ngoc Huyen gave an impressive solo performance with a dance combining bamboo puppets in the shape of snakes underwater, inspired by the legend of the Naga serpent god.

"The feeling of seeing my national culture showcased on a big stage and embraced by the audience is incredibly proud and moving. It's not just a personal joy, but also a motivation for me to continue preserving, developing, and showcasing traditional cultural values in a more vibrant and contemporary way," Huyen shared.

Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Khanh Hoa province, Le Van Hoa, affirmed: “It is highly commendable and encouraging to see such modern artistic approaches that still exploit and promote local culture to the fullest. This is also a practical action in line with the spirit of Resolution 34-NQ/TU dated December 22, 2023, of the Provincial Party Committee on promoting cultural heritage values associated with sustainable tourism development in Khanh Hoa province until 2025, with a vision to 2030.”

DINH VU PHUONG

Source: https://nhandan.vn/nhung-giac-mo-o-do-post888518.html