Behind the success of an art performance and cultural and artistic programs serving the people, there is always the tireless, silent contribution of a team of sound and lighting technicians, costume staff, scriptwriters, directors, etc. Although the work is quiet and hard, they are always passionate and enthusiastic about their profession.
The sound and lighting technicians of the Provincial Arts Theater always strive to provide the best service for the performances. Photo: Kim Ly
Going to work early, coming home late, and frequently working outdoors at high intensity are daily routines for the logistics staff, employees, and technicians of the Provincial Arts Theater. Currently, the staff, technicians, and employees in charge of tasks including sound and lighting arrangement, costume preparation, script development, choreography, performance organization, stage design, etc. of the theater consist of 19 people.
These seem to be simple tasks, however, in reality, to complete the task well is not easy because it requires the person in charge to have both an understanding of art and be delicate and sensitive in handling situations to help the artist's performances be successful.
Having worked at the Provincial Art Theater for 18 years, including more than 10 years in charge of costumes for actors performing modern music and dance performances, Ms. Ban Thi Nga, an officer of the Administrative - General Department, Provincial Art Theater, is considered by her colleagues to be experienced and creative in her work.
Ms. Nga said: “The types of costumes and performance accessories in the theater’s costume warehouse are very diverse and rich in types and designs. For large-scale art programs or major political events of the province, I often have to prepare more than 100 costumes for a program.
This job requires me to always arrange the costumes neatly, tidily, easy to find, remember each costume, which type of accessory is coordinated with specific performances according to the director's requirements. At the same time, it requires creativity, ingenuity, and high aesthetics to bring beautiful images, in accordance with traditional customs, and in accordance with the content of the artistic performance.
Ms. Ban Thi Nga, an officer of the Provincial Art Theater, regularly assists actors in choosing and preparing costumes before performances. Photo: Kim Ly
Mr. Do Quoc Hoan, an officer of the Technical Department of the Provincial Art Theater, always compares his job to “taking care of a baby” because he has to cherish, preserve, and carefully maintain equipment while also spending a lot of time on work. Because Mr. Hoan and his wife both work at the Provincial Art Theater and often have to serve performances that end late at night, they often have to bring their young child to work.
Mr. Hoan shared: “The logistics work behind the stage lights seems simple but is also very elaborate. To effectively operate the lighting system for performances, technicians must be knowledgeable about power sources, have artistic talent, understand the author's intentions to arrange them harmoniously and create different light backgrounds.
The sound and lighting equipment used for a show is often very bulky and heavy, so technicians have to carry it with great difficulty. As a result, many people who have been in the profession for a long time suffer from bone and joint diseases.
Originally a teacher working at Yen Phuong Kindergarten, Yen Phuong commune, Yen Lac district, however, in addition to taking care of and raising children, Ms. Nguyen Thi Phuong was also trusted by the Yen Lac District Culture - Information - Sports Center and the leaders of Yen Phuong commune to develop scripts for many cultural and artistic programs to serve the people in the area.
According to Ms. Phuong, this is a job that requires many skills and must always have innovation in each program to create appeal for the audience. Without formal training, never taught in school about staging and scriptwriting skills, therefore, Ms. Phuong often has to learn, explore, refer to new ways of building scripts, quickly handle arising situations to complete the assigned tasks well, helping actors and artists shine on stage.
Behind the curtain, silently contributing to the success of performances and art programs serving the people and the political tasks of the province, however, the people working in logistics, technical staff, and costume staff are often not remembered by the audience.
Although doing quiet and hard work, rarely being honored or rewarded, for these non-professional artists, the joy and laughter of the audience is the greatest spiritual encouragement, giving them more motivation to stick with the profession.
Quynh Huong
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