People's Artist Viet Anh, Director Tran Dang Nhan and Memories of "Public Opinion"

NSND Việt Anh, Trần Đăng Nhân nói về — People's Artist Viet Anh and director Tran Dang Nhan

On the morning of November 12, in Ho Chi Minh City, the representative of VTV Can Tho - director Nguyen Thuong - had a working session and recorded an interview with director Tran Dang Nhan and People's Artist Viet Anh to make the documentary "When the door opens wide" (author Ngo Hoang Giang, director Nguyen Thuong), talking about the cultural innovation of the country since the 6th Party Congress - 1986. This episode talks about the birth of the play "Public opinion", a work considered as the starting point of the Ho Chi Minh City Small Stage Drama Theater (5B Vo Van Tan) since 1984.

Viet Anh, Dang Nhan and the unforgettable memories of Ho Chi Minh City's drama stage

In the warm meeting space, both director Dang Nhan and People's Artist Viet Anh could not hide their emotions when recalling the difficult but enthusiastic early days. "Public Opinion" was born in the context of the city's theater scene seeking a new direction, needing works capable of touching on social issues, reflecting the sentiments of the times and arousing the voice of citizens.

The play did just that – powerful, direct, but also full of humanity. Thanks to its rich life material and modern narrative style, the work quickly created a strong effect, attracting more than 500 performances in Ho Chi Minh City and the southern provinces for many consecutive years. This was a rare number for a theatrical work at that time, proving the enduring vitality of serious and kind art.

Artist Viet Anh recalls the working atmosphere at the beginning of stage 5B

The meeting recorded by VTV Can Tho is not only a story about a play, but also the journey of formation of the 5B Vo Van Tan stage - one of the most important cradles of Ho Chi Minh City drama. From "Public opinion", 5B was created with the aspiration to do professional and democratic art, where young artists can try their hand, where audiences can find burning issues of social life through the language of the stage.

Director and author Tran Dang Nhan, who has been associated with 5B since the early days, shared with the VTV Can Tho crew about the tireless efforts of the artists. Meanwhile, People's Artist Viet Anh - one of the main actors in the early stages of enlightenment recalled the spirit of working "without calculation, only knowing how to contribute". It is this spirit that has created a stage that has been loved by a large audience for the past four decades.

VTV Can Tho – marking the lasting values of the stage

This report by VTV Can Tho has an important meaning: recreating a golden period of Southern theater, while also looking back at the significant contributions of a generation of artists who laid the foundation for a critical and humane urban theater style.

The film is a valuable document for researchers and theater lovers, contributing to honoring those who constantly innovated themselves during the 1980s - a period that marked a strong transformation of Southern drama art.

With the participation of many living witnesses, the report promises to bring an emotional and profound perspective on the journey from a work premiered in 1984 to a stage that has become an icon: Ho Chi Minh City Small Stage Drama Theater (5B Vo Van Tan).

Preserving memories – inspiring the future

When the filming ended, director Tran Dang Nhan and People's Artist Viet Anh both had the same thought: VTV Can Tho's production of this film is a way for today's generation to understand that theater is not only a performing art, but also a collective memory, a civic spirit, and the heart of a cultural city.

Director Nguyen Thuong said this was a valuable opportunity for him to listen to many opinions from stage artists about a period of openness and innovation in cultural and artistic activities.

"Public Opinion" is a play. It is a reminder of a difficult but brilliant creative period, a milestone that helped the 5B stage to be formed and become a home for the next generations.

The documentary, when aired, will certainly be a meaningful gift for professionals and art-loving audiences, and at the same time open up a new dialogue about Ho Chi Minh City's theatrical heritage on the journey towards the future.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/nsnd-viet-anh-dang-nhan-noi-ve-du-luan-quan-chung-hanh-trinh-y-nghia-cua-san-khau-tp-hcm-196251113200123278.htm