Meritorious Artist Pham Ngoc Duong:

Throughout his arduous and challenging journey as a writer, Pham Ngoc Duong has written seven traditional Vietnamese opera (cheo) scripts, including notable works such as "The Scholar and the Flower of Love," "The Stone Prince," "One Family, Two Titles," "The Scream on the Three-Gate Staircase," "Lullaby of Love," and "Hoang Dieu"... From folk and historical themes to modern ones, writing stage scripts has also allowed him to delve deeper into the art of cheo.

- Mr. Pham Ngoc Duong, Meritorious Artist, as an actor who later continued his artistic career by writing Cheo (traditional Vietnamese opera) scripts, it seems that your years spent on stage have given you a solid foundation to freely express yourself with your pen?

- Indeed, my experience on stage and the opportunity to work with renowned directors have given me invaluable experiences, a foundation not everyone possesses. Participating in the production process, I learned a great deal, especially how to create a captivating and profound theatrical work.

When I was an actor, I tried writing, but after about 15 minutes... I got stuck, not knowing how to continue. Later, working with People's Artist director Doãn Hoàng Giang, I truly improved. I'll never forget the time he read an entire play from beginning to end for us to transcribe. When I expressed my surprise, he just smiled and said, "I can read like that because I live the life of the character."

Inspired by that experience, I gradually changed my writing style. Before each script, I always visualize how the characters live, their personalities, their relationships, and what will happen between them. This way of "living with the characters" helped me write my first full-length script, "The Scholar and the Flower of Love." This was also my graduation play from the Department of Stage Screenwriting, and I was even luckier to have it directed by my teacher, People's Artist Doãn Hoàng Giang.

- When writing a traditional Vietnamese opera script, perhaps we shouldn't consider the time factor, as it's the accumulation of the author's experience over many years, and it requires careful consideration of each context?

- The most important thing is having a plot, from which you build the development of the relationships. Knowing what the plot will be like is one thing, but making it interesting, engaging, and unique is very difficult. Completing a script might only take a week, but writing a good one is not simple. As a professional, I often read my work aloud to my colleagues. If they are moved by it, I think I've already succeeded 50%. The first element is that it must be engaging, so that the play can come alive.

The playwright Luu Quang Vu once said, "Art is the spice of life." When writing about history, I often approach it in a folk-like way, so that people can still feel it's history but in a more relatable way. For example, when writing the play "Hoang Dieu," we often think about how he defended Hanoi . I believe that information is already in books. But what about his thoughts and feelings for his country, his family, especially those rare moments spent with loved ones? These are the scenes that soften history and make it more accessible to the audience.

- If the opportunity arises, would you ever take on a role that you yourself created?

- I once did this when I played the prime minister in the play "The Scholar and the Flower of Love." It was a very interesting feeling! But actually, few people do that. It was just fate! Because back then I was still an actor, taking additional classes in stage scriptwriting. As for immersing myself in the character I created, that was probably only in my imagination. Because doing anything requires dedication.

- Meritorious Artist Pham Ngoc Duong once shared that, even after a playwright completes a work, stages it, and performs it, they always feel a sense of self-reflection and sometimes even regret. Could you elaborate on this?

- I think that any work is bound to have flaws, whether big or small. If a scriptwriter is too ambitious and tries to include everything, it's easy to fall into a state of confusion and inconsistency. The most important thing is to clearly define the goal of the play – what message it wants to convey and what sacrifices are necessary. For example, if I choose a folk theme, the language must also be purely folk-like. In that case, the academic element needs to be toned down so that the audience can easily understand and relate to it. If you try to include too many Chinese and Vietnamese characters in a folk work, the general audience will be alienated.

- Many actors, when looking for a path to develop themselves, often choose directing, but Pham Ngoc Duong chose screenwriting. In the current context where the theater is severely lacking in scripts, do you think this will be an opportunity for you?

- I once considered studying to be a director. Then I felt I was more suited to writing. As for opportunities, I think they're equal for both experienced and new writers. People don't consider age when writing traditional Vietnamese opera scripts, because for me, art is about emotion. But I must say, writing is very difficult. The difficulty lies in figuring out how to create something engaging and compelling, while my emotions aren't always present. Only a story that moves me can motivate me to continue perfecting that stage script. I also wondered what I would write about since most of the themes had already been explored by those who came before me. Writing is hard work, but it's also because of my passion. I see it as my calling; the profession chooses me!

- We sincerely thank Meritorious Artist Pham Ngoc Duong!

Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/nsut-pham-ngoc-duong-nghiep-viet-nhoc-nhan-nhung-cung-boi-dam-me-711366.html