Meritorious Artist Quang Khai directs a work combining cai luong and circus, a new mark of "Tran Nhan Tong"

NSƯT Quang Khải làm đạo diễn tác phẩm cải lương kết hợp xiếc, dấu ấn mới về — Meritorious Artist Quang Khai

On the evening of December 8, at the presentation of the Cai Luong play combined with circus art - a new project of the National Traditional Theatre and the Vietnam Circus Federation - the name of Meritorious Artist Tran Quang Khai was once again mentioned with special respect.

Experts consider this a bold artistic experiment, because of the determination of an artist who dares to face challenges, dares to step out of the comfort zone of reformed opera to find a more expressive and attractive stage language for today's young audiences.

Quang Khai brings reformed opera and circus into historical space

The play is told in the style of contemporary art when Meritorious Artist Quang Khai recreates the life of Buddha Emperor Tran Nhan Tong, from when he was Crown Prince Tran Kham in his twenties, ascended the throne as the third Emperor of the Tran Dynasty, then became the Supreme Emperor, until he became a monk at Yen Tu and founded the Truc Lam Zen sect.

Through the confession of Meritorious Artist Quang Khai, this is not a work that aims to create dramatic conflicts in the traditional way, but uses art to convey history and famous people through selected, easy-to-understand, educational slices. Therefore, the combination of circus and reformed opera brings unexpected results: history becomes vivid, rich in imagery and accessible to young audiences.

"Instead of dry lessons, I hope the play opens up a multi-layered artistic space, where historical stories are received intuitively and emotionally so that students can come and see and understand and appreciate the historical process of the nation" - Meritorious Artist Quang Khai said.

Many artists and audiences after the report praised this bold experiment, considering it a new direction worth promoting in the strategy of bringing history closer to the public.

Quang Khai tries hard to learn directing

As his directorial debut, he did not use circus techniques to overwhelm, but placed them next to the layers of cải lương art to create a dialogue between the body and inner emotions.

The image of circus performers suspended in mid-air, trapped in the chaos of fate, conversing with an introspective singer on the cai luong stage, created a special theatrical moment, both pleasing to the eye and poignant.

This way of organizing the stage language shows Quang Khai's directorial thinking of always seeking new things in his creations. He was not afraid to experiment, not afraid to break the limits between genres to find an artistic path aimed at young audiences.

From a boy from Nghe An to a star of the Cai Luong stage

Born into a farming family in Nghe An but full of tradition of loving art, Quang Khai grew up surrounded by the sounds of zither, folk songs, and rowing...

That is the cradle that nurtured the artist's soul from childhood. His grandfather was a folk musician who was invited to Hue to play music in the royal court; his family members all knew how to play and sing. Therefore, it is not difficult to understand why the boy Khai soon became a "cultural figure" of the school and the village, with a warm voice and a bright stage appearance. From his dream, Quang Khai entered the Hanoi Academy of Theatre and Cinema, then went to the Vietnam Opera House - the cradle of contemporary opera.

With hard work, strong will and special artistic talent, he was quickly given big roles.

The 2012 Professional Cai Luong Theatre Festival marked a major turning point when Khai played the role of Thanh in the play "The Labyrinth" - a role heavy with psychology, full of torment. He transformed into the tragedy of a man who contracted the disease of the century after just a moment of recklessness, and then lost his family, health, and career. That role helped him win the Gold Medal, opening up a series of good roles, including Ba in the play "Khau Vai Love Story" (a work that won the Mai Vang Award).

The enduring will of an artist who lives for his profession

In 2019, he was awarded the title of Meritorious Artist, a well-deserved recognition for his persistent artistic work. But behind that halo were difficult days, at times when he thought he would have to leave the stage.

The combination of genres such as cải lương – circus – drama – chèo… in the event stage is a promising direction. It opens up a way to tell historical stories through art, stimulates imagination, helps the audience, especially students, to receive knowledge in a gentle and natural way.

In that journey, Quang Khai is a talented cai luong artist, an aspiring director who strives to excel through his will to learn and do his job properly. And as many colleagues shared after the report on the evening of December 8: "The stage needs people like Quang Khai, hard-working, passionate, always ready to devote themselves to art."

Source: https://nld.com.vn/nsut-quang-khai-lam-dao-dien-vo-cai-luong-ket-hop-xiec-dau-an-moi-ve-tran-nhan-tong-196251209062348915.htm