Meritorious Artist Vu Xuan Trang celebrates "Xom Kich"'s 1st birthday with a youthful comedy

NSƯT Vũ Xuân Trang mừng sinh nhật 1 tuổi — Meritorious Artist Vu Xuan Trang and his wife, artist Hoang Thy, happily celebrated the first anniversary of the "Xom Kich" (Drama Village) theater.

On the evening of April 13th, the "Theater Village" stage of the couple, Meritorious Artist Vu Xuan Trang and Hoang Thy, celebrated its first anniversary with a performance of the comedy play "Wow… That's so funny!" (script: Nha Uyen - Thanh Phuong - Quoc Huy, director: Meritorious Artist Vu Xuan Trang).

A large audience, including artists and lecturers who have been involved with the "Drama Village" stage, were present to support the first comedy play of the Nụ Cười Theatre located within the Ho Chi Minh City Labor Culture Palace.

"Wow… that's really something!" Just hearing the title reveals the very Saigon dialect of the team, and what stands out even more is that all the performers are young talents trained at "Theater Village".

Meritorious Artist Vu Xuan Trang, playing the role of Mr. Han, and artist Hoang Thy, playing the role of Mrs. Hoang, wholeheartedly supported the young actors whom they had previously mentored and guided.

Among them, some names were initially unfamiliar to the audience, but through several performances of "The Drama Village," they gradually became well-known, such as: Quỳnh Nhi (playing Quỳnh), Sĩ Nguyễn (playing Mr. Sĩ), Thành Phương (playing Thành), Yến Thanh (playing Yến), Nhã Uyên (playing Nhã), Quốc Huy (playing Quốc), Tyva Lâm (playing Mrs. Tuyết), Thành An (playing Công), Thuỵ My (playing Thuỵ), Minh Nhật (playing Minh), Nhất Quân (playing Nhất), Lê Quốc Minh (playing little Lê), Minh Đạt (playing Mrs. Mỹ), Hằng Nga (playing Miss Hằng), and child actress Hồ Minh Tú (playing little Hồ).

The story is very simple, telling of a boarding house where, according to Meritorious Artist Vu Xuan Trang's confession at the end of the play, he and his wife once lived in a poor neighborhood with people of all kinds, each with their own… peculiar circumstances.

Every day, their problems arise from family conflicts, spilling over into the neighborhood. Sometimes, the issues are insignificant, but it's precisely this "trivial" nature of the matter that creates situations that are both heartbreaking and hilarious. The pressure of staging a play with so many actors, ensuring each actor has their own fate and story, is a huge burden weighing on director Vu Xuan Trang's head.

But the solution to that difficult problem was none other than the resources he had at his disposal: his students, who had shared his hardships and joys from the basic to the advanced levels. The play's message conveys a valuable message about Ho Chi Minh City, a civilized, modern, and compassionate city.

It was human kindness that helped Mr. Sy find his relatives, resolving all marital conflicts, making him love the poor neighborhood where he lived harmoniously and closely, even more than his own family.

The dramatic story keeps the audience glued to the screen until the very end, watching, laughing uncontrollably, and being surprised by each twist—perhaps this is what best captures the essence of "Drama Village." There, too, students work during the day to earn a living, and at night they gather with their teachers and friends to rehearse.

There were also tears shed over insufficient tuition fees, teachers refusing money, and then bonding to create a "Drama Village." Therefore, the play "Wow... so strange!" seems to tell the story of them, a group of unknown individuals who came together, with everyone thinking their teachers were incredibly reckless and "absurd."

These days, people spend money putting on plays, renting theaters, and even if a performance doesn't cover the costs, they still put on the stage, as long as they can see their students looking beautiful and well-dressed under the spotlight.

Ultimately, their reflections were quite... unique, a true artistry of theirs: if they liked something, they'd dive right in, commit themselves, and eventually, it would become their path. And a year has passed, and they've achieved their long-held dreams step by step, finding satisfaction in their endeavors. The bouquets of flowers, the birthday cake, and the birthday songs that echoed through the night were the new motivation for the couple, Meritorious Artist Vu Xuan Trang and her husband, to keep moving forward.

To celebrate its anniversary, the "Theater Village" theater is offering a special promotion for all performances throughout April. Audience members who buy two tickets will receive a 10% discount, those who buy three tickets will receive one free, and there are many other forms of appreciation for viewers.

The birthday celebration also marked the start of a new acting training course, alongside a scriptwriting class that the "Theater Village" had been training. Experts commented that perhaps this quiet endeavor by Meritorious Artist Vu Xuan Trang and her husband would provide Ho Chi Minh City's theater scene with a new source of talent. They learn as they go, producing works and accumulating experience for themselves on their chosen path.

Writer and director Nguyen Thi Minh Ngoc attended the performance of "Wow… so strange!". She is the teacher who trained Meritorious Artist Vu Xuan Trang when she was a college student at the Ho Chi Minh City College of Theatre and Film (now the Ho Chi Minh City University of Theatre and Film): "I am very happy for the dedication of these two students; they are following the arduous path I chose 30 years ago. From this transmission of knowledge, they will achieve great things."

Source: https://nld.com.vn/nsut-vu-xuan-trang-mung-sinh-nhat-1-tuoi-xom-kich-voi-vo-hai-kich-tre-trung-196240414095445181.htm