Reluctant to stay on stage
I went to Thu Do theater one morning. Outside the theater is a market nestled in the middle of three old Chinese apartment buildings. Inside, few people come and go, the theater is now a practice place for artists of the Ho Chi Minh City Opera Art Theater. Meritorious Artist Xuan Quang, over 60 years old this year, although retired, still collaborates with the theater to direct plays for young artists. We sat in the space of Thu Do theater today, the rows of seats were old, the cushions were peeling or sagging because of broken armrests or chair legs. The theater has about 1,000 seats, the troupe of artists gathered to sit in the upper rows, close to the stage. Above the stage, the corner of the ancestral altar was warmly lit with the sound of instruments and singing of the artists practicing the excerpt of Tran Binh Trong's suicide with the famous saying "I'd rather be a ghost in the South than a king in the North". It's been a long time since I sat in the audience and watched an ancient play, since I left the University of Theatre and Cinema a dozen years ago.
Meritorious Artist Xuan Quang (3rd row, standing from right) with young artists of the Ho Chi Minh City Opera House
Even though it was just a rehearsal, on stage, the artists poured their souls into every movement and song. Only by seeing the bruised legs of the artists when they performed the scene of kneeling on the rehearsal floor or their sweat pouring down continuously in the sweltering heat, can one feel the effort and dedication they put into their acting career. Meritorious Artist Xuan Quang is still passionate about demonstrating the rolling and somersaulting movements on the traditional opera stage to his students. I suddenly thought: If young people could see such a dedicated performance on stage like in the past, perhaps they would know and love Vietnamese history. "But unfortunately, now they only perform for ceremonies or competitions. The rest of the artists now have to live off performances at pagodas, temples and shrines during their worship ceremonies," Meritorious Artist Xuan Quang lamented.
Thu Do Cinema with a long history is now a sidewalk "construction" with a variety of food on the frontage named "Thu Do" for easy remembering.
Xuan Quang started studying opera at the age of 11, following in the footsteps of his father, who was also an artist in the Tan Thanh Ban troupe before 1975. "I started singing opera with my father. His real name was Le Van Phep, but he specialized in playing Chau Do, so the audience called him Chau Do Phep. Back then, my father used to perform Chinese plays like Tram Trinh An, Than Nu Dang Ngu Linh Ky ... which were very popular. In the past, he sang at temples, but only after the theater was built did he get to sing around. The audience loved him and he made a living from his profession," said Mr. Quang.
Looking at the stage gasping for breath is heartbreaking
After 1975, artist Xuan Quang followed the Ho Chi Minh City opera troupe to perform around the city. "In all theaters, opera rotated with reformed opera. After I finished singing, reformed opera came in, then I went to another theater, after I finished singing for a week, I moved to another theater, then reformed opera came in. That's how it was very popular, every theater was crowded, the audience watched and then threw a lot of "fans" on stage ("fans" with bonus money - PV)", Mr. Quang recalled the golden age of the theater after 1975.
Mr. Thuong, a backstage staff of Huynh Long troupe, is now a security guard at Thu Do theater.
Mr. Nguyen Cong Thuong, 60 years old, is currently a security guard at Thu Do theater. In the past, he was a backstage employee for the famous Huynh Long opera troupe after 1975. "Back then, there were 1,500 seats downstairs and upstairs. Now, there are dozens of rows of seats missing downstairs, and the upstairs is completely broken and empty. Now the theater is only used as a headquarters for the opera troupe to practice. Back then, this theater was very crowded, with two shows a day. After that, the theater was so quiet that people stopped performing, and then the government gave the opera troupe permission to move here," Mr. Thuong said.
Artist Xuan Quang recalls the days of disappointment when theaters gradually closed: "It turns out that by the 1990s, tickets were no longer sold, and troupes stopped performing at all theaters. Because of the video wave. People rented videos to watch, why bother buying tickets to join the troupe. In the past, if you wanted to watch Vu Linh, you would go to that troupe, and the video would compile all the actors in it, and people would watch it in the video and have it all. Back then, it was heartbreaking to see the stage struggling to survive. Now, not many people spend money to buy tickets to see plays. Cai Luong artists go to tea rooms, sing at funerals, weddings, and Hat Boi artists sing for free on holidays, sing at temples and pagodas like in the early days. That's how things are now, we have to accept it."
Poster of the performance of the Da Ly Huong troupe at the Eden theater in Cho Lon - Thu Do in 1973
Collector Huynh Minh Hiep
The biggest regret of those who used to work at theaters like Mr. Thuong or Mr. Quang is that when they see free shows, audiences still come to watch in large numbers. Artists and audiences still exist, but why are the stages of theaters that were once so brilliant dying? "If we want artists to go to theaters like in the past, the government must first have support policies. As for theaters, if we want to have revenue, we must renovate them, we cannot leave them so large and dilapidated. Audiences need them to be beautiful, compact, and just enough to sit. For example, this theater only has 300 seats, it must be spacious, clean, and spacious, then we can slowly attract audiences back...", Mr. Quang said.
But perhaps that is only the expectation of those who have spent their lives with the once-glorious theaters. Mr. Quang sadly said: "For example, the theater does not have any premises, this troupe is temporarily staying in the Thu Do theater, not that they gave it to us. In the past, the troupe stayed at Long Phung theater, Ly Tu Trong street, District 1, and then came here. I heard that people moved away to sell that place to foreigners, to build a hotel or something. In the end, foreigners did not buy it, so now it is left empty. If we want the theater to "revive", we must first have a proper theater, and practice properly somewhere." (to be continued)
Kim Chung 5 troupe with the play The Madman and the Princess in 1967
Collector Huynh Minh Hiep
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