This is the third time Luu Quang Vu's play has been restaged - Photo: Hanoi Radio
Sitting in the audience at the premiere of the play "Me and Us, " which opened the Television Stage program series (broadcast monthly on Hanoi Radio and Television), Ms. Luu Khanh Tho, the younger sister of playwright Luu Quang Vu, wept.
She told Tuoi Tre newspaper , "In the past, Mr. Vu had a habit of standing on the side of the stage, anxiously watching how the audience received his work." Today, after 40 years, she feels that same way very clearly.
The play "I and We" was warmly received because it spoke volumes about what people wanted to say. At the time, many viewers wept, experiencing mixed emotions—joy, sadness, bitterness—but not pessimism or despair; instead, they were filled with faith and hope in the good things in life.
People's Artist Hoang Cuc
Reaching the deepest level of the era.
In 1984, the Hanoi Drama Theatre commissioned Luu Quang Vu to write the play " I and Us" . The first production won a gold medal at the 1985 Theatre Festival, becoming a theatrical phenomenon of the 1980s with 1,000 performances from North to South. To this day, no other theatrical work has broken that record.
Set against the backdrop of the fierce struggle between two forces—conservative (represented by Deputy Director Nguyen Chinh) and reformist (Director Hoang Viet)—to change the organizational methods and production practices at Thang Loi Enterprise, " I and We" directly addresses the burning issues of Vietnamese society in the early stages of the reform process.
The work asserts that there can be no such thing as a generic form of collectivism, and that it is impossible to cling to old principles and methods in the face of the dynamic changes in life.
The concept of "we" is formed from many individual "selves," therefore, it is necessary to care for and protect the rights and happiness of each person.
"The play is like a bomb with explosive power, encouraging the innovation movement and inspiring a spirit of daring to think, daring to act, and daring to take responsibility."
"Luu Quang Vu, the prophet of his time, spoke for the most heartfelt feelings of people living in that particular historical period," said Hoang Cuc (who played Thanh in the 1985 production).
Hoang Cuc recounted that the play seemed tailor-made for the cast of that era. Besides Hoang Cuc, there were also Tran Van, Hoang Dung, Minh Trang, Quoc Toan, Minh Vuong, Hong Son, Tran Duc... The play was so popular that the artists took " I and Us" on tour from province to province. Especially in Ho Chi Minh City, there were times when there were 2-3 performances per day.
Hoang Cuc can never forget that golden age, when artists lived in a true sanctuary of art; simply stepping onto the stage or speaking a few lines would elicit thunderous applause from the audience.
She said, "Luu Quang Vu dared to live, dared to write dialogues full of inner conflict, revealing the essence of society at that time, which created ' I and We' that entered the cultural and artistic memory of Vietnam for a period."
The play "I and We" was warmly received because it spoke volumes about what people wanted to say. At the time, many viewers cried, felt joy and sadness, and even bitterness while watching it, but not pessimism or despair; instead, they were filled with faith and love for the good things in life.
Artist Hoang Cuc
The play "Me and Us" (1985) became a theatrical blockbuster with 1,000 performances in the past - Archival photo.
Meet Me and Us Again
After 40 years, the classic play returns in a new form, just 90 minutes long to fit the television broadcast time.
At the press conference announcing the Television Stage program series, Mr. Nguyen Kim Khiem - the station's general director - and artist Trung Hieu said they had no ambition to modernize or create a new version of this "blockbuster" play of the theater world.
"What the artists want is to fully convey the artistic value, message, and ideas of the work," Trung Hieu confided. The production features some of the most talented artists of the Hanoi Drama Theatre today: Tien Loc, Thanh Huong, Ngoc Quynh, Thien Tung, Duc Quang, Diem Quynh...
Tien Loc, who played Hoang Viet - representing the reformist faction, was born in 1986. Tien Loc didn't have the opportunity to see the first version because he was too young.
When playing the role of Hoang Viet, he had to immerse himself in the atmosphere of that era to embody a person with a desire to contribute, to innovate, and to make a difference.
The third production, directed by People's Artist Trung Hieu, features many actors from the Hanoi Drama Theatre - Photo: Hanoi Radio.
He said, "All of Luu Quang Vu's works are excellent. His characters are full of emotion, full of inner turmoil, and want to say much more than the confines of a play can convey."
"It's clear that these young artists have put in a lot of effort and are completely dedicated to their roles," Hoàng Cúc commented.
She said, "There's no need to remake it because the script is already so captivating; it's still fresh after 40 years." She gave the example of her role as Thanh years ago, saying that all the actress needed was sincerity, innocence, and self-sacrifice. Thanh Hương (playing Thanh) achieved that.
For her, the new generation of actors are young, beautiful, have a great stage presence, and are "perfect for their roles."
Mr. Nguyen Kim Khiem recounted that during his high school years, his father took him to see the play "I and Us" at the Thang Tam Theater ( Hai Phong ). He was "shocked" to hear lines like: "We cannot use stability to suppress innovation," "Someone must take responsibility! Who is the collective? Who is ultimately responsible?"...
Tien Loc (left) and Thanh Huong in the new version of "I and Us" - Photo: Hanoi Radio
He immediately wrote the date on the cover of the book "Wild Dingo". When the idea for the Television Stage program series was conceived, Hanoi Television chose plays by Luu Quang Vu, with " I and We " being the opening act. Following that would be the play "The Ninth Oath" (in collaboration with the Youth Theatre).
He said: "Luu Quang Vu was a prophet of our time through the language of theater. Since the 1980s, he has written works that are vividly realistic and full of foresight."
Perhaps that is why, every time one enjoys a work by Luu Quang Vu, one realizes that they are not innocent in that vast, ever-changing reality.
CENTURY BEANS
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/toi-va-chung-ta-40-nam-tuoi-moi-20250604092559115.htm
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