A play about revolutionary war with strong Cheo style

In the North, Mrs. Lanh was a widow, single-handedly raising her only son, Quan. When her homeland was engulfed in bombs and bullets, and she witnessed her younger siblings being killed by the enemy, Quan was determined to join the army. Despite her heartache, Mrs. Lanh still wiped away her tears as she saw her son off, giving him a shirt as a memento of her father's martyrdom, conveying her faith and pride as a Vietnamese mother.

Scene from the play "Two Mothers" by Lam Son Thanh Hoa Art Theater.

At the Quang Nam battlefield, Quan and his comrades were taken in and hidden by Mother To. Despite her old age and weak health, Mother To was still willing to sacrifice herself and endure brutal torture without revealing a word, keeping her loyalty to the revolution and the Lam Son soldiers (during the resistance war against the US to save the country, Thanh Hoa established the Lam Son special forces battalion to support Quang Nam province).

The images of two mothers - one in the rear, one on the front line - blend into a sacred symbol of patriotism, sacrifice and Vietnamese spiritual strength during the war. The play ends with the belief in victory and the desire for peace , when the singing of the mother, of the lover, of the homeland resounds like an immortal song about Vietnamese motherly love, Vietnamese love and love for the Fatherland.

The play features the participation of artists: Meritorious Artist Truong Thi Hien, Meritorious Artist Trinh Dinh Dung, Meritorious Artist Trinh Van Vinh, actors Pham Van Hoa (Nhat Hoa), Trinh Tuyet Anh, Hoang Van Duy, Truong Van Phong... Being a generation born and raised in peacetime, but taking on roles on the theme of war, the artists have constantly researched and immersed themselves to truly convey the spirit and emotions of the characters. Along with that, the creativity and enthusiasm of the scriptwriter, People's Artist Nguyen Ngoc Quyen; director, People's Artist Truong Hai Tho and the entire crew have contributed to creating a touching cheo play.

When the curtain closed on the play at the 2025 National Cheo Festival, many audience members still did not want to leave their seats. The applause was endless, the fresh bouquets of flowers were handed to the artists, the story of “Two Mothers” touched the hearts of the audience, like a deep, humane note in the flow of today’s Cheo stage.

Playwright Mai Van Lang praised: “The adapted script is sweet, the verses are parallel, the rhyming melodies are very Cheo. Director Truong Hai Tho did not use grandiose art, the coconut trees and pine trees were gentle, but created a beautiful, lyrical play. The artists and actors sang well, acted very professionally, simply, without making a big fuss, but left an impression on the audience. Through the play, I love and am proud of Cheo even more!”

Director, People's Artist Truong Hai Tho said: "Despite many changes in artistic viewpoints and methods of expression, historical, legendary or modern themes, for me, Cheo art is a unique form of national theater, deeply reflecting the soul, personality and aspirations for truth, goodness and beauty of the Vietnamese people. Therefore, I still follow the way our ancestors did, which is to focus on building plots and character personalities in the form of 5 typical characters in traditional Cheo: Dao, Kim, Lao, Mu and Clown. These characters create a basic model system, playing an essential role in building a rich and vivid world of characters for Cheo art, while expressing aesthetic viewpoints and modern Cheo form on a traditional foundation - a lyrical quality combined with sadness carrying the breath of contemporary life".

Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/van-hoa/doi-song/vo-dien-ve-chien-tranh-cach-mang-dam-chat-cheo-1011234