Director Pham Thi Thanh passed away

The person who devoted her whole life to the Vietnamese stage - director, People's Artist Pham Thi Thanh, passed away at 7:55 p.m. on September 3 in Hanoi.

Director Pham Thi Thanh - Photo: Youth Theater

The information was shared with Tuoi Tre Online by Meritorious Artist Nguyen Si Tien - director of Tuoi Tre Theater.

Mr. Si Tien said that People's Artist Pham Thi Thanh was the founder of the Youth Theater. The Theater will work with her family to organize the funeral for the female director.

Female director and noble lineage Pham Thi Thanh

Information from Tuoi Tre Theater said that People's Artist Pham Thi Thanh was born in 1941 (according to her family, she was born in 1938), in a family of "noble and aristocratic" lineage.

Her father, Mr. Pham Khac Hoe, was the one who drafted the abdication decree for King Bao Dai on August 22, 1945. During her lifetime, Mrs. Pham Thi Thanh was very proud when talking about her father.

People's Artist Pham Thi Thanh (black shirt, middle) and the first batch of drama actors of the Youth Theatre - Photo: Youth Theatre

The mother of People's Artist Pham Thi Thanh was the second wife of Mr. Hoe, a beautiful woman, the younger sister of poet Ung Binh Thuc Da Thi, the niece of poet Mien Tham, and the great-granddaughter of King Minh Mang.

Ms. Pham Thi Thanh inherited her father's love of literature, and her mother's sweet Hue singing voice. It was her mother who guided Ms. Pham Thi Thanh to pursue the performing arts.

At the age of 14, she joined the central art troupe, from here opening her life closely tied to the stage and performing arts.

Founder of Tuoi Tre Theater, credited with "discovering" playwright Luu Quang Vu

In 1970, Ms. Thanh was sent by the government to Russia to study stage directing. After 7 years of study, she returned home and, together with director Ha Nhan, wrote a project to establish the Youth Theater.

In 1987, the Youth Theatre was established. Ms. Ha Nhan was the director, and female director Pham Thi Thanh was the deputy director.

The first generation of actors of the Youth Theatre during Ms. Thanh's leadership included many who later became famous artists such as People's Artist Lan Huong, People's Artist Le Khanh, Meritorious Artist Chi Trung, People's Artist Minh Hang, Meritorious Artist Ngoc Huyen, People's Artist Anh Tu, Meritorious Artist Duc Hai...

Artist Chi Trung said that the great names of artists today such as Lan Huong, Le Khanh, Ngoc Huyen, Chi Trung, Minh Hang, Anh Tu, Duc Hai... are entirely thanks to director Pham Thi Thanh.

"In 1978, we entered the art world completely bewildered, like naive young birds, with only enthusiasm for the profession. Ms. Thanh taught us the first rudimentary steps of acting...", artist Chi Trung said.

During her stage career, Pham Thi Thanh has been associated with the ups and downs of the golden age of stage history, the subsidized society, and the transition to a market economy . She is close to the stage's great figures such as The Lu, Song Kim, Nguyen Dinh Nghi...

She directed more than 200 plays, of which nearly 20 won gold medals and several won silver medals.

Many plays she directed are still deeply engraved in the minds of audiences at that time such as Romeo and Juliet, The 9th Oath, The Peak of Dreams, Tu Xuong, 2,000 Days of Wrongs, Good Man in House Number 5, Forever 17, Vu Nhu To...

In particular, director Pham Thi Thanh was one of the first directors to "discover" Luu Quang Vu, making his playwriting career shine.

Director Pham Thi Thanh and playwright Luu Quang Vu - Photo: Tuoi Tre Theater

Luu Quang Vu's first play, " Song Mai Tuoi 17", was suggested by Pham Thi Thanh and staged on the stage of the Youth Theater, thus opening up a brilliant and illustrious stage career for Luu Quang Vu for about 10 years.

The two worked well together and were called the "golden couple" of director and stage author at that time.

Pham Thi Thanh has devoted her life to the theater. Even after retirement, she continues to participate in theater projects and direct major festivals.

At the age of 60, Pham Thi Thanh is still a sought-after name to direct important festival programs. She directed the major festivals of 990 years of Thang Long - Hanoi , 330 years of Khanh Hoa, 100 years of Da Lat, Hue Festival...

She participated in many foreign theater art projects in Vietnam, making efforts to bring traditional Vietnamese art into schools.

Director Pham Thi Thanh is also the Vice President of the Vietnam UNESCO Association, a member of the Executive Committee of the Vietnam Union of Literature and Arts Associations, a delegate of the Hanoi People's Council, and a lecturer at the Hanoi Academy of Theatre and Cinema...

She received the State Prize for Literature and Arts in 2012.

BIRD OF PARADISE

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/dao-dien-pham-thi-thanh-qua-doi-20250904134723954.htm