Stage - A Time to Remember

Celebrating Vietnam Stage Day 2025 and 20 years of founding the Thai Nguyen Cai Luong Club.

Celebrating Vietnam Stage Day 2025 and 20 years of founding Thai Nguyen Cai Luong Club.

Thai Nguyen used to be the place associated with the veteran generation of the Vietnamese revolutionary theater village, such as: People's Artist Bach Tra; People's Artist Quang Ton; Meritorious Artist Ngo Man; Meritorious Artist Tho An; comedian Tu Chau... Those who brought the theater troupe to Thai Nguyen in 1950, established a professional troupe in 1952 and followed the revolution.

As Associate Professor Dr. Pham Thi Minh Thai commented, "If we calculate according to the length of history of modern Vietnamese theater, before joining the resistance war, theater artists, from their subconscious of patriotism and national pride, knew how to create the premises for the construction of modern Vietnamese theater, when Vietnam ended the 9-year resistance war."

Their names are not only associated with the Quyet Tien Tuong troupe, later the Quyet Tien Cai Luong troupe, but also accompany the strong development of the country's revolutionary theater.

Over two decades of development (1952 - 1978), Quyet Tien Cai Luong Troupe had many successful plays, including the Cai Luong play "Nung Van Van" (leader of the uprising against the Nguyen Dynasty of the ethnic people in the Viet Bac region in the years 1933-1935); "Indigo-shirt Guerrilla Team" (about the journey of a Tay-Nung ethnic guerrilla team in the Viet Bac war zone, overcoming hardships in the war, protecting the homeland and participating in the resistance war against the French).

Meritorious Artist Anh Thiep (in red ao dai) in a play by Thai Nguyen Drama Troupe.

Thai Nguyen theater during the resistance war against the US for national salvation had a strong development. The successes of Thai Nguyen theater created a rich appearance of performing arts in the center of the Northeast region.

Mr. Vu Van Lam and Mrs. Dao Thi Hoa in Gia Sang ward, now nearly seventy years old, still keep in their memory the play "Sita", the tragic love story of "Sita" played by Thuy Hinh and "Prince Po Liem" played by Xuan Giao from the 80s of the last century.

Mr. Lam said: Quyet Tien Theater that day was packed with audiences coming to see the play "Nang Sita". I took my whole family and had to sit upstairs, everyone watched attentively and was very moved.

Mr. Dang Ngoc Tung in Phan Dinh Phung ward said: I watched the Cheo play Thanh Duom Duong Tu Minh when I was 7 or 8 years old. The hero of my hometown left a deep impression on me, perhaps that's why I later loved studying History. Because I lived near the Provincial Cultural House, my mother took me to see from the rehearsal to all the performances of this play. Now, at over 30 years old, I still idolize the historical figure who was canonized as Saint Duong Tu Minh.

Mr. Mong Dong Vu, former Head of the Thai Nguyen Cheo Troupe, who has made great contributions to the growth of Thai Nguyen Cheo art, said: The troupe has many unforgettable achievements. If the play "Duyen van Ba Sinh" - Gold Medal of the National Professional Theatre Festival in 1995, was the first time on the national stage that the image of the Holy Mother Lieu Hanh was brought to the stage, then the play "Legendary Moonlight Night" was the first time that the image of Uncle Ho was brought to the Vietnamese Cheo stage.

The play made a big splash at the National Professional Theatre Festival in 2000, and was honored with the Excellent Award - Special Award. There are many other plays that have won the Gold Medal at the National Professional Theatre Festival.

Like the Thai Nguyen Cheo Troupe, the Thai Nguyen Drama Troupe is admired by all classes of audiences, by soldiers in and outside the province, and respected by colleagues nationwide, as its plays and artists continuously reap medals. In more than 40 years of operation, the Thai Nguyen Drama Troupe has staged 45 plays, notably “Love Story”, “My Ha My”, “In the Name of Justice”, “Blue Love Song”, “The 9th Oath”.

The representative faces of Thai Nguyen drama are directors: Duc Trao, Son Lam, Trinh Tich; artists, actors: Thu An, Hong Son, Van Tien, Van Bo, Anh Thiep, Kim Hoa... Reality shows that, although there is no longer a professional troupe, for many years drama has still penetrated deeply, rooted in life in a persistent and creative way. Short plays have always accompanied and flourished with the vibrant mass art movement.

To suit each stage of development, the art of theater in general and drama in particular also have changes in the form of activities. Generations of theater artists are very happy to be able to guide and pass on this art to the younger generation, to the masses in the province.

Source: https://baothainguyen.vn/van-hoa/202510/san-khau-mot-thoi-de-nho-4264265/