Saying ciao to cheo

Director Doan Hoang Giang’s play, Oan Khuat Mot Thoi (Injustice), attracted more than 3,000 people in HCM City and Vung Tau City – who enjoyed the new style of the traditional play staged by the Ha Noi Cheo Theatre early this month.
Giang broke with tradition by using modern language in the traditional cheo opera, but the audience loved it and filled the theatres every night of the performance.
"Many people in Sai Gon came because they wanted to see how a modern flavour had been imparted to the cheo stage," said Nguyen Thi Anh Hong, a resident of Binh Thanh District.
Behind the scenes, Giang faced stinging comments from dozens of veteran artistes, critics and even cultural researchers.
Giang says he has no idea whether cheo should be maintained in the traditional way or be made more modern.
"I’m exhausted talking about the issue," he said.
For years, the cheo artistic community has been experimenting. The argument about what is best – modern or traditional – remains.
Actress Thu Huyen, one of the Ha Noi Cheo Theatre’s young talents, said critics are missing the point. "Performing in either a modern or traditional way isn’t a problem with us. We only care about how cheo artistes perform in a quality play.
"What we must do now is improve the artistic value of cheo and boost artistes’ living standards," she says.
Artists like Giang and Huyen believe using less traditional forms and more contemporary language is a good way to lure younger audiences.
Some veteran artistes and critics are not impressed.
Veteran director Xuan Huyen says changing cheo would be difficult. Younger people always want something more contemporary but the form of cheo is based on old stories.
"They broke the cheo rules that must be maintained."
"Our theatre offers two styles of performances, one is traditional and another is modern," says Tran Mai Huong, deputy director of the Ha Noi Cheo Theatre.
Huong feels the opera community does not disagree about the need to save cheo but only on the ways to preserve it.