Theatre festival pits young artists against veteran talent

The talents of young and veteran artists will come to the fore and compete against each other at the 2009 National Professional Theatre Festival that opened at the HCM City Opera House on Saturday.
Organised every five years by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the two-month festival normally includes four events: drama; cai luong (reformed theare); tuong (classical drama) and cheo (traditional opera).
Ha Noi’s Army Drama Troupe, one of the country’s biggest, opened the drama event by staging Ban Hung Ca Thieng Lieng (The Sacred Epic), bringing new interpretations into the telling of a war story.
Festival organisers said they’ve received 26 entries in different categories from 18 State-owned and private drama troupes across the country, vying for awards that will be granted to the best play, best director and best actor.
State-owned troupes from Ha Noi, Hai Duong and Hai Phong have used veteran directors like Doan Hoang Giang and Le Hung for their entries.
In competition with northern participants, the HCM City-based private troupes Phu Nhuan Drama Stage and IDECAF are pinning their hopes on their young talents, Duc Thinh and Vu Minh.
Thinh’s work No Than (The Magic Cross-Bow) is based on a popular legend featuring love and betrayal.
His competitor, Minh, dabbles in more modern issues. In Hop Dong Manh Thu (Devil’s Contract), Minh delves into cross-generational tensions – the challenges urban youth face in preserving the country’s traditional values in a modern life. Thinh and Minh have asked their young actors, including seasoned performers like Thanh Loc, to work hard in getting into the characters they play. Both directors have also spent a lot of effort, time and money on the stage, with beautiful costumes, sound and light effects.
The festival’s drama category will close next Tuesday. The cai luong event will be held in Can Tho City later.