Theatrical Art - How are villagers involved in performances?

Whole villages take part in Chèo Theatrical Art. Traditionally, the stage is a sedge mat spread in the courtyard of the communal house.

All villages often participate in Chèo Theatrical Art.

The stage is a sedge mat spread in the courtyard and the backdrop may provide the scenery. The musicians sit on two sides of the performing mat, and the audience surrounds the stage. Chèo musicians act as a kind of Greek chorus, commenting on and participating in the action. The dialogue between artists and musicians something even includes the audience to create an exciting atmosphere similar to a modern “happening”.

In the past, Chèo artists were farmers without much money for staging, musical instruments, costumes, or props.

The plays weren’t lavish affairs, yet through convention and stylization  in speech and singing, they created space (mountains, rivers, oceans, and so on), time (day, night, dozens of years, and so on), weather (rain, sun and so on) and backgrounds (fire, fight, and so on) in the imagination of the audience sitting around the small mat- stage.

Thị Kính, the Goddess of Mercy (Quan Âm Thị Kính) provides an example. To describe the heroine on her way to seek Buddhist conversion, the artists sing “Long journey” (Duong truong in Vietnamese” followed by drums and bells to replicate the sounds of pagoda. A song about Buddha follows. Other examples of these techniques include singing a song about rowing a boat to convey the idea of crossing a river and then a different song about the landscape to convey the idea of arrival at the other bank.

A Chèo Theatrical Art's performance follows a regular scenario, beginning as follows:

• A drum rolls.

• The artist repond by calling “Dạ!” (Yes!)

• The music begins.

• Two buffoons dance with torches to keep the audience back from mat.

• Two performers – a man and a woman – sing the first two sentences, and the other performers harmonize with them.

• The performers move to the prelude, where an actress sings, praising the king, who had brought prosperity and a peaceful life to the people. She summarizes and comments on the play about to follow.

• The main performance begins.

In addition to special techniques for breathing, speaking, singing, walking, and so on, artists pay attention to twisting their hands, wrists, and arms. All these constitute the basic Chèo movements.