Vietnam culture - Discover Chèo theatrical art
In Vietnam culture, Chèo is one of traditional theatrical art forms which is on behalf of Vietnam beside Beijing Opera of China and Noh dramas of Japan.
Chèo hasn’t always been as popular as it was at the First National Traditional Chèo Festival, held in Ha Long city, Quang Ninh province from October 15th to 23rd 2001. Over 700 artists from fourteen Chèo companies attended, performing fifteen plays among them.
Even though the quality of life in Vietnam has improved since Renovation began in 1986, traditional art in general and Chèo in particular have met indifference and have failed to compete with more popular entertainments such as Western music and TV. Chèo performances in the cities have often played to empty houses. Reduced box office revenues forced managers to trim the plays to only excerpts. Even villages where Chèo originated were unable to attract audience. Young people, especially those in cites, turned their backs on the art form.
The situation was so critical that the Ha long City Festival organizers weren’t expecting to attract much interest. They were in for a big surprise.
So why was the festival so successful? One reason seems to be because the festival returned to the origins of Chèo. Artists performed only traditional, authentic Chèo. The program includes no modernized plays. The festival also provided an opportunity for those involved to review and assess Vietnam classical Chèo plays through edited and adapted versions and then decide which elements to preserve and which to let go. The intent was to perform traditional Chèo yet ensure that the performance related as appropriately as possible to contemporary Vietnamese life.
Source: Chèo - Popular theatre of Vietnam culture
Comments
Post a Comment