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Southern region’s ancient art needs a new home

Published: 10/09/2009 05:00

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LookAtVietnam – With a decrepit building as its only showcase in all of Ho Chi Minh City, the very existence of cai luong (Southern style operetta) is threatened,

Life’s a stage: A cai luong play is performed by the HCM City-based Tran Huu Trang trouple.

As the cradle of cai luong, HCM City needs an international standardised theatre, said People’s Artist Doan Hoang Giang.

Several years ago, the HCM City People’s Committee announced plans to pull down the old Hung Dao theatre and replace it with a new and modern one. To date, no progress has been made, said the management board of Hung Dao Theatre – which is the only remaining performance space in the city specialising in cai luong.

Covering 1,632 sq.m on Tran Hung Dao street , in district 1, the theatre was founded in 1960, and has borne witness to the rise and fall of cai luong in the period since. There were once more than 10 other cai luong theatres in the city but they have all closed in recent years because of declining audience numbers.

Although Hung Dao underwent three renovations – in 1997, 1998 and 2001 – the facility is now in serious disrepair.

Its infrastructure is damaged, with a leaking roof and broken seats. Its old sound and lighting systems have problems because they are outdated. And the drainage system has operated ineffectively for many years, creating bad smells and drawing mosquitos and rats – not the best way to attract an audience.

Moreover, the stage seems to be at high risk of collapse at any time.

“We were very sorry for actors and actresses when we saw them perform on such stage,” Giang said.

While other art forms have adopted modern technologies into their works, People’s Artist Pham Thi Thanh said, most activities involved in cai luong performances including controlling curtain and stage lights remain manually done.

The city should consider hastening the implementation of a renovation project in an effort to further, and possibly save, the tradition of cai luong, the theatre’s management board said.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News

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