Artist An Ninh: Must know how to let go to live true to passion

In the Vietnam Stage Artists Association, Meritorious Artist An Ninh is a very special person with a talent for staging plays of Nghe An folk songs and winning many prestigious awards.

On the occasion of Vietnam Stage Day (August 12th of the Lunar calendar), Meritorious Artist An Ninh - Head of the Artistic Direction Team, Center for Preservation and Promotion of Nghe An Folk Heritage, shared with Nghe An Newspaper about the work of a stage worker today.

Artist An Ninh is setting up a scene for actors from the Provincial Military Command. Photo: Duc Anh

- Dear Artist An Ninh, congratulations on the title of Meritorious Artist that you and your colleagues have just been awarded. This is indeed a worthy reward recognizing your efforts after more than 30 years in the profession. However, I also think that this title seems to have come to you late compared to those who developed at the same time?

- That's right, at my current age, after nearly 36 years of working, it can be considered late to receive the title of Meritorious Artist. However, I didn't think much about it and not because of anyone, but because that's my "position", when I work as a composer. In fact, my acting time is very little. Before that, when my husband and I first joined the troupe, we were both main actors. After that, I thought, the troupe had a lot of actors and every performance my husband and I participated in made us lose all opportunities. So, I decided to "retreat".

It was not until 2016-2017, when everyone in my generation had been awarded titles, that my colleagues in the troupe encouraged me to take part in a role to win a medal. At that time, I had not performed for nearly 20 years but still accepted the lead role in the play “Teacher and Student” and was also the scriptwriter. After that, I won a Gold Medal for both roles in this play and received a medal to be awarded the title of Meritorious Artist.

The scene of the man returning to his homeland after 60 years away in the play "Words of Man - Words of the Country" adapted by Meritorious Artist An Ninh and directed by People's Artist Hong Luu. Photo: Duc Anh

The title of Meritorious Artist is just a “title” and I think many people do not attach much importance to this title. However, when I was awarded it, I was really happy, because this is the recognition of the Party and State for the talent and dedication of the artist.

Meritorious Artist An Ninh

- You and your wife, People's Artist Hong Luu, are currently two famous artists in the provincial theater industry. But to achieve the success you have today, you both had to go through many difficulties and hardships. Can you share more about the work of a family when all of you are artists and public figures?

- We both come from two different hometowns, starting from scratch so hardship is real. At that time, I joined the troupe first and only studied at the troupe, not at school, through formal training like other actors. My first teacher was the late Meritorious Artist Dinh Bang, teacher and student sat together at the same table to teach each other singing. After 3 months, we passed the test and became official actors.

Unlike me, Hong Luu studied at school. We met in the troupe, fell in love and got married. In 1989, our wedding was held simply at the unit, no wedding party, no flowers, only colleagues and relatives. Many people later still wondered, but perhaps we like simplicity, not fussiness... Both of us believe that work and family are the most important things. I also do not think that I am a public figure, because I am just an ordinary person. Perhaps the audience knows me because of my works and roles. I am happy that when I go to many rural areas in Nghe An, Ha Tinh, to many villages, people see me as a family member.

People's Artist Hong Luu is not only the wife but also the "picky" colleague of Artist An Ninh. Photo courtesy

They say, behind a husband, there is always a wife in the rear. But his family has both a husband and a wife and from the outside, it seems like the two support each other. But, the reality is probably not so favorable?

- My husband and I argued and “ripped up books and notebooks” often because Luu was a picky and strict person when it came to art. If it wasn’t done yet, it wasn’t done yet, there was no way to compromise.

But we didn’t argue for long, we didn’t get angry because we were both very busy, from one festival to another, from one play to another. In fact, Luu supported me a lot, especially since Luu was an actor. For each of my works, Luu was the first to receive it. If it “got through” Luu, then everything would be fine. In the family, my wife was also the one who took care of everything because I only knew about work.

Luu is a picky and strict person when it comes to art. Luu is the first person to receive each of my works. If it “passes” Luu, then everything will be smooth sailing.

Meritorious Artist An Ninh

Understanding the full value of the proverbs will help you develop your strengths.

-Dear Artist An Ninh, you started out as a folk singer, but later became famous as an excellent adaptor of folk music scripts. Where did this change come from? Which play do you remember most special?

- I joined the troupe as an actor. However, my favorite thing was composing. Back then, every time I finished a role, I would sit down on the stage and just wish that I could perform a work on stage for the rest of my life. Because I loved it so much, during the day I performed, at night I would diligently write the script. However, I wrote only for passion, after writing I would leave it unfinished, even though I adapted many plays from beginning to end. My stage at that time was after performances for the people. At that time, the actors in the troupe would sit down for dinner together and I would dare to introduce my compositions.

Although he is an actor, Meritorious Artist An Ninh has more than 30 years of experience in writing and adapting scripts. Photo: Duc Anh

Later, when Nghe An and Ha Tinh provinces were separated, I returned to Ha Tinh. At that time, the troupe adapted a tragedy play called “Nang Mai Te Chong” but after the performance, I observed that there was not a single tear in the audience. At that time, I wrote a new script and asked two actors in the troupe to perform it. That night, after performing it for the women of Ha Tinh, everyone was very moved. That also helped me to be confident in myself and think that if I tried, I could do it too. Luckily for me, at that time, the troupe leader and the person who adapted the previous script was very supportive of me. That night, he brought beer into the room and said: Congratulations!

I joined the troupe as an actor. However, my favorite thing to do is to compose and I only wish to have one work performed on stage in my lifetime.

Meritorious Artist An Ninh

That was also the first time I had a work staged on stage. In early 1991, my wife and I returned to Nghe An and I began to have opportunities to express my passion, although at first I mainly wrote short excerpts for my wife and I to perform. It was not until 1996 that I had a longer script and was trusted by the leadership. Like Meritorious Artist Nguyen Ngoc At - Director of the theater, he really liked people who could do the job and as long as it was right, he would support it.

It must be said that, as a couple working in the same profession and at the same office, there is a lot of pressure and we do not always receive the sympathy and understanding of everyone. But, looking back now, I am truly grateful for the comments and the difficulties, because thanks to them, I have the efforts and efforts to achieve the success I have today.

I also think that I did not have much experience in school but mainly in life. Therefore, it was the hardships and difficulties that helped me grow and gain experience for myself. Moreover, I was also lucky because in my time, the veteran artists were all old. Therefore, opportunities were given to young people and our task was to do well.

Meritorious Artist An Ninh's compositions are all based on Nghe An's Vi and Giam folk songs. Photo: Duc Anh

Now, I do many plays a year and I like many of them. However, the plays that I like the most do not have many awards like “Where the land lives” and “The Tale of Kieu lulls a life” - those are plays that are true art.

Like many other theatrical fields, Nghe An folk drama has had very difficult periods. Why is this, Meritorious Artist An Ninh?

- The strength of folk songs is depth, wistfulness, sadness, not ostentation. If we can put these profound things into the play, it will be very convincing, especially going deep into the character's inner thoughts, delving into each thought. The listener just needs to listen to feel it. The success of Nghe folk drama is thanks to the material, the original lyrics, and the performance.

I also think that, in terms of expertise, it is not too difficult now because we have a long history of development. In the past, many artists such as Thanh Luu, Song Thao, Dinh Bao… did not mind the difficulties, “worked hard” to collect and develop Vi and Giam folk songs in the form of stage performances and received great achievements. Later, we inherited the values ​​of previous generations and promoted them to develop further.

The author is the one who lays the first creative foundation for a stage work, the one who creates the important “powder” on which the director and actors “wash away the glue”. However, nowadays, many opinions say that the script team of today’s stage is getting older. With Nghe folk opera, it is probably no exception?

- Not only the Nghe folk theater stage but also many other fields are lacking scripts. It seems that every year the Association of Stage Artists organizes many writing camps, but the results are not much, there are no excellent works that stand in the hearts of the audience.

There may be many different reasons for ability and perspective, but there may also be not many people who are passionate about the stage, especially in times of financial hardship like today. Currently, many young authors like to write for festivals because they can earn income quickly and early without having to compete.

Each work is a brainchild that he has cared for, pondered over, and entrusted with many meaningful things. Photo: Duc Anh

Having been involved in this profession, I have also found that no one can teach anyone else this profession. Therefore, in addition to passion, talent is needed. That is why authors in the past like Luu Quang Vu were very good writers, writing an entire play without having to change a single sentence. But now, many young authors send me their scripts but they do it in a hurry, almost having to redo everything afterwards.

Anyone who works in this profession knows that writing a stage script is very hard and tiring, and the budget is not much. Therefore, if you want to stick with this job, you have to know how to let go and live with your passion.

Meritorious Artist An Ninh

Personally, I think I can’t take care of everything. But I hope that if you want to stick with this job, you have to know how to let go and live with your passion. Nowadays, every family writes folk songs, schools write folk songs but they don’t leave much impression. If you write, think more and have depth, don’t be easygoing. Nghe Tinh is a land of literature, the audience is very demanding, the words need to be polished, profound, “the meaning is beyond the words”.

Even for artists, when they are attached to the profession, they should understand the profession and the value of folk songs and consider it a product to live by. The value of Vi and Giam folk songs is an eternal value and has been passed down through many generations, and it truly represents the people of Nghe An. When we fully understand the value of Vi and Giam songs, we will be able to develop our strengths.

Thank you Meritorious Artist An Ninh for this interview!