The director infuses the spirit of the countryside into each play.

Quietly breathing life into the rural theater stage.

The stage lights came on, and the amateur actors...Hoa Son commune (Anh Son district)They stepped out to greet the audience. After a few initial moments of nervousness, they began to embody the emotional characters of the play "The Magical Photograph." Backstage, Mr. Tran Duy Thang quietly observed, anxiously and nervously following each performance; and then, his joy erupted when the play won first prize in the entire district. In April 2024, the amateur actors from Hoa Son commune continued to take this play to the provincial competition, proudly winning third prize in the "Communication on Preventing and Combating Domestic Violence" competition.

When people in Anh Son talk about Mr. Thang, they always express their sincere affection for him, because amidst the hustle and bustle of modern life, he quietly preserves the traditional cultural values ​​of the nation through local theatrical performances.

Holding a copy of the book published by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in 2013 titled "Short theatrical plays for propaganda on preventing and combating domestic violence," Mr. Thang said that his play "When We Understand" had reached the national finals that year. Later, when selecting the 24 best works to be printed as a book, his work was chosen for publication.

Browse through the library's collection of books.stage propaganda scriptIt's not difficult to find his works. For example, the anthology "Selected Plays from the Amateur Stage Scriptwriting Camp" of the Nghe An Department of Culture and Sports includes the play "Whose Fault Is It?"; the anthology of Short Plays of the Nghe An Information and Exhibition Center (now the Nghe An Provincial Cultural Center) includes the play "A Story of Democracy in My Hometown" written by him.

Most of these performances were guided by him to amateur acting troupes in Anh Son district, who competed and won high awards at various festivals. Locals are familiar with the image of Mr. Tran Duy Thang diligently spending hours instructing amateur actors – farmers, workers, or ordinary civil servants – on every movement and line of dialogue. Whenever a line wasn't performed well, he patiently explained and demonstrated until everything flowed smoothly.

"

The stage is not just a place to perform, but a place to feel, to live with the character, with the story you're telling...

Mr. Tran Duy Thang

Therefore, many of the initial amateur actors were hesitant and shy when standing in front of a crowd, but under Mr. Thang's guidance, they gradually became more confident and mastered the stage, becoming amateur actors of their villages. Even though he is over seventy years old, Mr. Tran Duy Thang continues to write and contribute to amateur theater. Because of his enthusiasm, many agencies, schools, and communes in the district have sought him out to write scripts, direct programs, and rehearse performances.

The themes he chooses for his works often revolve around pressing social issues, such as domestic violence, grassroots democracy, or traditional moral values ​​that are gradually fading in modern life. For him, art must reflect life, have an impact on the audience, help them reflect on themselves, and ponder the state of society. The greatest "reward" he receives is the joy and pride of seeing his plays shine on stage, and traditional cultural values ​​being preserved and spread.

Over the past period, Mr. Tran Duy Thang has had 3 plays win first and second prizes at the provincial level and nearly 10 plays win high awards at district-level competitions. At the same time, he has also staged performances for folk songs and dances, thereby making a significant contribution to promoting the local cultural movement.

Ignite love with traditional cultural values.

Few people know that the origins of Mr. Thang's valuable contributions to the local cultural movement stem from a deep-seated love for traditional cultural values ​​that he was nurtured with from a young age. Going back in time to 1953, Tran Duy Thang was born in Phu Linh village (now Hamlet 5) of Linh Son commune, Anh Son district.

Is it because...Linh SonThis land is blessed with picturesque landscapes, with the poetic Lam River winding through it, and rolling hills stretching endlessly, yet the people here deeply cherish the melodies of the Ví and Giặm folk songs. This land is also considered one of the "cradles" of Ví and Giặm folk songs of Nghe An province during the "Singing to drown out the sound of bombs" movement in the resistance war against the US.

Growing up in that environment, Tran Duy Thang soon showed a talent for folk singing in children's cultural performances. He caught the attention of local cultural officials and was guided to develop his artistic career. From the age of 10, Thang participated in youth performing arts groups, leaving a lasting impression on the local community.

In 1970, the Nghe Tinh Cheo Troupe held recruitment drives, and Tran Duy Thang, then only 17 years old, boldly applied. (At that time, Nghe Tinh province had five theatrical troupes: the Nghe Tinh Song and Dance Troupe, the Nghe Tinh Folk Song Troupe, the Nghe Tinh Cheo Troupe, the Nghe Tinh Cai Luong Troupe, and the Nghe Tinh Spoken Drama Troupe). After rigorous tests on singing, rhythm, and physique, he was selected.

After only a year with the troupe, he was given his first acting role by the director: the character of a soldier named Sơn in the traditional Vietnamese opera "The Girl of the Lam River." Following that, he took on the role of Bọ Già Xuân – the teacher of the Prince – in the traditional Vietnamese opera "Tấm Cám." These roles were all challenging, requiring the portrayal of complex psychological states, but he excelled in each.

Following the success of these two <i>cheo</i> plays, Tran Duy Thang quickly gained trust and was given many different roles, from villains to heroes, from humorous to contemplative, from mandarins to commoners. His versatile acting ability helped him become one of the outstanding <i>cheo</i> artists of the Nghe Tinh Cheo Troupe, contributing significantly to keeping the flame of traditional theatrical art alive in his homeland.

After 17 years of dedication to the traditional Vietnamese opera troupe, due to the fact that his family had two fallen soldiers, the State facilitated his move to the Russian Federation for work. While abroad, even though his main job was working in a factory, he still organized traditional Vietnamese cultural performances with the Vietnamese community.

Until 1991, he returned to Vietnam. Having passed the age limit for professional art, he immersed himself in the folk art movement with his neighbors. He guided many people, sharing his knowledge and spreading his love for traditional art forms.

Among them, it's worth mentioning Ms. Hoang Thi Hoa Dao (born in 1974) - Deputy Principal of Tuong Son Kindergarten, whom he mentored since she was a young teacher. Thanks to this, she won many top prizes in the district's lullaby singing competition and second prize in the provincial-level drama competition on understanding grassroots democracy regulations in 2020. These successes helped her maintain her love for the stage and achieve many more high accomplishments in the locality.

"

Thanks to Mr. Tran Duy Thang's guidance, I and many others in the district have not only learned acting skills but also gained a deeper understanding of the cultural values ​​of our homeland.

The love for the stage and the pride in traditional culture that he instilled in me are the driving force and inspiration for me to continue pursuing my passion and preserving the precious cultural values ​​of my homeland...

Ms. Hoang Thi Hoa Dao - Vice Principal of Tuong Son Kindergarten