Meritorious Artist Chi Trung: Our apples are flying around the kitchen shelf.

VTV's Tao Quan program was recorded in mid-February, and this week, Tuoi Tre Theater's "Tao Cuoi Don Xuan" will be broadcast on television on the evening of December 23. Director, Meritorious Artist Chi Trung shares about the program "related" to Tao.

Meritorious Artist Chi Trung plays Tao Quan, also plays Tao Cuoi and Tao Hong.

I heard you are hesitant to join Tao Quan this year?

Honestly, I am old, night practice is quite a big obstacle. By 2-3am my head is numb, so night practice is hard. Every year I am enthusiastic, this year the cold weather is fine but my head is numb, I am weak, and I can’t feel warm when eating. All the theater work is put on me because at the end of the year no one goes to stage tragedies. Before, I only had this body, so practicing Tao Quan felt easy.

That said, we have to participate. We go on a ship together, take it to many ports, and there are only a few more ports before we get on a plane and leave. There are some hiccups that we will overcome, it seems like the elderly have more active nerves, bringing back youth to the cells (laughs).

What's new in this year's television version of "Tao Cuoi Don Xuan" compared to last year's stage version?

There were three short plays, so this year two new plays were made. Last year, I made Tao drunk, Tien Chua, but now I completely abandoned it, becoming Nong dau nha Tao including Tao gia, Tao tre and Tao ba. This year's "Tao cuoi doi xuan" only kept the medical part of the Model Hospital. This year's story has a very funny reason: The son of the Tao family was caught while racing fish, everyone pushed each other to the ward to save his son. The two fathers fought to recognize the son, then took each other to the hospital for DNA testing. Tao ba was played by Minh Hang, Tao gia was played by me, Tao tre was Ba Anh, Ngoc Hoang-Duc Khue, Thien Loi was Manh Dung, the person in the ward People's Committee who "mainly acted" was Van Dung. The entire cast of skilled actors of Drama Group 2 played in the Model Hospital. Hanoi Radio and Television bought this program to broadcast on Ong Cong Ong Tao day and sell discs.

Many artists in Tao Cuoi are too familiar to the audience on the Tao Quan stage, will their style be different?

It is different. Firstly, VTV's Tao Quan has shaped the Jade Emperor as Quoc Khanh, Nam Tao-Xuan Bac, Bac Dau-Cong Ly. Here we do not simulate the Tao Quan in heaven, only talk about the Tao family between the female Tao and the two jealous Tao men. One side is stylized so that the Taos go to heaven to report, the Tao of the Youth Theater has the Jade Emperor come down to see what is on earth, helping the two Tao men determine whose son the boy who races fish is.

You also staged “Tao Hong” to welcome spring, still following “Tao”. Is this program any different from the comedy shows of the year?

It's still Tao because Tet can't be taken from any other word. Tao Hong welcomes spring from January 6 to 10, still the daily stories of the people, comedy stories pushed to criticism. I try to do it differently. On normal days there is Xom Hong, on Tet there is Tao Hong. The character of Xom Hong is me, Van Dung, Minh Hang, Duc Khue and a series of other actors dressed as Mr. and Mrs. Tao, Nam Tao, Bac Dau, Ngoc Hoang, walking around the neighborhood to see what kind of things are going on. The theme this time is "virtue - heart" of people in life, with three accompanying comedies such as Thien Dinh Tay Du Hi, Viet Lieu Ve Luoc, Nguoi Thang Soi Trai.

Aren't you afraid that people will think you're copying Tao Quan, and then compare your Tao to not raising pressing issues?

The pressing issues that VTV has made, people still criticize after watching, let alone us who are poor, not invested with billions of dong, only a few tens of millions. Regarding social issues, this minister, that commander, please watch VTV. That is the work of people in the ninth cloud, I do it on the smoke floor in the kitchen. My Apple is the apple that flies above every roof, bed, kitchen, cupboard, originating from everyday life. Don't think that Apple has to have all the characters, don't compare Nam Tao and Bac Dau.

Our stories are just for the people, but not without some interesting parts. The macro stories are for the government, but each family has its own issues to solve, but still interesting as usual.

Does taking on too much work affect your inspiration and the quality of your roles?

I thought I was the locomotive pulling the children along. Like in the play Me and Us, there was the role of Thanh - the one who rushed out of the tunnel and got injured. I was happy to rush out, sitting inside I couldn't stand it. I also wanted to rest, wanted to watch a movie for an hour or two without having to think about anything.

Staying up all night with Tao Quan again Although refusing to share about Tao Quan, the artist did not forget to "take selfies" and post photos on his personal Facebook. Van Dung wrote: "Starting to stay up all night with Tao Quan again. Tired but the joy and enthusiasm are endless". Tu Long: "The clock has already shown 2am, the Taos are still diligently practicing". He posted a series of funny photos of frowning faces, Quoc Khanh scratching his head, and another photo of the group of artists smiling happily. Still seeing the full set of Ngoc Hoang, Nam Tao, Bac Dau, then Van Dung, Quang Thang, Chi Trung. Chi Trung also showed off a series of photos with the caption: "Rehearsing Tao for nearly ten nights, this is how exhausted his beauty is".

According to Tien Phong