Accordingly, the 2024 Binh Dinh Province Non-Professional Tuong Theatre Festival will have the participation of 9 Tuong troupes. The program will take place over 3 nights (August 4-6) with the participation of 9 non-professional Tuong troupes in the province including: Nhon Hung Tuong Art Troupe, Sao Mai Tuong Troupe, An Nhon 1 Tuong Troupe, Phuoc An Commune Tuong Troupe, Tran Quang Dieu Tuong Art Troupe, Song Kon Tuong Art Troupe, An Nhon 2 Tuong Troupe, Hoai Nhon Tuong Art Troupe and Ngo May Tuong Troupe.

Each performing troupe must submit at least 1 excerpt and a maximum of 3 excerpts on traditional and historical topics with a specified duration of 20 - 30 minutes/excerpt.

Based on the number of excerpts and roles participating in the Festival, the Organizing Committee will award first, second, third and consolation prizes to groups (excerpt category) and individuals (role category) that ensure the criteria of content and artistic quality according to the regulations.

Sharing with the press, Mr. Huynh Van Loi - Deputy Director of the Department of Culture and Sports said that the 2024 Binh Dinh Province Non-Professional Tuong Theatre Festival is one of the practical activities organized to preserve and promote the national intangible cultural heritage - Binh Dinh Hat Boi Art in the province. According to the Department of Culture and Sports of Binh Dinh Province, Tuong is a unique traditional theatrical art form of Vietnam formed on the basis of traditional music, dance and folk performances that have existed for a long time in the nation.

Tuong is different from other types of theater such as Cheo, Cai Luong... Tuong carries a heroic tone with examples of loyalty to the country, self-sacrifice for a great cause, lessons about human behavior between the public and the private, between family and country.

It can be said that the heroic tragedy is an aesthetic feature of Tuong and Tuong is the stage of heroes.

Binh Dinh Province is the land where many types of intangible cultural heritage originated and spread, typically the art of hát bội, bài chòi, and traditional martial arts. In particular, hát bội is a scholarly performing art form imbued with traditional royal culture.

Binh Dinh Tuong has its own style, standing out in the large family of traditional stage arts nationwide. This place is associated with the names revered by the Tuong stage artists: the Predecessor Dao Duy Tu and the Later Ancestor Dao Tan.

According to the Department of Culture and Sports of Binh Dinh, in addition to the Dao Tan Tuong Troupe, a public art unit under the Provincial Drum Art Theater, Binh Dinh currently has nearly 10 non-professional Tuong troupes operating. The maintenance and development of non-professional Tuong troupes is a unique feature of Binh Dinh, always going hand in hand with the preservation and development of both professional and non-professional stages.

Through the ups and downs of national history, Binh Dinh Tuong art still maintains its inherent identity and promptly meets the enjoyment needs of the public everywhere. The sound of Binh Dinh Tuong drums has had the opportunity to resonate far and wide and leave many good impressions on the people and tourists.

This festival is an opportunity for the province's Tuong art troupes to exchange, learn and share experiences; for artists to compete in their performances, contributing to maintaining, developing and improving the quality of Binh Dinh's non-professional theater movement, meeting the needs of creativity and enjoyment of the arts of the masses.

The festival also aims to contribute to promoting the heritage of Binh Dinh Hat Boi Art to a large number of people inside and outside the province.

PV