PEOPLE 'S LOVE FOR UNCLE HO

The script is set in 1969, in a revolutionary base in the Ca Mau mangrove forest. When the news of Uncle Ho's death reached the army and people, many cried, many built temples to worship Uncle Ho to burn incense in memory.

But at that time, no picture of Uncle Ho could be found to worship. A group of teenagers who came to attend, knowing this, quietly set out to find Uncle Ho's picture. Children like Non (leader of the children's guerrilla team), Dam, Liem, Be Ba (team members) began their journey with simple, innocent hearts loving Uncle Ho and the revolution. They did not expect the thorns and dangers that awaited them...

PHOTO: HK

On the way, the children met a guerrilla named Ba who helped them and found a banknote in Uncle Sau Son’s pocket with a picture of Uncle Ho printed on it, from which they drew a portrait. Dam even used the core of a mangrove tree to carve a statue of Uncle Ho. But before they could finish, the enemy commando team that had been following them gave them fierce chase. Mr. Ba had to sacrifice himself to save the children, and then Non sacrificed himself to protect his friend.

The audience shed tears during the touching performances. The play did not have any eloquent declarations, but only touched people's hearts with the simple, passionate feelings that the people of the South had for their leader. Those were real feelings during the resistance war, Uncle Ho was like a warm flame in the hearts of the people of the South, a motivation for them to maintain their steadfastness and indomitability in the fight.

N MODERN LANGUAGE OF YOUNG PEOPLE

The play premiered in 2020 at the Ho Chi Minh City Drama Theater, where Hoang Tan is working, and was also Hoang Tan's graduation exam for the directing department at the Ho Chi Minh City University of Theater and Cinema. At first, he only intended to do it as an exam, but the theater's leadership saw that the production was so well-staged that they supported more than 50% of the cost so that it could be performed right away. Indeed, as soon as the play premiered, it received many compliments and applause from the audience, and was performed at agencies, colleges, and universities.

Hoang Tan created the play's appeal by using the Gouze screen, a new technology that is quite popular in cinema but unprecedented in the stage. Investing 350 million VND in staging at that time was really bold, but the audience experienced beautiful, unforgettable performances. Designer Quang Thai created a mangrove forest scene, a secret tunnel, from which the guerrillas swam out to the river, just like real life. On the shimmering screen were images of people frolicking among jellyfish, seaweed branches, clear blue water, sparkling sun... A romantic world surrounded by bullets, bombs, and danger, making the audience exclaim with delight. That was an unforgettable highlight among the drama, suspense, and excitement throughout the 2 hours. Even that suspense created appeal, because the audience could not guess how the situation would continue.

Hoang Tan confided: "The stage must satisfy the audiovisual element. The content of the script is a "journey" meaning going through many places, which is very difficult if the stage is performed realistically or symbolically. I use the Gouze screen to help process the space better and faster". And he added that, in reality, the river in Ca Mau is dark in alluvium and not as clear as on the screen, but he intentionally chose it to implicitly convey the message that the young generation dreams of swimming out to the ocean, dreams of living in a peaceful green space, dreams of following in the footsteps of their fathers and brothers to realize noble ideals. And in fact, until now, that "journey" is still going on, the young generation is not only looking for Uncle Ho's portrait like a picture, but is also looking for a bright path for the country.

Artist Thanh Tuan plays the role of Mr. Ba the guerrilla very well, because he has a natural talent for comedy, so he breathes into the character the soul of Uncle Ba Phi, further honoring the land of Ca Mau, honoring traditional culture. As for the child actors, they are mainly chosen from the Tuoi Ngoc drama troupe of director Le Cuong. The actors are very lively and cute. The play is revolutionary but not dry or dogmatic, staged with a fast pace, using modern technology, truly for today's young audience.