SOUTHERN CULTURE - The HCM City-based Sân Khấu Tài Năng (Talent Stage) Club is helping to preserve and develop 'cải lương' (reformed opera) and 'tuồng' (classical drama), two traditional genres of Vietnamese theatre which began more than 100 years ago. Photo courtesy of the club

HCM CITY — Young actors of the Sân Khấu Tài Năng (Talent Stage) Club made their debut with a series of performances in HCM City last weekend.

They performed cải lương (reformed opera) and tuồng or hát bội (classical drama), two Vietnamese traditional theatre genres that began more than 100 years ago.

Young talents include actresses Tú Quyên, Thảo Trâm, Kim Thư and Quỳnh Anh.

They staged Trần Quốc Toản Ra Quân (Young Hero Trân Quốc Toản in the Battle), a cải lương play featuring Vietnamese history.

They added modern styles to cải lương and tuồng to meet the taste of young audiences.

“Our club is managed by the Trần Hữu Trang Cải Lương Theatre, one of the region’s leading state-owned traditional art troupes. It attracts young members aged six to 16 years old who study at art schools and training courses offered by leading theatres,” said scripwriter-director Hoàng Song Việt, a founder of the club.

“We will help young talent to develop their career, while preserving and bringing the traditional art forms closer to young audiences,” Việt said.

He invited veteran artists, such as cải lương stars Tú Sương and Điền Trung, to help young artists improve their vocal and performance skills in the hopes that they will renew the art.

The club’s artists are working to offer a series of shows targeting children. These new shows feature quality images, sound and music that provide the audience with wonderful insights about their culture and theatre.

FUTURE STAR: Young talent Tú Quyên (right) performs with her peers from the Sân Khấu Tài Năng (Talent Stage) Club in HCM City. Photo courtesy of the club

“I love working with my club’s members. It is a chance for me to learn more from talented artists who love Vietnamese theatre and want to devote all their love and energy to the stage,” said actress Tú Quyên, daughter of cải lương star Tú Sương.

Quyên began her career at a drama club when she was a child. With her strong voice and rapid improvement in performance skills, she soon became a new talent in reformed opera.

She has performed in supporting roles in several plays and TV shows.

“I wanted to follow in my mom’s footsteps to become a professional performer. I wanted to continue my family’s tradition. I believe reformed opera will stay alive if our young artists keep developing it,” said the 16-year-old.

New shows by actors of Sân Khấu Tài Năng Club are staged every Sunday in August and September at the Trần Hữu Trang Cải Lương Theatre, 136D Trần Hưng Đạo Street in District 1. — VNS