The HCM City Theatre Association releases the book Sân Khấu Cải Lương Thành Phố Hồ Chí Minh 1975 – 2025 (Cải Lương in HCM City in 1975 – 2025) to honour the traditional genre of southern theatre at the HCM City Book Street on July 8. VNS Photo by Phương Mai

HCM CITY – The HCM City Theatre Association has published a new book on cải lương (reformed opera), a traditional genre of southern theatre dating back to the early 1920s.

The 600-page Sân Khấu Cải Lương Thành Phố Hồ Chí Minh 1975 – 2025 (Cải Lương in HCM City in 1975 – 2025) includes 81 articles about the history and development of the art written by 18 cải lương directors, playwrights, actors, critics, researchers, and journalists.

They include veteran theatre director Tôn Thất Cần, journalist and critic Thanh Hiệp and cultural researcher Huỳnh Quốc Thắng.

People’s Artists Trần Minh Ngọc and Trần Ngọc Giàu are its editors-in-chief.

Four chapters delve into 50 years of development of cải lương in the city, the staging and performance of the art, its creative elements, and the leading directors and performers and their careers.

There are portraits of cải lương gurus such as People’s Artists Năm Châu, Bảy Nam, Phùng Há and Ba Vân, who devoted their life to creating and developing the art in the southern region.

There are portraits of a number of directors, playwrights, stage designers, and musicians who made great contributions to preserving and fostering the art.

Theatrical directors and cultural researchers talk about preparations for the book at the book introduction held at HCM City Book Street on July 8. VNS Photo by Phương Mai

Giàu, chairman of the association, told the book introduction event at the HCM City Book Street on Tuesday: “The book aims to help next generations learn about what older generations had done so they can follow predecessors’ steps in developing cải lương.”

Published by the Writers Association Publishing House, it is the second book in the association’s series about the history and development of the art.

The first, Cải lương Sài Gòn 1955 – 1975, was published in 2023.

It focuses on Cải Lương Nam Bộ Troupe, which was set up in 1952 and attracted artists engaged in the revolutionary movement in what was then South Vietnam.

Cải Lương Nam Bộ Troupe was formed from three troupes in the region.

It sent its artists to perform at the National Music and Theatre Festival in Hà Nội in 1955 after the 1954 Geneva Agreement on Indochina was signed.

The troupe played a very important role in the theatre’s development in the south.

One of its most popular plays was Tiếng Trống Mê Linh (The Sounds of Mê Linh Drum), a production staged by Trần Hữu Trang Cải Lương Theatre, one of the leading traditional art troupes in the south.

It was first staged in 1977 and has been restaged many times.

It tells the stories of TrưngTrắc and Trưng Nhị, the sisters who led the first resistance against Chinese occupation 2,000 years ago.

They led their troops from the back of elephants to repel Chinese invasions. Their victory delivered liberation for Đại Việt (former name of Việt Nam) after 247 years under Chinese yoke.

Both books have been donated to cultural schools, universities and organisations. — VNS