Phạm Thị Thành and her first students at her house in February. Photo dantri.com.vn

HÀ NỘI - Well-known theatre director Phạm Thị Thành has passed away at her house after a long illness. She was 87 years old.

Thành was the former Director of the Việt Nam Youth Theatre and former Deputy Director of the Department of Performing Arts, and directed many award-winning productions over a distinguished career that spanned several decades.

Born in 1938 into nobility, her father Phạm Khắc Hòe was the head of Emperor Bảo Đại's cabinet and drafted the emperor's abdication edict in 1945. Her mother was from Huế and was a great-great-granddaughter of Emperor Minh Mạng.

Thành inherited a love for literature and art from her parents, joining the Central Art Troupe at age 14. Since then, she dedicated her life to the theatre.

After seven years studying theatre directing in the Soviet Union, she returned and drafted a proposal to establish the Việt Nam Youth Theatre with director Hà Nhân. The theatre was officially set up in 1987 and Thành held the director position from 1991 to 1996.

During her storied career, she directed more than 200 productions, nearly 20 of which won gold or silver medals at national theatre festivals.

She was recognised as the first director in Việt Nam to bring Shakespeare's tragedy Romeo and Juliet and Moliere's comedy The Bourgeois Gentleman to the stage.

Prominent Vietnamese playwright Lưu Quang Vũ (1948-1988), a phenomenon of Vietnamese theatre in the 20th century, was first introduced to the scene by Thành when she staged his Sống Mãi Tuổi 17 (Forever 17) in 1979 for the Việt Nam Youth Theatre.

She also directed more than 20 of Vũ's plays for art troupes across the country. Over the next decade, Thành and Vũ developed an influential creative partnership in theatre circles.

"Thành is a great artist, and her death is a loss to Vietnamese art and theatre," said stage director Trần Lực. "She was one of Việt Nam Youth Theatre's founders. She was one of the best theatre directors. I admire her, especially through her work with Vũ, including Forever 17."

Considered one of the great minds that created the golden age of Vietnamese theatre, Thành's death is a huge loss for those in the profession and for theatre lovers everywhere, Lực added.

"We are grateful and proud of her, a master director," said fellow director Sĩ Tiến, who was one of Thành's students at the theatre.

"We were fortunate to study and work with her. She was a female artist and director who always inspired with her enthusiasm, openness and sincerity. She encouraged creativity and was always demanding to make good plays. Her plays have made history," Tiến said.

Several of her students have later gone on to become popular artists, including Lê Khanh, Lan Hương, Chí Trung and Ngọc Huyền.

Thành's contributions also reached beyond Việt Nam. She served on the Executive Committee of the International Association of Theatre for Children and Young People, and chaired ASSITEJ Việt Nam.

During her career, she took part in numerous international theatre projects. After retirement, she was the director of the 990th anniversary celebrations of Thăng Long-Hà Nội, the 100th anniversary celebrations of Đà Lạt City and the Huế Festival.

She also served as Vice President of UNESCO Vietnam, was a member of the Executive Committee of the Việt Nam Union of Literature and Arts Association and a deputy of the Hà Nội People’s Council.

Named as a People's Artist in 1997, Thành became the first female director to receive the State Prize for Literature and Arts in 2012.

She is survived by her children with her late ex-husband, People's Artist Đào Mộng Long. Her funeral will be held on September 8. - VNS