Strings attached: HCMC preschools and primary schools will staged puppet plays about Vietnamese history as part of a two-year children’s theatre programme launched by the IDECAF Stage this month. -- Photo tuoitre.vn |
HCM CITY — IDECAF Stage, HCM City’s leading private drama theatre, is staging a children’s puppet play about a farmer family that led Vietnamese in their fight against aggressors.
The 35-minute play, Thánh Gióng (Saint Gióng), features Gióng, a young hero from the family.
Nearly 400 preschool students at the Bé Ngoan School in District 1 attended the opening show recently.
Young audiences were rapt with wonder while veteran and young actors of the theatre’s Nụ Cười (Smiles) Puppet Troupe displayed skills in puppetry, music, dance and circus tricks.
“Costume designers and specialists in sound and light added a realistic element to the play through beautiful puppets, accessories and interior design suited to the play’s theme,” said theatre director Huỳnh Anh Tuấn.
The play is part of the theatre’s drama programme on Vietnamese history created for preschool and primary school students.
“Our two-year project will offer 50 shows at school, which cost about VNĐ400 million (US$18,000) per year,” said Tuấn, adding that his staff had received financial support from the city’s Department of Education and Training.
"Through our project, we hope children will enter the theatre and learn more about the country’s history and traditional theatre," he said.
Featured plays such as Trần Quốc Toản (Young Hero Trần Quốc Toản) and Sơn Tinh-Thủy Tinh (The God of Mountain and The God of Water) will be offered.
The shows will be staged for students at preschools and primary schools in rural Nhà Bè, Thủ Đức, Củ Chi and Cần Giờ districts next week. — VNS