People's Artist, Director Pham Thi Thanh Passes Away

People's Artist Pham Thi Thanh during her lifetime. (Photo courtesy)

People's Artist Pham Thi Thanh was born in 1941. She is the great-granddaughter of Tuy Ly Vuong - the 11th son of King Minh Mang and the youngest daughter of a high-ranking mandarin of the Nguyen Dynasty, Bao Dai Dynasty - Director of the Cabinet Office Pham Khac Hoe - who had great merit in persuading King Bao Dai to abdicate.

Inheriting her parents' love of literature and art, People's Artist Pham Thi Thanh had cherished the dream of pursuing art since childhood. At the age of 14, she joined the Central Art Troupe, had the opportunity to meet and later fall in love with People's Artist Dao Mong Long.

In 1970, she was sent by the State to study stage directing in Russia. After returning after 7 years of study, she and director Ha Nhan drafted a project to establish the Youth Theater.

In 1987, the Youth Theatre was officially established, with director Ha Nhan as Director and People's Artist Pham Thi Thanh as Deputy Director. Under her guidance, many talented faces from the first class of actors of the Youth Theatre later became famous artists, such as: People's Artist Lan Huong, People's Artist Le Khanh, People's Artist Anh Tu, Meritorious Artist Chi Trung, Meritorious Artist Duc Hai...

Besides the position of Director of the Youth Theater (1991-1996), People's Artist Pham Thi Thanh also held many positions, such as Deputy Director of the Department of Performing Arts, Vice President of the Vietnam UNESCO Association, member of the Executive Committee of the Vietnam Literature and Arts Association...

Having devoted her whole life to Vietnamese theater, she has made a huge fortune by directing more than 200 plays, of which nearly 20 won Gold Medals and several won Silver Medals.

In particular, by “exploring” the creative potential of the genius playwright Luu Quang Vu, People’s Artist Pham Thi Thanh collaborated with author Luu Quang Vu to bring a vibrant breath to the domestic stage with dozens of impressive plays such as: Living forever at 17, The Last Summer, Innocent Heart, The Tiger King, Good Man in House Number 5…

In addition to drama, she also participated in staging many festivals, including many large-scale festivals such as: the 990th anniversary of Thang Long- Hanoi , the 330th anniversary of Khanh Hoa, Hue Festival... In addition, she also actively participated in international art cooperation projects, and taught students majoring in theater and cinema...

For her contributions, she was awarded the title of Meritorious Artist in 1988 and the title of People's Artist in 1997. In 2012, she was awarded the State Prize for Literature and Arts.

People's Artist Pham Thi Thanh has passed away, but her imprints, spirit, and love for the stage are still being nurtured and continued in her colleagues and students, so that the flow of Vietnamese stage is always nurtured and connected with the public of many generations.

TRANG ANH

Source: https://nhandan.vn/nghe-si-nhan-dan-dao-dien-pham-thi-thanh-qua-doi-post905889.html