- It is known that you studied Music Pedagogy, so what brought you to the art of puppetry?
- Initially, I studied Music Pedagogy at the Military University of Culture and Arts. However, in my second year of university, a chance encounter led me to try my hand at puppetry. I applied for the puppetry class at the Vietnam Puppetry Theater and was lucky enough to be accepted. Since then, I have been involved in puppetry for 21 years.
- What difficulties did you encounter during practice and performance?
- Puppetry requires strength - especially for women. Normally, puppets are very heavy, and the actors have to stand in water, wearing special rubber suits to protect against water. This suit also weighs about 3kg. When standing in water about 80 - 90cm deep, our feet and ankles are under great pressure from the water, which is very painful. Therefore, we have to wear a pair of cotton socks to reduce the water pressure on our feet.
Just imagine, you have to control a heavy puppet, wearing a 3kg rubber suit, and then move underwater with a lot of resistance - you have to produce a lot of force. Moving and controlling the puppet at the same time is not simple. For women with "weak legs and soft hands", it is even more difficult.
Second, the rubber suit is very stuffy. The staff at the Puppet Theater often suffer from occupational diseases such as arthritis, sinusitis... because they have to soak in water all day. Many times when practicing, we have to soak from morning to night, for dozens of hours. Then we have to run to perform. Those diseases follow us like an indispensable "promotional combo" of the profession and we have to learn to accept that.
- With such hardships, what has kept you passionate about your career for the past 21 years?
- I feel very lucky to have achieved many achievements and valuable results that this profession brings. Moreover, during my career, I have had the opportunity to perform and tour in many places, not only domestically but also abroad. Wherever I go, the audience always shows love, interest and admiration for the art of puppetry of Vietnam. That is also the great motivation for me to continue pursuing the artistic path until today.
- On that long journey, did you ever want to stop?
- Yes, in the past, puppetry was very difficult and not as developed as it is now. Many times, financially , I didn't have enough to live on, so I thought about quitting or switching to another job to earn a better income. But then I was encouraged by my brothers, sisters, friends, and colleagues. Every time the thought of “quitting” or “changing careers” flashed through my mind, I somehow found a job opportunity, so I practiced, performed, and participated in competitions. So I was caught up in that cycle, and then I gained more confidence and determination to continue doing the job.
- Of the puppet shows you have performed, which one makes you emotional and memorable?
- The play that left the most impression and changed me the most was “The Fate of Kieu”. I was assigned the role of Thuy Kieu. This was the first time I took on such a heavy role so I felt a lot of pressure. Right at the time of rehearsing for the role, I almost lost my appetite and sleep, and was very stressed.
After finishing the role of Kieu, it took me three months to get out of character. That time was quite tiring, I only slept about two hours a day. The rest of the time, my mind was always tense like a guitar string, always thinking about the character Thuy Kieu, how to best portray the character.
- You have participated in many mobile performances, bringing puppets to schools. What motivated you?
- Having been involved with puppetry for 21 years now, I find this art very interesting, there are many things to discover , to learn, so I want to preserve and spread the art of water puppetry to young people, so that they know and understand more about a unique traditional folk art form. This is a very interesting and attractive subject. I also hope that in the future, I can bring the art of puppetry closer to students, so that puppetry - especially water puppetry - will not be lost over time.
I am very happy to see young people starting to pay more attention to puppetry, especially students. Previously, the theater mainly organized programs for children, preschoolers and kindergarteners. The number of audiences who were students or teenagers and above was very small. However, in recent years, the theater's programs have been increasingly expanded, and the audience has also become more diverse. It is gratifying that students are starting to pay more attention to the theater and traditional arts. This can be seen as a very positive resonance, contributing to the return and development of Vietnamese folk culture.
Thank you very much!
Meritorious Artist Nguyen Lan Huong has affirmed her talent and courage through many roles, winning many awards at professional theater festivals: Honored as "Young Talent" at the 2nd Puppetry Festival (2008), Silver Medal at the 3rd Puppetry Festival (2012), Gold Medal at the 4th Puppetry Festival (2015), Gold Medal at the 5th Puppetry Festival (2018), Gold Medal at the 4th International Experimental Theater Festival (2019)... In 2023, she was awarded the title of Meritorious Artist.
Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/nsut-nguyen-lan-huong-lan-toa-tinh-yeu-mua-roi-den-gioi-tre-708224.html
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