Vietnamese-German contemporary drama reflects the reality of urban society
Gathering talented artists from Vietnam and Germany, drama The Gem is a blend of modern experimental theater with poetic script language.
THE HANOI TIMES —
The focus of The Gem is the journey of young people searching for a home, thereby revealing their social behaviors that shape contemporary life and desires in constantly changing cities. The apartment is more than a real estate; it is a symbol of aspiration between dream and reality.
There, the audience encounters great stories of the times: concerns about urban life, thoughts about greed and desire, and different aspects of society undergoing urbanization.
The Gem play creative team gathers experts from Vietnam and Germany. Photos courtesy of Youth Theater
The creative team includes screenwriter Thomas Köck, one of the most influential playwrights in contemporary Germany, director Dao Duy Anh, Deputy Head of the Drama Troupe of the Youth Theater, and stage artist Lina Oanh Nguyen, who practices art in parallel in Vietnam and Germany.
The project marks many important milestones for the Vietnamese stage. For the first time, a famous German playwright wrote specifically for a Vietnamese theater, and for the first time, the Youth Theatre collaborated with German-Vietnamese stage designer Lina Oanh Nguyen.
Meritorious Artist Nguyen Si Tien, Director of the Youth Theater, said that the special appeal that the play brings does not only come from the story itself.
“The visual and audio elements combined with the poetic, dramatic language and the powerful acting of the artists will bring a most special approach to the stage," he said.
"There, we can both encounter the creative language of the contemporary style that is prominent on the German stage and find the unique creations of the Youth Theater.”
An actor performing in The Gem play.
Scriptwriter Thomas Köck said that he is always interested in the topic of youth because there, he is free to create, not constrained by any framework. That is the reason why he is excited to cooperate with the Vietnam Youth Theater in the project The Gem.
According to Köck, contemporary German and Vietnamese societies have many similarities, such as the hustle and bustle of urban life and the fact that young people have to make efforts to find a home for themselves.
Through this project, the artists hope to contribute to a meaningful artistic dialogue with Vietnam’s dynamic theater community, promoting cross-cultural collaboration and creative exploration.
The play is performed in Vietnamese with English subtitles.
