The ancient Greek tragedy by Euripides is on the cai luong (reformed opera) stage at Vietnam Cai luong Theatre. (Photo: thethaovanhoa.vn) Hanoi (VNA) – Medea - an ancient Greek tragedy written by Euripides and firstproduced in 431 BC has been on the cai luong (reformed opera) stage for thefirst time, conquering Vietnamese audiences.
The Medea was based upon the myth of Jasonand Medea. The plot centers on the actions of Medea, a former princess of thekingdom of Colchis, and the wife of Jason; she finds her position in the Greekworld threatened as Jason leaves her for a Greek princess of Corinth. Medeatakes vengeance on Jason by murdering his new wife as well as her own two sons,after which she escapes to Athens to start a new life.
Euripides'play has been explored and interpreted by playwrights across the centuries andthe world in a variety of ways, offering political, psychoanalytical, andfeminist, among many other original readings of Medea, Jason, and the corethemes of the play.
In Vietnam,the work was translated into Vietnamese by translator Hoang Huu Dan andhas also been staged many times. The Medeaplay was adapted by People's Artist Trieu Trung Kien from apoetic script written by Excellent Artist Le Chuc.
Chuc and histeam have surprised the public by bringing a version that fully guarantees thevalue of the original tragic work and makes the play new, luxurious, and imbuedwith human values.
Sharing thereason for choosing the Medea script to be staged as a cai luong play,People's Artist Trieu Trung Kien, Director of the Vietnam Cai Luong Theater, said that forms of stage are facing a shortage of good scripts, sochoosing to stage the Medea is a way to enrich the theater's performance.
Right afterthe debut on April 11, the Theater offered a showfor athletes participating in the 12th ASEAN Para Games in Cambodia and anothershow to audiences from the National Academy of Public Administration.
The Theateris also planning to cooperate with businesses to bring the play to students ofuniversities and colleges.
Theproduction team expects that when staging a Western classic masterpiece in thestyle of reformed opera, with a combination of traditional Vietnamese theaterand world stage will attract more young audiences, bringing cai luong operacloser to the public, especially young people./.
