BackArts & Culture » Music & Art » Đợi Kiều: A New Creative Project Examines 'Truyện Kiều' With Fresh Eyes

In an effort to facilitate new discussion and appreciation of Vietnam’s national epic poem The Tale of Kiều, this September, the team behind YUME - Art Project is launching a series of events titled “Đợi Kiều” (Waiting for Kiều). The initiative comprises the minishow “Thư gửi cung mây,” the seminar “Truyện Kiều - Ca dao & Hồn Việt,” and a contemporary cải lương performance titled “Đợi Kiều.”

"Thư gửi cùng mây."

Inspired by the phrase “Tháng tròn như gửi cung mây” in the epic poem, “Thư gửi cung mây” seeks to deliver a cozy night of conversations and musical performances that celebrate the ingenuity of the Vietnamese language. The show portrays various facets of Truyện Kiều through traditional art forms and instruments, performed by ca trù artisan Thục An, music collective Humm, cải lương artisan Hồng Bảo Ngọc, and rapper DABOTA.

Time: 7pm on September 10, 2022
Address: Vườn Thảo Điền, 34 Street No. 11, Thảo Điền Ward, Thủ Đức City.
Book a place here.

"Truyện Kiều - Ca dao & Hồn Việt."

At the seminar “Truyện Kiều - Ca dao & hồn Việt,” young audience members will have an opportunity to mull over the epic poem via an academic and linguistic viewpoint as researcher Nhật Chiêu and seminar host Nam Du delve into Truyện Kiều’s precise language and how it depicts a Vietnamese landscape full of marvels of nature. These are just a few attributes that have helped elevate the poem to its current level of reverence amongst Vietnamese readers.

Time: 9:30am on September 17, 2022
Address: Hoa Sen University, 8 Nguyễn Văn Tráng Street, Bến Nghé Ward, D1.
Book a place here.

"Đợi Kiều."

Last but not least, the project culminates on an experimental cải lương performance titled “Đợi Kiều.” It aims to showcase new interpretations and perspectives from young authors on ecofeminism, the epic poem itself, the freedom of women, and how they are depicted in contrast with nature and art. “Đợi Kiều” is penned by Dr. Đào Lê Na and arranged by Dr. Lê Hồng Phước.

Time: 8pm on September 24–25, 2022
Address: Nhà Văn Hóa Thanh Niên, 4 Phạm Ngọc Thạch Street, Bến Nghé Ward, D1.
Book your ticket here.

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