Genesis of Vietnamese theatre: CHÈO - (3) Admiring greatest works

Throughout the long journey of Chèo, various Chèo plays have emerged, reflecting the changes in styles of each historical period and also the mindset of the performing artists and the contemporary people. In this post, Vietstage Memoir will introduce several notable works of Chèo. Let's begin!

There are 7 classical Chèo plays that originated from the early days of Chèo, which influenced all the later Chèo plays and created over 200 Chèo melodies. These are: Quan Âm Thị Kính, Trương Viên, Chu Mãi Thần, Kim Nham, Lưu Bình - Dương Lễ, Trinh Nguyên và Từ Thức.

Quan Âm Thị Kính

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This famous play was first performed in the 17th century, using simple theatrical techniques and conventional folk dances. However, it was later remastered in the 20th century, with remarkable changes in both plots and theatrical techniques.

Storyline

• Thị Kính was an esteemed woman from a poor family. She was married to Thiện Sĩ, a student from the wealthy Sùng family. One night, while Thiện Sĩ was asleep, Thị Kính saw a stray hair on his chin - which was considered a bad omen. She tried to trim the hair, but he woke up and wrongly suspected her of trying to harm him. The Sùng family accused Thị Kính of attempting to kill her husband and being sent back to her parents' home.
  

• Frustrated and depressed, Thị Kính disguised herself as a man and joined a temple, where she was given the name Kính Tâm. Meanwhile, Thị Mầu, a wealthy and promiscuous woman, became infatuated with Kính Tâm but was rejected. In her desperation, she had an affair with a servant, became pregnant, and falsely accused Kính Tâm of the affair. Kính Tâm was punished and forced to care for the abandoned child, eventually being expelled from the temple.
  

• Kính Tâm raised the child until her death from exhaustion. Before dying, she left a letter revealing the injustices she had faced. Her family, upon learning the truth, held a memorial service, during which it was discovered that Kính Tâm was actually a woman. The Buddha, recognizing her spiritual achievements, allowed her to become the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, known as Quan Âm Thị Kính.
  

Thị Mầu lên Chùa - a scene from Quan Âm Thị Kính (Source: Báo ảnh Việt Nam)

The play exposes the dark sides of a feudal society a patriarchal system where unfortunate women and those from lower social classes are neither respected nor given a voice of their own, but still possessing admirable qualities despite enduring a tragic life. There is even a saying "Oan Thị Kính" - meaning the wrong accusations of Thị Kính - to illustrate how harsh was life for her, and for all the women in the feudal society

Lưu Bình and Dương Lễ

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Along with Quan Âm Thị Kính, Lưu Bình and Dương Lễ are also among the 7 classic Chèo plays. The message of this play is how good friends help each other through hard times.

Storyline

• Once upon a time, Dương Lễ and Lưu Bình were close friends, although Dương Lễ came from a poor background while Lưu Bình was the son of a rich family. Both were passionate about literature, so they became friends and travelled to the capital to study. Dương Lễ succeeded in the imperial exam and became an official, while Lưu Bình failed, lived a wandering life, and returned home. Seeking help, Lưu Bình visited Dương Lễ but was coldly treated. Dương Lễ then asked his third wife, Châu Long, to support Lưu Bình’s studies.
  

• Châu Long agreed and travelled to meet Lưu Bình at an inn, where they shared their difficulties. Châu Long, having left her wealthy but unbearable marriage, decided to help Lưu Bình. She used the money from Dương Lễ to repair a house and support Lưu Bình’s education, while she lived simply and missed her husband.
  

• Lưu Bình later passed the imperial exam with top honours. When he returned, he found that Châu Long had disappeared. He went to Dương Lễ’s house, where Dương Lễ warmly welcomed him and introduced his three wives. Lưu Bình realized that Châu Long was one of them, understanding the full situation.
  

A scene in Lưu Bình and Dương Lễ (Source: Sở Văn hóa - Thể thao và Du lịch Thái Bình)

Chu Mãi Thần

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Although the plot of Chu Mãi Thần originates from China, it was adjusted to match the Vietnamese mindset. The original play condemned women who neglected their duties according to Confucianism and abandoned their households, along with criticizing husbands who neglected their wives. However, modern adaptation has been modified to cater for more diverse tastes and meet modern ethical standards.

Original Storyline

• Chu Mãi Thần is a young, hard-working man. He aspired to become an official in the feudal system but was too poor to support his wife - Thiệt Thê - while still maintaining his studies, so he had to make a living by collecting firewood. His wife, Thiệt Thê, witnessing how poor and devastating her husband was, left to become a concubine of a richer official in the region. When the rich official's wife from the capital Huế came to find her husband, she confronted him on the position of Thiệt Thê. In the end, Thiệt Thê left the rich official again.
  

• Later, when Chu Mãi Thần had achieved success and fame, Thiệt Thê decided to reunite with him. Thiệt Thê asked him to take her back, but Chu Mãi Thần refused. He poured a bowl of water onto the ground and told her that if she could retrieve the spilt water, he would consider taking her back as his wife. Embarrassed, Thiệt Thê left the house and got struck by lightning, then died not long after.
  

A scene featuring Thiệt Thê in Chu Mãi Thần (Source: Báo Tổ Quốc)

Kim Nham

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Like Chu Mãi Thần, this play also criticizes women who were ungrateful and betrayal.

Storyline

Kim Nham is a poor student from the Sơn Nam region, who currently studies in the capital. He is married to Xúy Vân, the daughter of the district official. Before Xúy Vân married, her brother Cu Sứt taught her, creating a classic comedic role in traditional opera. After the marriage, Kim Nham went back to the capital to pursue a career, leaving Xúy Vân alone at home, where she felt very sad and lonely.

While Kim Nham was away, Trần Phương, a wealthy and unscrupulous man from Đông Ngàn, Bắc Ninh, sought to woo Xúy Vân through Mụ Quán, urging her to feign madness to escape Kim Nham. Xúy Vân followed the advice and pretended to be insane. Upon receiving a letter from Xúy Quỳnh, Xúy Vân's younger sister, Kim Nham returned home, inviting a fortune teller and a shaman to help cure his wife, but with no success. The couple then set up an altar and swore an oath to free each other. Some versions of the story end here.

Xúy Vân in chèo Kim Nham (Source: Vietnamnet)

However, later adaptations add another ending: After Kim Nham achieved a high score in the exam and was appointed as an official, he saw his wife begging for money on the street. Recognizing his ex-wife, Kim Nham put a silver bar in a rice ball and asked someone to give it to Xuy Van. Xuy Van saw the silver bar and found out who gave her the money. Feeling ashamed, she died not long after.

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