In the cheo plays, North Vietnamese people recognize their lives, their fates and their dreams.
Origin of cheo
Cheo is one of Vietnam’s traditional theatrical forms. Like water puppetry, it originates in Red River Delta. Cheo plays were usually performed in the courtyards of communal houses in post-harvest festivals to show gratitude to the gods and to entertain the villagers. Cheo was once an entertainment of kings but in the 15th century, king Le Thanh Tong, who was strongly influenced by Confucianism banned cheo in his court. From then on, cheo has developed as a folk art which was loved and supported chiefly by the common people.
Some characteristics of cheo
Cheo is composed of narration, music, dancing and bantering between actors and musicians or even audiences. Traditionally, the stage for cheo performances is just a big mat spread in the middle of the courtyard of the communal house with the musicians sitting at two sides. The audiences sit or stand where they can have the best view. The costumes and props are often limited. Therefore, the atmosphere of the plays depend on the skills of the actors and musicians. Through their performance with the aid of the conventional stylization and the audiences’ imagination, they create the appropriate “feel” for the plays. Such performing condition also means that the audiences can easily throw in all kinds of comments and jests to which the actors must response wittily to keep the flow of the play. That is the origin of tieng de, the comments and discussions on the characters and key moments at each new turn of the play performed by the musicians (representing the onlookers) and an actor or actress (representing an insider of the play’s story). Audiences can have their share in tieng de, though that never happens when cheo is performed in a formal theatre.
Cheo depicts the life of common North Vietnamese people in the past: a man unjustly condemns his wife thus throwing her into a series of misfortune, a woman frustrated with polygamy looks for love and happiness, a young scholar aspires to success and glory with the help of his loyal friend. The plays are often tragic, however, there are always comic scenes providing relief and preparing the audiences for the next turn of the play. The characters in cheo are stereotyped and apart from the major ones, they are known simply by their social positions (Mandarin, Servant or Village Messenger). There is a type of characters who are often servants or village messengers nicknamed “Cheo Clowns” similar to the Jesters in Shakespeare’s plays. They appear in comic scenes and participate in most tieng de parts, voicing the criticisms of the dark side of society reflected in the play.
Cheo in Vietnam’s culture
In Red River Delta and surrounding area, cheo has a strong attraction. There is a traditional joke that even the laziest person who seldom goes away from his house would rush to the communal house to watch cheo. That popularity comes from the fact that people can easily relate to the characters’ lives and thoughts in the plays, especially those who live in the countryside. The progress of the plays often satisfies their ideas about social moral and justice and the comic acts entertain them. Cheo has also charmed and inspired cultural scholars and playwrights. There have been attempts to modify cheo to fit modern life. However, cheo in its original form is still considered the best.
Reference:
Nguyen Thi Thanh Binh and Dana Healy, “Aspects of Vietnamese culture”, The Gioi Publisher
Huu Ngoc and Lady Borton, “Cheo”, The Gioi Publisher
