While at school, young Khoi had
a chance to join in the school’s drama troupe. The matter-of-factness of
the young mind with certain aptitude, with the assistance and support of
his teachers, sparked up in him a great passion for the stage.
At 17, Trong Khoi successfully
passed the entrance exams for Vietnam Drama School – First Batch, a course
with such prominent peer artists as Director Doan Hoang Giang, People’s
Artist The Anh, People’s Artist Doan Dung. After graduation in 1964, he
went to work for Vietnam Drama Theatre until 2000 when he was elected
General Secretary of Vietnam Drama Artists Association.
People’s Artist Trong Khoi
said: “Society creates individual personality; to play a real and lively
role, the artist should live his part well.” And to play his part
successfully, he was always preoccupied with concerns, even in his sleep.
For him, each part is a creation, and in any case, the artist should bring
out the “spirit” of the character.
Before playing the role of King
Lear, he had sought works by Shakespeare and especially studied the king’s
personality throughout the works. Furthermore, to put King Lear of
Britain well on the Vietnamese stage, it is a “must” to grasp the features
of the national drama. For instance, to act like the mad king, he took
full advantage of the conventional elements and movements of the
Cheo (Vietnamese Traditional Operetta), and the “crazy laughter” of
Suy Van, a popular character in the Vietnamese folk comedy. To make it
more perfect, he even studied real mad people to better understand their
sentiments, gestures and expressions. That “King Lear” played by Artist
Trong Khoi has left lifelong impressions on the minds of the spectators
has resulted from his talent and arduous self-training.
Holding in hand the script for
“The Storm”, he thought hard about Deputy Hach, a low-cultured and lustful
man. He stood in front of the mirror and trimmed his moustache. Well-done!
Now he should learn more about his laughter ... And so Deputy Hach became
alive again!
By experience, he maintains
that when an artist lives a part, either negative or positive, he or she
should pay close attention to the human factor, refraining from thinking
that a negative character must be bad in all respects. Only by doing so,
can the artist receive public appreciation.
He always identifies himself as
an artist of the public masses. Today, in spite of his busy preoccupation
with the work at the Association office, he is ready to play any role if
requested. He has been engaged in drama-testing. The peak of the art is
well ahead, and artists should do the testing to create and to assert
themselves.
People’s Artist Trong Khoi
advocated the formation of the first socialized artistic troupes in Ho Chi
Minh City as exemplary models toward the removal of state subsidization
for all the artistic ensembles, and the development of relations with
International Drama Association through the drama-testing.
People’s Artist Trong Khoi has
set a bright example of serious artistic labour, with creation and
dedication, and left timeless impressions of his parts on the
spectators.
