The Earth Guardian
04 pm – 05 pm, Sat 16 Nov 2024
07 pm – 08 pm, Sun 17 Nov 2024
Red Scarf Theater
36 Lý Thái Tổ ward, Lý Thái Tổ, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội
From the organizer:
The Earth Guardian project is a theatrical work that will be performed for the first time in Vietnam at the Red Scarf Theater, Hanoi Children’s Palace during the Hanoi Festival of Creative Design 2024. The work is built and implemented by artists Linh Valerie Pham, Tran Kim Ngoc, Nguyen Vu Hai, Nguyen Khanh Linh, Huyen M. Hoang, La Thanh Ha, Dao Tung, Tran Thao Mien, Pham Minh Anh and produced by ToLo Puppet Theater.
Inspired by the image of the guardian deity “Earth Guardian” (also known as Tudi/Tudigong), a deity whose duty is to protect specific locations and their inhabitants, the play combines various types of puppetry, live music, speeches and installation art to tell stories about the city from the past to the future. Inspired by traditional puppetry forms such as hand puppetry/budaixi (Taiwan), bunraku puppetry (Japan), shadow puppetry (China), To Lo artists experimented with creating new expressions in the language of puppetry and object theatre. From Vietnam, the team researched the dry puppetry form of Oi Loi (Nam Truc-Nam Dinh) and traditional lacquer techniques to incorporate into the work. The puppets in the play are shaped from wood and lacquer, combined with recycled materials from modern life such as nylon bags, plastic, scraps of fabric, etc. Music is performed live, with a variety of sound materials including electronic music, praise drums (ca tru), electric guitars, combined with available objects/materials.
The work is a journey of the City and the relationships within the City. ”A Boy is trapped with a Monster. The two learn to live together as they wander the Grey City, searching for something the Boy has forgotten. They meet an Old Man, who is waiting for his last days. They become reluctant companions and begin a journey to help the Old Man reunite with the Tree of Agreement, a part of his memory. Gradually, pieces of the Grey City’s past are revealed and questions about the true identities of the Boy, the Monster and the Old Man arise.
Nguyen Vu Hai is a cultural practitioner born and raised in Hanoi. Hai is working on designing walking tours around the city, combining his two personal interests in urbanity and people. Hai is there – in the City’s picture – presenting his research, observations along with intimate stories about the changes in the neighborhood where he grew up and lives until now.”
The “Earth Guardian” project is the first theatrical work that To Lo Puppet Theater has produced and created after a period of planning and research, developed since the end of 2023. From April 2024 to August 2024, the two artists Trang Linh and Kim Ngoc stayed at Treasure Hill Artist Village and the Taipei Puppetry Museum to continue developing the play. A 30-minute short version of the play premiered at the Taipei Puppetry Museum in late July 2024. Part of the installation, “Creating a God,” was exhibited at Treasure Hill in June 2024, at National Taiwan University in August, and will continue to the permanent exhibition space of the Taipei Puppetry Museum.
After working together in the Production and Author Group of “Puppetry Dream” (Do Theater, Nha Trang), the artist duo Tran Kim Ngoc and Linh Valerie Pham decided to establish To Lo Puppetry Theatre with the mission of producing original puppet shows and theatrical experiences, researching and archiving traditional puppetry forms and related religious practices, and promoting experimental practices related to puppetry and object theatre.
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