FACING INFINITY: TUỒNG ART IN DIALOGUE WITH VINAHOUSE

The story follows the journey of the protagonist, “The Self”, as it confronts both presence and absence, both memory and what has yet to come. “The Self” encounters four deities of the East, West, South, and North to discover itself and the sacred realm. In Eastern thought, each direction represents different states of being: the joy of living, happiness, suffering, loneliness, drifting, faith, and hope for an uncertain future. The characters face one another and face themselves in relation to contemporary society and its many layers of change.

Lên Ngàn chooses the form of experimental contemporary theatre, a material tailor made for the calm, unhurried practice inherent in the artists’ creative process. Throughout the work, traditional elements are interwoven with popular social references, serving as a frame, a subtle metaphor for customs and conflicts, peeling back scenes, rituals, habits, and rules not only about history and heritage, but also about the very structure of each person’s existence.

Every work has a life of its own. It reflects, transforms, generates the new, and becomes part of the diversity of the social landscape. “Facing Infinity” is not an exact copy of reality. It is itself a reality reflected through a personal point of view.

The performance skillfully combines the essence of traditional music, folk dance, and Tuồng choreography into a compelling audiovisual experience. More than an act of innovation or adaptation, “Facing Infinity” offers a new perspective and a new mode of treatment by contemporary artists, in which co creation plays an important role not only within the framework of tradition, but also across many lands and many cultural regions.