Director Minh Ngọc On Preserving Vietnamese Performing Arts For Future Generations

Nguyễn Thị Minh Ngọc is a well-known figure in Vietnamese performing arts, whose legacy spans more than five decades.

She is a director, screenwriter, author, university lecturer, and co-founder of the Tuổi Trẻ Cười and the Experimental Stage Club, which later became 5B Small Theatre. Her notable screenplays such as Một nửa của tôi đâu, Thương hoài ngàn năm, and Giữa hai bờ sương khói have become timeless pieces that resonate with audiences.

In the field of cinema, Minh Ngọc is also recognized for award-winning screenplays, including Song Lang, a film that won Golden Lotus Award, a Vietnamese film award and 54 other international prizes.

At the age of 70, she still enjoys working and upholds an optimistic spirit, aspiring to preserve Vietnamese theater arts for future generations and bring it closer to the international stage.

After she first made her appearance on the 1st episode of Vietcetera welcomed her back again, now as a guest on Have A Sip podcast.

Sharing Vietnam’s Cultural Depth With The World

Minh Ngọc has taught Vietnamese Studies in both Vietnam and the US, where she introduced students to traditional and modern Vietnamese stages.

Many of her students shared that their knowledge of Vietnam came primarily from decades-old movies with the context of Northern Vietnam. How they (her students) perceived Vietnamese culture and tradition was therefore limited to only those Northern-based movies. It wasn’t until the movie Song Lang was released that they got to know cải lương and the other elements of Vietnamese traditional performing arts.

This urged Minh Ngọc to find ways to present a fuller depiction of Vietnam's cultural heritage to the world. As today is the history of the future, how future generations will learn about Vietnam’s culture and history is the question that struck her.

Her goal is to preserve this cultural heritage through word of mouth, recording, and modern methods so that future generations can continue to build on that legacy.

This passion drives Minh Ngọc to steer into various fields—from screenwriting and directing to stage and film, both locally and internationally. In her teaching, Minh Ngọc always encourages her students to explore all forms of stage art, even having them build and perform puppetry in the classroom to give them a more hands-on experience.

Teaching With Creativity, Not Conformity

When it comes to training actors or teaching Vietnamese culture, Minh Ngọc often takes an unconventional approach. For example, in the first episode of EduStation, she shared a story about how she had her students perform pantomime.

Many thought this was unusual, as dialogue is considered essential in acting. But for Minh Ngọc, pantomime is even more challenging because actors must express their characters' feelings through body movement and facial expressions alone.

Many of her students graduating from that class, such as Hồng Đào, who starred in the series Beef, have gone on to have successful careers.

In her Vietnamese Studies classes, Minh Ngọc applies the same approach. Instead of giving students a review outline, she gave them two spontaneous, open-ended questions: what their favorite class was and which story they would most like to turn into a stage performance.

These questions encouraged students to engage in deep thinking and reflection on their own experiences, moving beyond mere memorization or copying from others. As a result, they would develop skills in observation, synthesizing information, and expressing their own opinions.

Conflicts In Play, So Too In Life

Every play has conflict - a climax that characters must face and resolve. This also mirrors the internal and external challenges we face in life. While conflicts may be uncomfortable, they play a crucial role in helping us grow and move forward in work and life.

Minh Ngọc has encountered many conflicts over her 50-year career, but these experiences have pushed her to be more creative, adaptable, and to continue evolving in her field.

For instance, she used to study pre-med, as advised by her brother. However, after some reflection and encouragement to pursue screenwriting, she changed direction and was accepted into the University of Theater and Cinema in Ho Chi Minh City. It wasn’t an easy decision, and she faced inner conflict throughout the process.

Another example arose before the Đổi Mới period (Economic Reforms in 1986), when only those who had trained abroad in the Soviet Union, Bulgaria, or China got the chance to make appearances on stage or TV. There was no open door to young actors trained in Vietnam.

This challenge inspired Minh Ngọc to establish Tuổi Trẻ Cười, bringing together young actors. They got to play various roles, from screenwriters to ticket sellers and stage actors themselves. By selling tickets through trade unions, the group quickly gained recognition, laying a strong foundation for Minh Ngọc and her colleagues to continue growing.