Đào Lê Na’s Đợi Kiều [Waiting for Kiều] opens with a shadow of a woman dancing against the backdrop of a waning moon while a voice-over sings.1 In this theatrical rendition inspired by Nguyễn Du’s Truyện Kiều [The Tale of Kiều], the character of Kiều remains a mere silhouette, devoid of spoken lines or identifiable features. As implied in the title, she is symbolically akin to Samuel Beckett’s Godot, always referenced but never actually revealed. Premiering at the Nhà Văn Hóa Thanh Niên [Youth Cultural Center] in Hồ Chí Minh City in September 2022,2 the performance features a solo artist, Bảo Ngọc,3 portraying four major characters of the story. Blending modern and traditional theatrical and performance modes, from cải lương [reformed theater] to múa bóng [shadow dance], Đợi Kiều offers a contemporary interpretation of the renowned Vietnamese epic poem, aligned with the sensibilities of modern society and...

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