Grade 10 students breathe life into classic literary works through “Nocturne of Literature.”

The project gave students the opportunity to step beyond traditional reading lessons to directly embody, experience, and reinterpret literary works through vibrant stage performances.

The theme “Cultural Colors” was chosen with the aim of helping students explore the diverse beauty of culture through literature and stage arts. Beyond stories in textbooks, each work also reflects customs, lifestyles, people, and spiritual values characteristic of different regions and historical periods.

In the project, each class selected an excerpt from the Literature curriculum to adapt and perform on stage. The project was implemented in two phases, offering students a range of meaningful experiences: script development and live stage adaptation of literary works. Over nearly a month of preparation, students collaboratively developed ideas, directed scenes, selected cast members, prepared props, and rehearsed intensively. Through this process, they had the opportunity to take on various roles such as scriptwriter, director, actor, stage crew, and set designer, allowing them to develop their individual strengths.

At the presentation, eight classes delivered eight distinct artistic performances, each reflecting unique cultural and humanistic values. These included the rich Eastern cultural mythology of “Journey to the West,” the traditional Vietnamese rice civilization in “Bánh chưng bánh giầy,” the powerful Central Highlands epic tone in “Đăm Săn,” and the portrayal of life and people in the Northwestern highlands in “Vợ chồng A Phủ.” Despite originating from different cultural contexts, all works shared universal human values such as courage, compassion, and the desire for freedom.

The carefully staged performances, with strong attention to both content and form, offered the audience a wide range of emotions. Beyond impressive acting and natural role immersion, students also demonstrated strong teamwork, initiative, and responsibility throughout the project. Notably, stage techniques stood out as students effectively applied knowledge from theatrical literature studies into practice in a creative and fluent way.

To complete their performances, students had to overcome various challenges, including managing rehearsal schedules, coordinating teamwork, and portraying emotional depth authentically. Many scenes required emotional intensity, dedication, and empathy to faithfully bring literary characters to life. However, through unity and persistent effort, the students successfully shone on the “Nocturne of Literature” stage.

After the performances, the judging panel awarded the following class prizes:

Outstanding Award: 10G2
Inspirational Awards: 10G3, 10G4
Creative Awards: 10A1, 10G1, 10C1
Promising Awards: 10A3, 10A2

In addition, several individual awards were presented:

Best Lead Actor: Hoàng Linh (10G2) – as Mị
Best Supporting Actor: Khôi Nguyên (10G2) – as Mị’s father; Minh Quân (10G3) – as Lang Quân
Best Scriptwriter: Phạm Khánh Linh (10G4)
Best Director: Đoàn Linh, Thanh Nguyên (10G2)
Best Stage Crew: Chi Mai, Hà Vy, Seo Yoon (10G3)

Commenting on the evaluation criteria, Ms. Minh Trang from the Upper Secondary Literature Department shared that students were encouraged to be creative while staying faithful to the original texts and conveying their core messages. Beyond acting and staging, each performance also needed to highlight distinctive cultural elements, creating a rich artistic space where students could explore and “decode” cultural values embedded in literature.

A parent of student Trọng Hưng (10G2), Ms. Mỹ Hạnh, shared: “Today was truly a wonderful experience for me. I was amazed by the maturity, literary appreciation, and depth with which the students brought a Vietnamese literary work to life on stage. I believe a love for literature is nurtured through meaningful experiences like this.”

4th edition of the “Literary Stage” project continues to be a meaningful learning experience for students, helping them deepen their understanding of literary works while developing creativity, expressive skills, collaboration, and a lasting love for literature.