(VOVworld)- Over the past 70 years, the character Cricket in the “Adventures of a Cricket” by To Hoai has become a close friend to children in Vietnam and elsewhere in the world. The energetic brave cricket overcomes numerous difficulties and challenges to realize his dream. The Youth Theater has recently dramatized the story as a gift to children on International Children’s Day.

Members of the Cricket families, dragonflies, mantises, and grasshoppers are brought to life vividly onstage of the Youth Theater. This is the second time in 20 years the Youth Theater has dramatized the “Adventures of a Cricket” using new ways of expression and conversation to excite the young audience. Bui Nhu Lai is the Director of the drama: “Stage drama by itself is not really interesting, so we begin the performance with an operetta song showing a lively dancing scene on a green grass field in the early morning to welcome a new day. Members of the Cricket family, dragonflies, mantis, and long-horned grasshopper, bull-frog, frog and capricornbeetle families sing like an orchestra creating an exciting scene which will inspire the audience”.

In the drama, Director Bui Nhu Lai humanized the Cricket, Mole-Cricket, Dragonfly and Green Frog to embrace human characteristics: hating, loving, flirting, and making joke. The drama also includes conversations between the Cricket and humans. Lessons about life and messages of humanity for the children are wittily conveyed through humorous, exciting situations and beautiful dances in the drama. Mr. Lai said:“We select situations that are close to life and close to the children. The conversations and situations are carefully scripted to help the children understand the story and interact with the drama”.

Interactions between artists and the child audience begin when at the door of the theater, the artists playing characters in the story, greet the children and ask them whether they have heard or read the “Adventures of a Cricket” and know the Cricket and his friends. Throughout the drama, they use the children’s innocent language to introduce the characters and situations. Le Tung Linh plays the role of the Cricket: “I have to show a Cricket who is perverse and aggressive but later changes his characteristics to love fellow-creatures and help others. I try to make the Cricket character close to life and close to the children by using the children’s language”.

Actor Dao Duy Anh plays the role of the Cricket’s elder brother: “It’s difficult to act out the cricket’s gestures and to show the audience a cricket talking in human language. A cricket must know martial arts. So, the artists need to master those skills to play that role”.

By using their dramatic skills and promoting interaction between the artists and audience the drama “Adventures of a cricket” by the Youth Theater conquered the audience’s hearts. 8-year-old Pham Hoang Anh said:“The drama is very interesting and useful. I learned the lesson that I should not talk big and bully others and should be good to everybody. I’m happy that I could take a photo with the Cricket and other characters on the stage”.

The 80-minute drama is a beautiful gift for children on International Children’s Day. It also reminds the adults of their best childhood memories. Ta Thanh Binh is an audience: "All the actors and actresses are lively. Through the lives of the characters, the drama conveys messages about humanity which are easy and humorous and help the children understand easily. The drama makes children more interested in reading and is very interesting. It makes me feel younger”.

The “Adventures of a Cricket” teaches lessons about life. It also enhances the value of the story- a literary work that has been translated in 40 languages and published in many countries.