The play shows the gratitude of younger generations to former revolutionaries who fought and sacrificed their lives for the nation’s independence and freedom.
The energetic rock performance by a young music band right from the beginning scene of the play surprised audiences. This is the first time a director appears on the stage as a character of the play. In this three-minute part, the director invites the band’s members to see the play staged himself, creating the introduction.
Lasting more than two hours with seven scences, ‘Breaking Dawn’ reproduced the career of revolutionary soldier Phan Dang Luu from1923 to 1940 period. The second scene depicts his time working for Thanh Ba silk camp in Phu Tho province and return home to Yen Thanh district, Nghe An province; and the third part features his revolutionary activities in Hue city.
The fourth and fifth scenes introduce the 1929-1936 and 1936-1939 periods when Phan Dang Luu was arrested by French colonists and imprisoned in Buon Ma Thuot as well as struggles in the fields of parliament, press and culture in Hue.
The next part tells about the time he went to the north to attend the conference reestablishing the Party Central Committee and ask for the adjournment of the Nam Ky Uprising. While coming back to the south, Phan Dang Luu and many other revolutionaries died for freedom and independence.
Regarding why Phan Dang Luu was chosen as the basis of the script, Associate Professor Doctor Nguyen The Ky, the play’s author, said that he was a special, ingenious and wise communist soldier. Many historical documents are written about him, however there are few theatrical works referring to this outstanding revolutionary.
During the difficult revolutionary period, Phan Dang Luu used the press as a sharp weapon to fight against enemies. In ‘Breaking Dawn’, his lucidity and incisive analysis are clearly shown through the detail of consulting the Party Central Committee about the adjournment of the Nam Ky Uprising.
The intelligence, talent, bravery, morality and personality of the steadfast leader Phan Dang Luu have contributed to creating a stormy and glorious historical period, an important premise for the success of the August Revolution in 1945.
How to truly and lively convey history through a traditional arts form is a great challenge. However, Meritorious Artist Trieu Trung Kien, who is also the play’s director, brings a fresh breath of modern life into ‘Breaking Dawn’. The most impressive scene in the play is the presence of the members of HUB band who contribute to the play through rock, jazz, hiphop and contemporary folk performances.
‘Breaking Dawn’ has made the natural continuation between the past and presence as well as between former and younger generations, bringing historical figures and events closer. The play offers an opportunity for younger generations to learn more about the heroic traditions of the nation.
