News from the Vietnam Youth Theatre confirms that People’s Artist Pham Thi Thanh - former Director of the Vietnam Youth Theatre and former Deputy Director General of the Department of Performing Arts - passed away on September 4 at the age of 85.

Born in 1941 into a distinguished family, Pham Thi Thanh was the daughter of Pham Khac Hoe, a renowned intellectual from Duc Tho, Ha Tinh, who drafted Emperor Bao Dai’s abdication edict in 1945 and was trusted by President Ho Chi Minh. Her mother was from Hue, the younger sister of poet Ung Binh Thuc Da Thi, a descendant of Mien Tham, and a great-great-granddaughter of Emperor Minh Mang.

From childhood, Pham Thi Thanh was immersed in a cultural and artistic milieu. She inherited a love for literature from her father and the sweet Hue singing voice from her mother.

At 14, encouraged by composers Luu Huu Phuoc, Nguyen Xuan Khoat, and Dang Dinh Hung, she joined the Central Art Troupe. From then on, her life was bound to the stage.

At 16, Pham Thi Thanh had a much discussed romance with People’s Artist Dao Mong Long, nearly 30 years her senior. The marriage was short-lived and she raised their two children.

In 1970, she was sent to the Soviet Union to study theatre directing. Seven years later, she returned and, together with director Ha Nhan, drafted the proposal to establish the Vietnam Youth Theatre.

In 1987, the Vietnam Youth Theatre officially came into being. Director Ha Nhan served as Director, while Pham Thi Thanh was Deputy Director, later becoming Director from 1991 to 1996.

At the first admissions round, over 1,200 applicants competed for only 20 slots. Many of those selected later became leading figures on stage and screen, including People’s Artists Lan Huong, Le Khanh, Minh Hang, and Anh Tu, and Meritorious Artists Chi Trung, Ngoc Huyen, and Duc Hai.

She directed more than 200 productions, nearly 20 of which won Gold Medals, with many others receiving Silver Medals.

Her contributions reached beyond Vietnam. She served on the Executive Committee of ASSITEJ, the International Association of Theatre for Children and Young People, and chaired ASSITEJ Vietnam. She took part in numerous international theatre projects and worked tirelessly to bring traditional performing arts into schools.

She also served as Vice President of UNESCO Vietnam, a member of the Executive Committee of the Vietnam Union of Literature and Arts Associations, a deputy of the Hanoi People’s Council, and lectured at the Hanoi Academy of Theatre and Cinema.

In 2012, she received the State Prize for Literature and Arts, honoring her immense contributions to Vietnamese theatre.

People’s Artist Pham Thi Thanh is widely regarded as the first contemporary female theatre director in Vietnam. Her life stands as a testament to unflagging determination, passion, and devotion to the stage.

She sowed precious artistic seeds for generations, enriching Vietnamese theatre with new talent. The image of a resolute woman steadfast in her craft will remain an enduring example for artists today and tomorrow.

Tinh Le