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Plays 1960's |
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1967 A Vietnamese Wedding Synopsis In turn, the readers/hosts begin to explain the complex cultural and historical traditions of a Vietnamese wedding. It is explained that in the planning parental wisdom combines with the objectivity of matchmakers, taking account of social position, education, and family background so that bride and groom are of equal standing. The importance of drawing up horoscopes for guidance is explained. The bride and groom then provide openly fictitious birth dates enabling the astrological section of the wedding preparations to be completed. A reader/host then recounts why historically young people have married and a popular poem about one such unhappy marriage is recited. Traditional gifts are then exchanged and explained in relation to a myth about two brothers, Tan and Sung, who after their parents die join the family of Magistrate Luu who has a beautiful daughter. As both the brothers fall in love with his daughter Luu arranges that the eldest brother, Tan should marry her. Whilst Tan becomes a happy husband Sung tries to overcome his love for his sister-in-law but becomes aware of his loneliness. He runs away and is turned into a rock. Tan pursues his brother and sitting beside the rock becomes a tree. Missing her husband the bride follows but lying down exhausted beside the tree becomes a creeper climbing the tree. Local villagers dream of these events and the story reaches the King. He ordered that the story be commemorated in ways which become traditional. A reader/host next announces the wedding ceremony whilst another explains its significance, and another reader/host explains that the boy's family will walk in procession to the bride's home. The volunteers, accompanied by Vietnamese music are then led in a procession around the theatre and a reader/host explains the gifts which the groom's family places upon the bride's family's ancestral altar. The gifts include ones relating to the myth. The groom's father, after making a gift of money to the bride's father, seeks permission to take her to his son's home. The Rose Silk Thread God is sent a message on red paper which is burnt marking the couple as married. A reader/host explains elements of the exuberant party which follows and a noisy procession is led out of the theatre. |
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