Arts , Humanities & Social Science

Abstract

Nguyen Dinh Thi, the Director of the Hanoi Academy of Cinema and Theatre, in this paper, outlines his theory of Internationalisation, where traditional forms of Vietnamese theatre encounter theatrical forms from other cultures. The processes of intermingling of differing cultural performance practices and expressions and the degree to which these are assimilated with traditional forms influence the cultural heritage maintained in Vietnamese theatre. Referencing prominent performance studies theorists, this paper reflects on the difference between Vietnamese and American concepts of cultural exchange. Offering a range of examples, this paper differentiates between the maintenance or loss of cultural meaning in contemporary Vietnamese theatre productions where cross-cultural influences are at play.