Definition

Noun: 1. A troupe or theatre company: A group of performers, typically specializing in traditional Vietnamese opera forms like tuồng or chèo, who travel together to perform in different locations. 2. A theatrical troupe: More broadly, any organized group of actors, singers, or dancers who perform as a unit, often with connotations of itinerant performance.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Ông nội tôi từng là quản lý của một gánh hát tuồng. (My grandfather was once the manager of a tuồng opera troupe.)
  • Gánh hát này nổi tiếng khắp vùng đồng bằng. (This theatre company is famous throughout the delta region.)
  • Trước đây, các gánh hát thường đi lưu diễn từ làng này sang làng khác. (In the past, troupes often toured from village to village.)

Advanced Usage

• The term "gánh hát" is deeply rooted in the history of traditional Vietnamese performing arts. It implies not just the group of performers but also the entire enterprise, including logistical and familial aspects, often moving with their props and belongings.
• It can be used metaphorically to describe any group working together in a coordinated, often demanding, effort, though this is less common.

Variants and Related Words

• Đoàn hát (n): A more modern, general term for a theatre troupe or performance troupe, less evocative of the traditional itinerant nature.
• Gánh (n): Literally "a load carried on a pole." In this context, it refers to the "company" or "troupe," highlighting the portable, burdensome nature of the traveling theatrical life.

Synonyms

• Troupe: A group of performers.
• Theatre company: An organization that produces theatrical performances.
• Touring company: A troupe that travels to perform.

Related Idioms and Expressions

• "Gánh hát rong": A wandering or itinerant troupe. This emphasizes the traveling aspect.
  • Thuở nhỏ, tôi thường theo xem các gánh hát rong. (As a child, I often followed and watched the wandering troupes.)
• "Một gánh lo toan": While not directly about theatre, this idiom uses "gánh" to mean "a burden of worries." It shares the core imagery of "gánh" as a heavy load.

noun

1. troupe; theatre company