People’s Artist Pham Thi Thanh (Photo: the Vietnam Youth Theatre)

People’s Artist Pham Thi Thanh was born in 1938 into a noble family in Hue. Her father Pham Khac Hoe was the head of Emperor Bao Dai’s cabinet and drafted the emperor's abdication edict in 1945. Her mother, a Hue native, was of royal lineage. Thanh inherited a love of literature and art from her parents, and pursued the arts from a very young age.

“I used to live with my father at the Viet Bac resistance base. I took part in art performances at my father’s office during holidays and festivals. People said I had talent and suggested I should join an art troupe. Later, after finishing my studies in the then Soviet Union, I returned to Vietnam and wanted to establish a theater for young people. I shared this idea with Ms. Ha Nhan, head of the Department of Performing Arts then, and she strongly supported the idea to found the Youth Theatre,” she once said.

Thanh joined the Central Art Troupe at the age of 14 and ever since then she dedicated her life to the theatre.

In 1970, she went to the former Soviet Union to study theatre directing. After seven years, she returned to Vietnam and drafted a proposal to establish the Vietnam Youth Theatre with director Ha Nhan. The theatre was officially set up in 1987. Thanh chose 20 young talents from more than 1,200 applicants. Her first training course produced renowned artists who became pillars of the Youth Theatre – People’s Artists Lan Huong and Le Khanh, the late Anh Tu, Minh Hang, and Emeritus Artist Chi Trung.

“Ms. Thanh laid the foundation for our artistic careers. In 1978, when I was only 17 and knew nothing about theater, she was the Deputy Director of the Youth Theatre. She was the one who recruited us, taught us the basics, entrusted us with small roles, and gradually guided us toward major productions,” said Chi Trung, former director of the Youth Theatre.

People’s Artist Le Khanh said, “Thanh was one of the rare teachers who, even at an advanced age, continued to teach and collaborate on many artistic projects. We all saw her as a mother.”

Thanh took a number of positions during her career. She was the former Director of the Vietnam Youth Theatre and former Deputy Director of the Department of Performing Arts. She also served as Vice President of UNESCO Vietnam, was a member of the Executive Committee of the Vietnam Union of Literature and Arts Associations, and a deputy of the Hanoi People’s Council, and served on the Executive Committee of the International Association of Theatre for Children and Young People.

During her storied career, she directed more than 200 productions, 20 of which won gold or silver medals at national theatre festivals. Thanh’s productions of Romeo and Juliet, The Ninth Oath, Tu Xuong, 2000 Days of Injustice, Forever 17, and Vu Nhu To left a lasting impression on audiences. One of the first directors to recognize the talented playwright Luu Quang Vu, she helped his career in the theatre flourish.

Thanh was also the chief director of many national festivals and events, including the 990th anniversary of Thang Long-Hanoi, the 330th anniversary of Khanh Hoa, the 100th anniversary of Da Lat, Hue Festival, Hung Kings’ Temple Festival, and the 22nd SEA Games. She collaborated on many international theater projects in Vietnam and taught at the Hanoi Academy of Theatre and Cinema.

People’s Artist Pham Thi Thanh and playwright Luu Quang Vu (Photo : archive photo)

“Ms. Thanh was an excellent director. For the Youth Theatre, her contributions were immense, as nearly every play she directed won a Gold Medal. She was skillful in staging and selecting plays that resonated deeply with audiences, rich in philosophy yet close to everyday life. Together with Ms. Ha Nhan, she built the Youth Theatre’s reputation and trained a generation of successful artists in both theater and cinema. She also taught me how to organize festivals and events,” said People’s Artist Lan Huong.

Thanh was recognized as Emeritus Artist in 1988 and People’s Artist in 1997. In 2012, she became the first female theater director in Vietnam to receive the State Prize for Literature and Arts.