Saigon Classical
in collaboration with and with the support of Paper & I and The One Piano

presents

Lecture and Guided Talk: … FROM THE TAMING – Shakespeare in Humor

The lecture will be led by Trần Như Vĩnh-Lạc, conducted in Vietnamese and without interpretation into other languages.

within the framework of the project: From Alpha to Opera – introducing famous operas with Vietnamese and English subtitles.

VENUE: The Lighthouse Reading Space, 1st Floor, Paper & I | 152 Nam Kỳ Khởi Nghĩa, Saigon Ward, HCMC
TIME: 1:30PM – 5:30PM – Saturday, April 11, 2026 (doors open from 1:00PM)

ONLINE REGISTRATION: https://quickom.net/event/6271

SUGGESTED CONTRIBUTION (advance payment via bank transfer)
300,000 VND - applicable to audiences attending only the lecture.
400,000 VND - combo applicable to audiences attending both the lecture and screening.

(We encourage audiences to use beverage and food services available at the venue during the event.)

ALL contributions will be used to cover event preparation costs, develop materials, support necessary equipment for the program, provide honorarium support to the speaker AND support the VĨNH-LẠC Podcast series project. At the same time, these contributions aim to enhance program quality and allow for more carefully curated selections in the future.

Your contribution is the most practical way to help From Alpha to Opera and the Saigon Classical Music Lovers Group continue to maintain, expand, and improve upcoming activities. Once again, we sincerely thank you.

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Introductory Lecture by Vĩnh-Lạc:

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The Taming of the Shrew “Bơ-Vơ nặng Vợ”, once translated as “Thuần-Hoá Cô nàng Đáo-Để" or "Thuần-Trị Cô Nàng Bất-Trị,” is the title of a Shakespeare comedy written around 1592, when his literary talent was still very young.

It differs significantly from his later comedies.

According to conventional interpretation, Shakespeare often portrayed young women who were profound in gesture, refined in poetry, and generally far surpassed their lovers in intellect: beginning with

❷ Julia in “Hai Chàng Nghĩa-Sĩ thành Verona” (The Two Gentlemen of Verona), through
❸ Portia in “Kẻ Xiết Nợ thành Venezia” (The Merchant of Venice), to
❺ Rosalind in “Muốn Gì Chìu Đấy” (As You Like It), and finally
❻ Viola in “Ông Táo Về Nhà” (Twelfth Night), this tendency became increasingly clear. In general, they were all superior to their male counterparts by at least one head.

❷ Julia was adventurous yet forgiving, while
② Proteus was reckless and despicable — the most ill-natured among the so-called “romantic gentlemen” who often played male leads in Shakespeare’s comedies, a distinctive genre in world literature;

❸ Portia was as profound and graceful as
③ Bassanio was superficial and impulsive;

❺ Rosalind was witty yet composed, while
⑤ Orlando at times was so rash that he bordered on naïve — though he remained one of the most lovable young brothers; meanwhile

❻ Viola, discreet and gentle, falling in love with
⑥ Duke Orsino, who was hollow and endlessly verbose, remains an eternal unanswered question.

Could it be that she resembled him somewhat? A guess perhaps, but likely true. To be fair, among the men, each was famously handsome and dignified, what one might casually call devastatingly charming, truly “prime specimens” of masculinity. Fine appearances but weak substance all around. Perhaps thanks to these gentlemen, who carried long backs like wooden benches, the land of England managed to nurture generations of offspring so that ancestors on ancestral altars would still receive offerings of incense. In the spirit of harmony: any love story is acceptable as long as “All’s Well That Ends Well.”

Occasionally, only

❹ Beatrice in “Bắng-Nhắng cho Lắm vào” (Much Ado About Nothing) — though especially mischievous — managed to find her intellectual equal in
④ Benedict. The two matched perfectly, constantly sparring and teasing each other.

We shall see,

❹ Beatrice is in fact a more refined and refreshing version of the elder sister ❶ Catarina in “Bơ-Vơ nặng Vợ.” Unique among female characters in Shakespeare’s comedies,

❶ Catarina was famously rebellious to the point of unruliness, fierce to foolishness, sharp-tongued and harsh, seemingly never softened by fate, eventually appearing to yield before her husband,
① Petruccio, a man imagined with a broad chest and thick moustache.

Not only yielding — by the end of the play, she appears completely subdued by his overwhelming masculinity, delivering an assertive lecture during a banquet, preaching a grand “Household Doctrine” so forceful that even Confucius himself, if revived, might nod in approval.

Is that truly so?
How strange?
Could it be that among Shakespeare’s daughters, only this one was rebellious?
Hard to believe.
Let us reconsider.

Beneath the surface of this “battle of the sexes,” the couple is far from a simple case of stubborn opposition meeting sharp resistance.

This pair was cleverly constructed by Shakespeare from what may have been a casual tavern anecdote overheard somewhere in London’s Old Town, intended to illustrate a philosophical proposition: “Idealism or Materialism — what should we follow?”

Put more romantically: “Parents give birth to children, Heaven gives birth to character — but when does character give rise to love?”

Revisiting classical Chinese characters: 性 (character) is what gives birth to 心 (mind-heart)… while 情 (emotion) represents the vibrant hues of affection within the heart.
Could these two coexist in mutual generation and opposition within the balance of nature?
Indeed.
The mortal world is a dream of creation, just as the two shining wings of desire are love itself.

❹ Beatrice and ④ Benedict initially irritated one another without realizing their affection, constantly clashing throughout the year. Friends eventually awakened them by spreading rumors that she loved him first, startling him into delight; then spreading further rumors that he secretly loved her, leading her to unexpected longing. Fiction became reality.

So too with ❶ Catarina and ① Petruccio. They found true companionship beneath their rough exteriors. Both rebelled against artificial ideals of goodness and love imposed around them. They knew humanity was not as virtuous as self-proclaimed narratives suggested. They knew love was not always as beautiful as romanticized performances claimed. Without planning, they chose to confront life directly through indifference — and once united, they triumphed by exposing illusions of virtue admired by society. They awakened the public — first challenging each other, then gently challenging society through discourse.

Is it any surprise they married? It was inevitable.

Shakespeare did not write about a tyrannical man disciplining a rebellious woman.

He wrote about a weary man meeting a disillusioned woman. “Mad Dog and Wild Cat,” they loved each other through playful conflict, like two opposing swordsmen in “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” eventually merging into harmony, where unity was achieved not through shallow imitation but through profound mutual understanding.

The theme “Things Are Not Always What They Seem” contrasts beautifully with the idea “Hearing Leads to Understanding.”

Writers throughout history have held pens,
Many become skilled, but few become masters.
That is why Shakespeare endures.

You may register via the link above, or send an email to info@saigonclassical.vn and provide your name and number of tickets.

Children under 12 years old are not permitted.

Please arrive 15 minutes before the event. The organizers will close the doors 5 minutes before the program begins.

If you arrive late, please wait until the program’s intermission.

To reduce printing costs and minimize environmental impact, barcode access will be available at the reception area for scanning program materials before entering the hall. Kindly complete this additional step.