61st Dong-A Theatre Awards, New Concept Theatre Award

The Second Production in the 2026 Picknic Series

Since its 2024 premiere, Yi-sang's Children Theater-Ohgamdo has swept prestigious awards, establishing itself as one of the most compelling and influential productions in recent memory. In 2026, the production comes to Myeongdong Theatre as part of the NTCK’s Special Invitational Program Picknic. Drawing on Ballplayclub’s signature playful sensibility and bold artistic experimentation, the production freely expands the theatrical space, exploring moments of discovery and delight with its audience. What started as a vision to create children’s theater that truly speaks to children has grown into a work that reaches all of us with sharp and delicate questions posed in the pure language of childhood.

“When you become an adult, you don’t have to worry about which path to take, right? Nothing scares grown-ups.”

Navigating life, making sense of the world, parents, dreams, loneliness, sadness. These are the fears that never fully fade, no matter how old we grow.

No. We still have plenty to fear. We’re still wandering, still searching for our way.

Theater of, for, and by children

Yi-sang’s Children Theater-Ohgamdo reimagines Yi Sang’s notoriously enigmatic poem Crow’s Eye View through a child’s perspective and renders it with striking clarity. Brought to life by children’s movements and words, the production lays bare the fears, anxieties, and inexplicable pressures children experience in the confining world shaped by adults. The children’s emotions cut straight to the heart, yet paradoxically they reach the audience with warmth, leaving a resonance that lingers long after the lights go down.

Scene Structure

1. TheFirstChildSays _ Being Born Is Scary
2. TheSecondChildSays _ Running Is Scary
3. TheThirdChildSays _ Parents Are Scary
4. TheFourthChildSays _ Home Is Scary
5. TheFifthChildSays _ School Is Scary
6. TheSixthChild Says _ Dreams Are Scary
7. TheSeventhChild Says _ Idols Are Scary
8. TheEighthChildSays _ Seoul Is Scary
9. TheNinthChildSays _ No Kids Zone Is Scary
10. TheTenthChildSays _ Growing Old Is Scary
11. TheEleventhChildSays _ Smartphones Are Scary
12. TheTwelfthChildSays _ War Is Scary
13. TheThirteenChildSays _ I Is Scary

Devised and Directed by Kang Hoon-gu

Director and playwright Kang Hoon-gu has built a distinctive theatrical world that blurs the boundaries between reality and imagination. His work spans a broad spectrum, from theater for children and young audiences to contemporary tragedy, unpacking profound human truths through humor and lively rhythm. Guided by his philosophy of “making theater like playing a ball game,” Kang creates stages where actors and audiences connect and breathe as one. With each new production, he seeks fresh forms of expression, expanding both the experimental possibilities and the popular reach of contemporary Korean theater.

Ballplayclub

Founded in 2018, Ballplayclub is a young theater collective that explores the concerns of children and young people today with energy and humor. Young adult audiences who pursue aesthetic innovation while grappling with fundamental questions about themselves and society are their natural partners. In recent years, the collective has garnered increasing acclaim from critics and audiences alike, earning multiple theater awards and emerging as a leading force in theater for young adults. Today, Ballplayclub continues to create performances that capture the earnest playfulness of childhood and the hidden worries of adolescence through theatrical experiences unlike any other.

Awards

2025 The Korean Theatre Review, Top 7 Productions

2025 61st Baeksang Arts Awards, Young Theatre Award

2025 61st Dong-A Theatre Awards, New Concept Theatre Award

2025 Seoul Arts Awards, Special Jury Prize

2024 International Association of Theatre Critics-Korea, Top 3 Productions of the Year 2

2024 The Korean Theatre Review, Top 7 Productions

Major Works

Yi-sang’s Children’s Theater: Ohgamdo
Jongno Children’s Theatre, 2025, 2024

The Rocket Candy
National Jeongdong Theatre Cesil, 2024
Daehangno Arts Theatre, 2022

Phone Seller
Byeoloreum Theatre, National Theater of Korea, 2021
ARKO Arts Theatre, 2019

Dried Chili Peppers and a Peach-Flavored Lipstick
ARKO Arts Theatre, 2025, 2024

Burgundy Muki Channel Opening Intro
Daehangno Theatre Quad, 2023