Revival of Korea’s First Exclusive Theater in Baek Seonghui & Jang Minho Theater

Written by

Kim Kirim (poet, playwright, critic)

Poet and playwright Kim Kirim is widely considered to be a leader of Korean modernism. His experience of working as a news reporter prior to his literary debut meant that he stayed close to the realities of the day and presented latent possibilities within tragedy—a tendency that is particularly evident in his early work Man from Heaven. In addition, he made a name for himself in the field of literary criticism for his systematic analyses of works.

Lee Seo-gu

Lee Seo-gu worked as a journalist for several leading newspapers including The Maeil Shinbo, and The Chosun Ilbo, and played a key role in the early stage of Korean theater. He joined “Towolhoe” in 1922, and debuted as a playwright in 1931 with his works Apostasy and Camellia Flowers. Following the opening of Dongyang Theater in 1935, he became the new theater’s exclusive playwright. He rose to fame in 1937 when his play Mother’s Strength became a huge hit. After the Korean War, he turned to screenwriting and authored the radio drama Sun-drenched Field, and the TV dramas Jang Hie-bin and Ganghwadoryeong among many others.

Directed by

Yoon Si-joong

Director Yoon Si-joong blurs the boundary between directing and stage art through his use of objects, thereby creating a new theatrical experience. His theater is filed not with narratives but with various other forms of language. For him, the experience of putting together a production is both a process of making up a new language and a play game per se. Since language cannot be written or spoken by one person alone, it is completed by all participants. Yoon places the bodies of the actors in the center of the stage and add mise en scène, costumes, and objects to them. The results are intense and energetic productions that leave lasting impressions on the audience.