River and Liver
27 Sep, 2024~
19 Oct, 2024
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Venue
Myeongdong Theater
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Genre
Theater
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Show Time
Weekdays 19:30 ㅣWeekends 15:00ㅣNo performance on Tuesday
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Tickets
R 60,000KRW | S 45,000KRW | A 30,000KRW
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Duration
110 minutes
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Enquiry
1644-2003
Language Korean
* English subtitles will be provided on Thursdays and Sundays.
Age Restriction Suitable for ages 16 and over
Time: A day that could be the last, in one way or another
Place: Seoul, specifically various locations along the Han River
Set against the backdrop of the Han River, <River and Liver> arrives at the threshold of autumn, between one day and the next.
When did we start taking it for granted that we must wait for an uncertain tomorrow and an obscure future?
Are we truly feeling and living life in the present?
"The wind is blowing. Is it a breeze loitering underground? Or is it a wind from above, drifting through the air vents?
Perhaps there’s a subway approaching from a distance."
A story conveyed through the new sensations stirred by the wind drifting through the cracks of everyday life.
"Will tomorrow be like today? It probably will.
Was yesterday like today? It was exactly the same."
There are those who face an impending doom.
Strange events unfold: a sinkhole suddenly appears inside a house, and a mermaid, once only a fantasy, is spotted.
L, plagued by inexplicable shoulder pain, begins to discern the causes of loss and suffering in the small cracks and fissures of everyday life.
How far have we evolved, and where are we now?
In the heart of the city and at the core of the body, the river and the liver flow with silent indifference, respectively.
Thus begins the journey of a single day, navigating life in the same manner.
<River and Liver> shines with the virtue of brevity and the beauty of linguistic variations.
Cha Bumseok Play Award Jury’s commentary Winner of the 14th Cha Bumseok Play Award (2020)!
Dong I-Hyang, a playwright renowned for transforming everyday language into rhythmic dialogue and creating a distinctive world on stage, brings us <River and Liver>, a ripple that gently reflects our contemporary era.
Director Lee Insoo enriches the play through in-depth textual analysis.
The overall mise-en-scène, featuring a meticulously designed stage, lighting, and visuals, further enhances the play’s vividness, delivering an extraordinary sensory experience on a truly marvelous stage.
Synopsis
One way or another, this could be the last day of the world. In an old apartment overlooking the Han River, L and O, a married couple, spend the day together.
As L’s mysterious shoulder pain worsens, they exchange jokes while gazing at a large hole that has inexplicably appeared in their home.
Along the way, they begin to confront truths about each other.
L steps outside and wanders through various locations along the Han River, encountering the profound emptiness of a world slowly decaying.
In the end, L comes face to face with the time of mermaids—creatures that have evolved differently from humans...
Directed by Lee Insoo
Theater director Lee Insoo loves the language that playwrights bring to the stage. Her foremost priority lies in conducting thorough textual analysis to explore and embody the world the playwright envisions on stage. Throughout the process, she makes every effort to listen to, respect, and collaborate with everyone involved, allowing the creative talents of the cast and production staff to flourish. Lee believes that theater is a collaborative art form, fueled by the joy and beauty of each participant.
Major Works
<A Story about Existence, Survival, and Selfishness>, <Conservation Scientist>, <Radiant Vermin>, <Class>, <Therapy>
Translations
<Vincent River>, <Oil>, <Consent>, <The History Boys>, <Tribes>
Written by Dong I-Hyang
Dong I-Hyang writes and directs plays with the hope that those who have become desensitized may come to the theater to rediscover a place for their hearts. She debuted as a playwright in 2001 with the play <All Living Things Form a Forest>. Since then, she has written and directed works such as <One Day Suddenly, Four Doors>, <When I Opened the Closet Door>, and <Wandering Land>, continually exploring theater as the most acute means of sensing contemporary life. Her play <River and Liver> won the 14th Cha Bumseok Play Award in 2020, drawing significant attention from critics. Additionally, in such works as <Blackout> and <Alley Noir—In Search of Richard III>, she continues to deepen the internal dynamics and expand the external scope through the stories, bodies, and voices of people living in the contemporary era.
Major Works
Playwright & Director: <Old Memories of the Sun and Moon>, <Wandering Land>, <Blackout>, <When I Opened the Closet Door>
Director: <Beyond the Desert at Night: Journey of X> and many more
Awards
2007 National Theater of Korea Playwriting Competition
Runner-up for <Carrying the Moon, Holding the Sun>
2014 ARKO Selection Outstanding Play for <Wandering Land>
2020 7th Yoon Young-sun Drama Award
2020 14th Cha Bumseok Play Award <River and Liver>
