Canadian Director Rediscovers Andersen

A scene from“ The Andersen Project,” which is being staged at LG Arts Center in southern Seoul until Sunday. / Courtesy of LG Arts Center

By Chung Ah-young
Staff Reporter

What first comes to mind when one thinks of Hans Christian Andersen? Fairytales that inspire hopes and dreams in children? A fondness for children?

These are likely associations with the Danish writer who lived from 1805-1875 renowned for his stories such as ``The Ugly Duckling'' and ``The Little Mermaid,'' yet there were many contradictions in his personality which were not welcomed by many. He was frequently gloomy, didn't like children and had problems relating to sexual orientation.

Andersen was a great storyteller but a very solitary man. Canadian director-actor-playwright Robert Lepage sheds light on Andersen's humanity, rather than his fairytales through his solo show, ``The Andersen Project.''

For the mono drama, which is being staged at LG Arts Center in southern Seoul until Sunday, Lepage visited Korea for the first time. His previous work, ``The Far Side of The Moon'' was staged here in 2003.

This work revealing the humane side of the all-time beloved writer is part of his artistic inspired work showing compassion for people who are on the fringes of mainstream society.

The work is the latest solo play inspired by the life and works of Andersen and his tales, ``The Dryad'' and ``The Shadow.''

The work was originally commissioned by the Danish government because 2005 was the 200th anniversary of Andersen's birth.

Lepage said that he didn't want to stage a fairytale already done by other choreographers, directors and filmmakers.

``So it was a tricky task because Andersen was a very lonely man and had a complex personality and I had to find a way to make it something about today. So I inquired into his personal life and his sexuality. So that also shows his dark sides,'' he told reporters at a press conference in the Canadian Embassy in Seoul Thursday.

His basic idea is to portray the dark side of Andersen along with Andersen's humanity and the contradictions that arose as Andersen got older.

``So as you will see in the show, I haven't portrayed Andersen on stage... About two or three scenes on Andersen…But I found another way of portraying him to talk about today's society,'' he said.

He said that his play has many characters _ not only Andersen and other characters who are dealing the same contradictions of Andersen.

``I divided Andersen into different characters,'' he said. Poetic creativity will show the contradiction of the storyteller who hated children. ``That's one big contradiction,'' he continued.

He said that he tries to revive what Anderson means to today's world; not romanticizing his vision of what he really was.

``The result is a very funny and entertaining show but it is very moving and it tries to explore new ways of telling a story, of course, Andersen was such a great storyteller. I think this is lacking in theater today,'' he said.

Lepage has received much international recognition from his experimental theatrical performances introducing multi-media and other technological devices on stage.

Concerning the use of technology in theater, he said that he doesn't think the theater is lagging behind cinema and musicals.

Lepage said that he uses technology in such a way that audiences don't notice it because of the way he merges it within his works.

``Technology is a starting point of theater. When men discovered fire, people sat around the fire and spent a lot of time telling stories. Some were using the shadows and creating monsters. That's the beginning of theater,'' he said.

Lepage first studied geography to become a geography teacher but later he developed an interest in theater because he felt he could express himself better.

But he said that not only his personal life, but also cultural exchanges through his travels around the world, are essentially his main source of inspiration. ``Artists should travel and feel how people live and express themelves in their traditional culture and contemporary culture,'' he said.

He has toured many countries, showing his work to different cultures, ``It's a very important part of the creative process to me because every different culture changes the work,'' he said.

``What `The Far Side of the Moon' meant to Korean audiences was also very different from what it meant to the French or German audiences,'' he said.

He said that frequent exposures to different cultures ultimately contribute to changes in the works.

``So I am very curious to see how `The Andersen Project' will be changed by the performances here,'' he said.

He said that ``The Andersen Project'' is a young project which has been touring for two and half years now. ``We usually tour the shows for five years and sometimes seven years. It is now in a development process,'' he said.

After being presented by Lepage himself in more than ten countries, ``The Andersen Project'' is currently starring Yves Jacques who did the same in the past for ``The Far Side of the Moon.''

He is currently working on ``Lipsynch,'' his new large canvass work which premiered in its first version in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne's Northern Stage in February. It should be nine hours long in its final version in 2008.

chungay@koreatimes.co.kr