Theatre Olympics to Be Held in Seoul in 2010
By Chung Ah-young
Staff Reporter
Top-rated thespians from around the world will gather in Seoul next year to participate in the 5th Theatre Olympics.
The participants who represent their countries in the performing arts will meet under the theme ``Love.''
The event was first founded in 1994 to seek development of theatrical performances through cultural exchanges between countries.
Im Young-wung, director and chairman of the Korean preparatory committee, said that the Seoul's hosting of the event reflects the growing status of the Korean theater scene.
``Korean theater is recently getting attention from the world. Last year, Kim Yun-cheol, theater critic and a professor of the Korean National University of Arts, became the first Asian president of the International
Association of Theater Critics (IATC). Also, Choi Chy-rim, director of the National Drama Company of Korea, is now an international committee member of the Theatre Olympics,'' he told reporters at a press conference.
Choi joined the body's 14-member committee this year, along with Ratan Thiyam of India and Giorgio Barberio Coresetti of Italy.
The organization first began with the only eight members but now the 14-member nations will present theatrical performances at the event.
``So far, the international theater scene has been Europe-centered and also there have been many sponsors for the event from there. But I hope in the future, the Asian theater arena will become more visible and play a growing role. So I am happy to see Seoul host the event and Choi's entry to the committee,'' Tadashi Suzuki, co-founder of the Olympics, said.
Suzuki said the event will also reinvigorate the hosting nation's theater scene and give opportunities to other participants to share and learn about the host's theaters.
Unlike other similar events, the Theater Olympics is held as a themed event, under which participating thespians will present works related to it.
``The Seoul theme is love as it is a universal idea in a war- and hatred-stricken world,'' Choi said.
Robert Wilson, Tony Harrison, Yuri Lyubimov and Wole Soyinka and Theodoros Terzopoulos, will also attend the event.
Choi said that the participating works and countries have not been decided on yet.
International committee chairman and co-founder of the organization Terzopoulos Terzopoulos emphasized ``the young generation of creators'' for the event.
The event is designed to educate aspiring thespians and offer them ideas of international trends, he said.
Seoul will showcase some of the world's best theatrical performances during the Olympics in association with the Seoul Performing Arts Festival and the World Festival of National Theaters.
Taking place in mid-September for two to three weeks in 2010, the city will focus on Korean productions and emerging talent, while introducing world-renowned groups and performers as well as their plays and adaptations to Korean audiences.
The city's biggest festivals ― the Seoul Performing Arts Festival and the World Festival of National Theaters ― will cooperate with the event, organizers said.
The venues will be the National Theater of Korea, Arko City and the Myeongdong Arts Theater.
The first Theatre Olympics was held in Greece (Athens-Epidaurus-Delphi) in 1995 under the theme ``Tragedy.'' In 1999, the second Theatre Olympics was held in Japan (Shizuoka) with the theme ``Creating Hope'' and the third was held in Russia (Moscow) in 2001, embracing the theme ``Theatre for the People.''
Each year, the Theatre Olympics brings together the past with the future to create an international network of different cultures while training and encouraging young artists, affirming the indisputable significance of the performing arts in the development of humankind.