Namsan Arts Center Seeks Creative Theater
By Chung Ah-young
Staff Reporter
Since the Namsan Arts Center reopened last year, the theater has sought to create new theatrical works that will compete with those of other medium-sized venues that have recently sprung up in its vicinity.
The center has released its 2010 season line-up, showing its cultural diversity and creative output.
Under the slogan of ``Contemporary and New Wave,'' the theater will present 10 works including four new plays this year.
``Last year, our theater was transformed into a new playhouse from the old drama house. This year might be the litmus test for the theater's future direction. We will focus on producing new works rather than renting the theater to outsiders,'' said Ahn Ho-sang, CEO of the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture in a press conference. The foundation runs the center.
The 2010 program features active participations of young female thespians and contemporary theater works that reflect current needs.
``The recent trend of the theaters is shifting from renting to creating. Many medium-sized theaters such as Myeongdong Arts Theater and Daehangno Arts Theater are joining this trend. We are in the lead, but we have a different edge than other theaters. We focus on contemporary theater and incubate new artists. This year, we have many young female directors and playwrights actively engaged in productions,'' he said.
``Your Sleep'' written and directed by Dong I-hyang will be staged on April 23 to May 2. The play revolves around a gay man who experiences a breakup with his lover and hardship after leaving his mother. The drama shows the dark side of life and death in a morbid tone.
``Did They See Us?'' offers a snapshot of modern life through death. The play ironically explores life through deaths of various characters.
Based on the book by Chung Yu-jeong, ``Shoot My Heart'' is a play about the struggling youngsters in their 20s and 30s in Korean society. The play is a human drama that portrays two escapees from a mental hospital and their fight to find their lost dreams. The play will be directed by veteran director Kim Kwang-bo and will be performed in October.
Also, overseas productions will be invited to the center's year-long program. A version of ``Hamlet'' directed by Thomas Ostermeier and presented by Schaubuhne Am Lehniner Platz will be on stage from Oct. 1 to 3. The all-time classic has been revived by the German director to portray a provocative version of the Shakespeare's work. Ostermeier is highly praised for his experimental directorship combining rock music with audacious expressions and gestures to put more emphasis on the chaotic situation and instability of the characters.
``The Dream of Gogol'' directed by Margarita Mladenova and Ivan Dobchev and presented by Sfumato Theatre Laboratory will examine themes about marriage and the failure of humans. The play revolves around eccentric characters through Russian playwright Nikolay Gogol's works. The play will be performed in November.
The center was established as the nation's first modern theater, Namsan Drama Center, in 1962 and was remodeled and renamed the Namsan Arts Center last year. It consists of a 480-seat theater and an arts education center.
The theater's proscenium combined with arena stage is designed for freer theatrical expressions blurring the boundary between fantasy and reality and new type of stage experiments.
The tiered seats circling the stage allow directors to turn the seating area into the stage and break the boundary between the audience and the actors. The unique stage and seating structures, side stage, bridge, and other stage features all add distinctive features allowing diverse experiments.