Divided Korea as told by French director

A scene from “The Empire of Light” / Courtesy of National Theater Company of Korea

By Kwon Mee-yoo

Relations between South and North Korea are frostier than ever, but North Korea has become an inseparable yet indifferent entity in the lives of ordinary South Koreans. A new play "The Empire of Light," staged at Myeongdong Theater, tackles such notions as seen through the eyes of a French director.

"The Empire of Light," based on Korean author Kim Young-ha's 2006 novel of the same name, revolves around a foreign film importer Kim Ki-yeong and his wife Jang Ma-ri who sells cars. The two live ordinary lives in Seoul, until Kim ― who in fact is a North Korean spy that has resided in South Korea without any instructions for over a decade ― receives an e-mail from Pyongyang ordering him to return in 24 hours.

The play was developed as a part of the National Theater Company of Korea (NTCK)'s effort to stage a Korean narrative. It also celebrates the Years of Korea-France Bilateral Exchanges and will be performed in France after its premiere in Korea.

"The Empire of Light" deconstructs the past and the present; theater and cinema; and truth and lies and reconstitutes them on stage. The play blurs the boundaries between reality and illusions and so do the actors. The spy creates an illusion to survive, while his wife needs illusions to maintain her life as a normal woman.

Director Arthur Nauzyciel said he and co-adapter Valerie Mrejen had to make radical choices to take the script to the stage.

"The book is thick and the show is about two hours. We had to cut a lot and you will not find lots of things in the book on the stage anymore. It is now a new material. We follow the spy story, but we also decided to choose the scenes that we could relate," Nauzyciel said. "Valerie has a poetic and artistic vision and we are interested in what is haunting us. There are lots of ghosts and memories in the book and we are interested in the person as our bodies carry all these memories."

Instead of following a traditional narrative, the play combines the spy plot with contemporary South Koreans perspectives and memories on the North. The actors come to the front of stage, hold a standing microphone and recite their thoughts on North Korea, part truth, part fiction.

"The history of Korean people is heartbreaking and I am glad to have discovered it through working together with Korean actors and staffers," the director said. "I've always liked to do project in foreign countries because theater is a very beautiful way to meet people with different stories and background and discover other culture."

Ji Hyun-jun plays Kim and screen veteran Moon So-ri take on the role of Jang.

The play runs through March 27 in Seoul and then transfer to Center Dramatique National Orleans in Orleans, France from May 17 to 21. Tickets for the Seoul production cost from 20,000 to 50,000 won. English subtitles are provided on select days ― March 10, 13 and 27. For more information, call 1644-2003 or visit www.ntck.or.kr.