Chekhov's 'Seagull' reinterpreted in symbolism

Actress Lee Hye-young plays Arkadina in “The Seagull,” directed by Felix Alexa and produced by the National Theater Company of Korea at the Myeongdong Theater in central Seoul through June 29. / Courtey of National Theater Company of Korea

By Kwon Mee-yoo

"The Seagull" by Russian dramatist Anton Chekhov is one of the most well-known plays in modern theater. The National Theater of Korea (NTCK) takes a new approach to the classic revolving around the fading actress Arkadina, her lover and established writer Trigorin, her son Treplyov and the ingenue Nina.

Director Felix Alexa, who previously worked with the NTCK on an innovative production of Shakespeare's "Richard II," again presents a modern interpretation of a timeless classic in "The Seagull." Chekhov's "The Seagull" was written in a realistic manner, Alexa throws a fresh light on the relations of the characters, especially through the concept of a theater and memory.

To achieve the feat, Alexa drastically dramatized the script, emphasizing the relations between theater and illusion in a symbolistic way. When the play begins, the red stage curtain does not go up. Instead, the actors walk down the aisle of the auditorium and wait for the curtain to rise for a play-within-a-play by the young playwright Treplyov, starring his lover Nina, transforming the Myeongdong Theater into a venue for Treplyov's new play.

Alexa is known for using paper and water as symbolic objects in his play and "The Seagull" is no exception. In the latter part of the play, when Treplyov becomes a writer, hundreds of sheets of paper fall from the ceiling, covering the stage with his writings. Nina, who wished to become an actress but experiences failure, reunites with her former lover Treplyov and runs back over her past saying how thirsty she is. Water then pours down on the stage, maximizing her despair. The water also drenches the papers of Treplyov's writings, destroying, as it were, their old days.

The play is headlined by veteran actress Lee Hye-young playing Arkadina. Lee refused the role three times, but the NTCK artistic director Kim Yun-cheol persuaded the actress to step into it for he thought it was a perfect fit for her.

Her struggle to become the actress is expressed through "The Queen of the Night" aria from the Mozart opera "The Magic Flute." Alexa added a scene Arkadina soliloquizing Ophelia's mad scene monologue from "Hamlet," hinting at the actress’ dogmatic character.

Alexa cast young actors in their 20s to portray the two younger characters ― Arkadina's son Treplyov (played by Gim Gi-soo) and his lover Nina (Kang Ju-hee). Though the two actors are close to the same age as the characters, Gim and Kang's immature acting does not match the charismatic characters created by seasoned actors, which dampens the message of the play.

The NTCK's "The Seagull" runs through June 29. Tickets cost from 20,000 to 50,000 won. For more information, visit www.www.ntck.or.kr or call 02-3279-2260.