Actor's challenges continue on stage

Kang Pil-suk, left, in “Me, Natasha and a White Donkey” / Courtesy of Insight Entertainment

By Kwon Mee-yoo

Stage actor Kang Pil-suk, 38, had a busier-than-ever year in 2016. He greeted the New Year playing successful author Thomas Weaver in a two-hander "Story of My Life." His journey continued to play King Gaero in the musical "Arangga," based on the Korean folk tale of Arang and Domi's ardent love, and powerful entrepreneur Kang Man-shik in the stage version of "Save the Green Planet."

In autumn, he worked on three musicals ― reformist activist Kim Ok-gyun in "Gone Tomorrow" set in the late Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910), Janitor/Priest in Michael John Lachiusa's "See What I Wanna See" and poet Baek Seok in "Me, Natasha and a White Donkey." Kang closes the year playing the beloved Korean poet while reprising Thomas in "Story of My Life."

Among these, "Arangga," "Save the Green Planet," "Gone Tomorrow" and "Me, Natasha and a White Donkey" were all premieres, which gave Kang plenty of experience in developing new characters.

"All actors prefer premieres, if possible. Everyone wants to start from scratch, whether it's a homegrown piece or a licensed piece. It is difficult to discover new things hidden by the afterimages of a premiere," Kang said in an interview with The Korea Times on Nov. 30.

Kang's first impression of "Me, Natasha and a White Donkey," or the love story of the poet and Jaya, a "gisaeng" (female courtesan) who loved Baek throughout her life, was affectionate in this era of the cool-headed.

"When I first read the script of 'Natasha,' it was like blank paper. It doesn't mean that the book was empty, but I just sank into it. It was neither very dramatic nor interesting, but I immediately sympathized with the character, imagining what if I was under such circumstances," Kang said. "The plot is rather bland, but I liked that too."

He recalled reading the script in one sitting. "Tears trickled from my eyes when I read the final lines of Jaya, portraying her lifelong love and devotion to the poet."

Kang said he didn't know much about the poet whose works were banned in South Korea until the late 1980s because he was a North Korean communist.

"Baek was a nice man but pitiful at the same time. I had the chance to meet poet Ahn Do-hyun, one of the Baek Seok experts in Korea. I think Ahn might have resemblance to Baek as he knows Baek so well. I think Baek was a handsome and humorous romanticist," Kang said.

The musical "Natasha" assumes gisaeng Kim Yeong-han as Jaya, the lover of Baek to whom he recited his poem. Kang approaches the musical centered on Jaya, as Baek in the show is in the imagination of Jaya.

"He becomes beautiful when Jaya treats him beautifully. It's a story of Jaya and my interpretation of poet Baek is to recall the sweetest moment of Jaya's life. I wanted to portray the pure and genuine love between Baek and Jaya on the stage," the actor said.

Kang played many historic figures this year ― King Gaero of the ancient kingdom of Baekje in "Arangga," radical revolutionist Kim Ok-gyun in "Gone Tomorrow" and poet Baek in "Natasha." So it is no wonder that Kang has pondered over the thin line between fact and fiction of portraying a real person.

"It's fun yet burdensome at the same time. It is easier to empathize with actual occurrences and characters, but the fiction cannot defy certain grounds of the truth," Kang said. "I have to be careful not to distort historical facts while portraying the character created by the writer and director."

Kang likes to take part in Korean homegrown musicals, which tells the story of Koreans. "There are abundant sources for good stories. It also makes us rediscover our own history," he said.

Kang said he didn't really know of Kim Ok-gyun before he took on the role. "I vaguely thought ill of Kim because of the Gapsin Coup. However, playing Kim in the musical made me swell with resentment."

Kang, a graduate of the Korea National University of Arts, has already spent 12 years on stage, but he is still in love with the joy of being a thespian.

"For an actor, there is no place better than a stage. On the stage, an actor changes the space, the time and everything. There is this inexplicable charm and freedom of being on a stage," he said.