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Probationary Theatre to hold open auditions

By John Redmond Probationary Theatre Company is to hold open auditions in order to cast for it's One Weekend Only extravaganza “If the tables could talk” on July 23. Beginning at 11 a.m. till 1 p.m. at the White Box Theatre in Hyochang-dong, actors will be required to do a cold read and workshop with other actors. Three directors, Desiree Munro, Kimberly Thomson and Kevin Lambert, will be working together to make this amazing piece of theatre happen. All scenes will be set in a restaurant for this one weekend only show and the rehearsal schedule will depend on the individual actor’s availability. The show will take place on the first weekend in September. Characters in scenes being directed by Desiree Munro are Neela, a woman in her 30s who is calm and dignified. She is going to the restaurant to meet the woman who has been sleeping with her husband for the last year. Anna, a kind girl in her 20s who has been having an affair with Neela's husband and has arranged to meet her. Gayle, who’s in her late 20s or early 30s and is married and works for a music compa

Dreams, despair of ’migrant brides’ in Paju

By Kim Young-jin PAJU, Gyeonggi Province — Nguyen Thi Thang, a Vietnamese woman married to a Korean man, quietly wants a divorce. But she rarely entertains the thought — returning to her hometown farm would deprive her five-year-old son of growing up in a developed country. The marriage was brokered four years ago by a family acquaintance, with the groom more than likely paying under the table for the matchmaking. But it is not because of him that she wants out — it’s her in-laws. “I get abuse from them every day,” said Nguyen, 34, who works in a ginseng factory in this city nestled into the greenery of northern Gyeonggi Province. “But I have to think about my child.” Things are brighter for her co-worker, Dinh Thi Khuyen. The 26-year-old who arrived five years ago says she’s living happily despite the age gap of over 20 years with her office worker husband, especially since she learned Korean. “It’s less frustrating these days. My husband treats me pretty well,” Dinh said. They are among the some 1,300 “migrant wives” living in Paju aft

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Foreignline

Screening of rugby game AustChamKorea invites fans of Australian rugby league to view the State of Origin match between Queensland and New South Wales at 3 Alley Pub in Itaewon tonight. Kicking off at 7 p.m. rugby league’s “greatest rivalry” will be screened live. There is no cover charge and the bar will operate on a pay as you go basis. Raffle prizes will include MLA meat packs, McDonald’s vouchers and more. The State of Origin is a best-of-three series between the states of Queensland and New South Wales. 3 Alley Pub is located on the street behind the Hamilton Hotel. 'Some Girls' to end Saturday After a three week run, Probationary Theatre Company’s production “Some Girls” comes to an end Saturday at the White Box Theatre in Hyochang Park. First staged in 2005, provocative internationally acclaimed playwright Neil LaBute’s comedy is set around lead character Guy. His career as a writer is flourishing and his beautiful young fiancé is waiting to get married and live happily ever after _ so what’s his natural reaction? To get nervous and call up

Expat comedy world tour hits Korea

By John Redmond A host of expat comedians are set to entertain local audiences in the name of charity at Roofers in Itaewon this weekend. Kicking off at 8 p.m. on July 8 and 9, the Stand-up Expat World Tour 2011 will feature international stand-up comedians and celebrities with profits going to the United Nation’s non-profit organization World Food Programme (WFP) “wefeedback” campaign. Promoting an international sense of humor, East-Side comedy presents an all star cast of comedians from the United States, United Kingdom and the Netherlands with the aim to feed thousands of children around the world Featured on networks such as HBO, BBC, NBC and MTV, the lineup includes Jodi Miller, Ian Edwards and Rick Shapiro from the U.S. and Berlin-based British comedian Dharmander Singh. There will also be a mixture of veteran comedians and rising stars with familiar faces such as Lois Bromfield, Colin Kane, Paula Bel and the Jamaican-born, “Californian Laugh Factory” regular Ian Edwards, along with local comics from “Stand up Seoul.” The show will be hosted by the Dutch

Aussie-style meat pies a hit with locals

By John Redmond For local and expat lovers of traditional Aussie-style meat pies, a Korean/Australian franchise has entered the market creating quite a stir among the fans for this unique food. The Korean arm of Australian brand “Jesters” opened an Itaewon branch of its popular food outlet at the beginning of this month. Much to the delight to the expat community, the pies are true to traditional ones that can be found in Australia and New Zeeland with a menu that offers some interesting variations. Sticking to company policy, the menu board reminds customers of the pies being “cooked fresh,” “hand-made,” and containing “no nasties.” And Jesters claims “there’s nothing funny in a Jesters pie,” which is backed by the slogan “Serious about pies.” With a decision to stay true to the original Australian concept, the food chain had a few hurdles to overcome in Korea. “Meat pies are very unique to Koreans. Anyone who has lived in New Zealand and Australia knows that meat pies are eaten everyday by a lot of people, as a meal or a snack,” said overseas coordinator Kev

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