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| Song Seung-whan, playing the character of 'Sir' in the play, "The Dresser," and other actors, perform in a press presentation for the theater production at the National Jeongdong Theater of Korea, Seoul, Tuesday. Courtesy of the National Jeongdong Theater of Korea |
By Park Ji-won
Ronald Harwood's play, "The Dresser," returned to the stage last year, though its performance schedule was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The play, presented by the National Jeongdong Theater of Korea, revolves around an aging actor, Sir, and his devoted costumier, Norman, performing in a provincial theatre in the English provinces in 1942 during World War II. The actor, who is preparing to perform King Lear, starts to act strangely right before his appearance on stage due to an air raid, forgetting his lines and the existential quandary he is supposed to be portraying. Norman and the theater's other staff members make every effort to help the actor get on stage and perform.
Sir will be played by veteran actor Song Seung-whan, who is better known as the chief producer of the iconic rhythm performance, Nanta, who returned to the stage in 2020 for the first time in nearly nine years. Norman will be played by multi-talented actor Oh Man-suk, who took the role last year, and Kim Da-hyun, who was newly added from this year. In addition to the skilled stagecraft of the veteran actors and humorous content, the stage set is sure to impress audiences with its various realistic props and costumes.
The play is part of the state-run theater company's new project commenced last year to shed light on veteran actors, but was suspended following the surge in coronavirus infections.
Song said that he chose the play because it is a good match with his personal character, and its background is similar to what he thinks the world will be like once the pandemic comes to an end.
"I was looking for a play that could be performed by an actor of my age. Its background is similar to the current COVID-19 situation, and it relates to an actor like me who has performed in plays since I was very young and is familiar with the world of the stage."
He added that the play's content will offer audiences a chance to reflect on themselves.
"'King Lear' is a narrative about one person anyway. 'The Dresser' can become a wake-up call for us who are occupied with work and who have no time to think about life, which is the most important thing. One of the good things about a play is that it gives people time to think about whether our lives are heading in the right direction and think deeply about that."
Director, Jang Yoo-jung, said that to make the play more dynamic, she added more stage props and effects ― such as the dust that falls from the ceiling when the bombs fall on the theater ― and worked in more humorous scenes, compared to last year, while eliminating the intermission.
The play will be presented at the National Jeongdong Theater of Korea until Jan. 1.
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