[On Stage] Sometimes Becoming a 'Devil' When Trapped in the Prejudice Called Frame

Play 'Beef' - Role of 'Sehee' played by Kim Ju-yeon

[Asia Economy Reporter Byunghee Park] American zoologist Temple Grandin (73) was diagnosed with autism at the age of 2. At that time, autism was believed to be caused by environmental factors and poor parenting. Grandin's mother defied prejudice and raised her daughter to become a world-renowned zoologist.

Grandin's inspiring true story was made into a Hollywood film titled 'Temple Grandin' in 2010. The theater company Geundanda, which specializes in extreme performance delivery services, adapted Grandin's story into a play titled 'Temple,' which premiered last month.

I was unable to watch the performance at the theater. Thanks to an internet banner ad, I was lucky enough to watch the live performance of 'Temple' online. Kim Ju-yeon, who played the lead role of Temple, immediately captured my attention.

Kim Ju-yeon will appear in the play 'Beef,' opening on the 5th of next month. When I met Kim Ju-yeon in the rehearsal room, she said, "I really liked the movie 'Temple Grandin.'"

Kim Ju-yeon's portrayal of autism showed traces of deep thought and research. "It was awkward and difficult. I didn't know much about autism. While studying, I wondered which aspects to emphasize. I tried not to be too emotional. Fortunately, since it was the premiere, I was able to adjust the lines according to the flow of emotions. Since the role cannot look directly at others, I carefully considered how to handle the gaze naturally without exaggeration."

Kim Ju-yeon also said that acting in 'Temple' was fun and interesting. "I like dealing with heavy themes or experimental works. Although it is tough to create a play, I feel exhilaration when I rack my brain, ponder, and act. 'Temple' was experimental, so I had to suggest many ideas. Those parts were enjoyable."

Kim Ju-yeon, who appeared as the role of 'Sehee' in the play 'Beef'
Photo by Juda Culture

Continuing Autism Acting with the Play 'Temple' and Philosophical Story of Prejudice in 'Beef'
Heavy Themes and Experimental Works Bring Exhilaration Through Deep Thought

Another genre Kim Ju-yeon likes is classics. She appeared in 'Trial' last year and 'Demian' this year. In a past interview, she also expressed a strong desire to perform 'The Seagull.' "I love classics very much. 'The Seagull' is a play that every theater and film student wants to perform at least once. It is a great script filled with joy, anger, sorrow, and pleasure. Even if not 'The Seagull,' I want to perform works by Anton Chekhov."

The interview was conducted together with director Kim Ji-ho of 'Beef.' Director Kim also said, "Because it deals with human affairs that can be discussed over a long time, I always have a desire for classics."

What kind of play is 'Beef,' created by an actor and director who like heavy dramas? Director Kim described it as "'Beef' is not a classic, but it is a work with philosophical and literary themes worth exploring."

The setting of 'Beef' is an international high school. The characters are teachers and students of the school. There is a gap between teachers and students. "Teachers do not sincerely treat the children, and the children dislike the teachers."

The children each have trauma related to how others view them. These views stem from prejudice. The children in 'Beef' come from backgrounds such as multicultural families, LGBTQ+, and chaebol third-generation heirs.

Director Kim explained that 'Beef' is a story about prejudice. "It aims to show how easily held prejudices can dangerously operate in society. It is a story about how much prejudice hurts others and how extremely those wounds can be expressed."

Kim Ju-yeon, who appeared as the role of 'Sehee' in the play 'Beef'
Photo by Juda Culture

There are similarities with the play 'Dear Teacher Elena,' which Kim Ju-yeon performed last summer. Director Kim said, "'Dear Teacher Elena' reveals the students' malicious feelings toward the teacher due to a lack of communication between students and teacher. Similar aspects appear in 'Beef.'"

'Dear Teacher Elena' reflected the relationship between teachers and students to show a facet of our society. In 'Dear Teacher Elena,' students show devilish behavior. Their relationship with the teacher is merely instrumental to get into a good university. The students thoroughly use the teacher to achieve their college admission goals.

In 'Beef,' unlike the students in 'Dear Teacher Elena,' the students attempt communication. However, their attitude is lukewarm. Even when the students send signals asking for help, the teachers keep missing them. Eventually, the students have no way to resolve their worries and are cornered.

Director Kim said, "The scariest part of prejudice is not just having it but refusing to communicate because of it. Since they already have the answer, they do not want to know the reality. So the hardest thing is that no one listens to me. Unable to talk to anyone, the incident escalates dramatically. I hope the audience can reflect on whether we are too quick to judge others after watching the play."

The title 'Beef' contains two meanings: a signal from the children asking for help and a warning alarm indicating danger.

Director Jiho Kim of the play 'Beef'
Photo by Juda Culture

In 'Dear Teacher Elena,' there is a character close to absolute evil among the students. In 'Beef,' there are no characters representing absolute evil or absolute good. 'Beef' focuses on the fact that everyone has a demonic nature that can surface in extreme situations.

Director Kim said, "All characters are controversial. The character 'Yujin' is honest. This can be seen as good because he is straightforward without grudges, but it can also be seen as violent because he is too blunt. Depending on perspective, the character may seem bad or the issue may seem trivial. The play can be interpreted very differently depending on the focus."

Sehee, played by Kim Ju-yeon, is an honor student but also carries trauma that she cannot easily share with others. A friend gives Sehee a gun as a gift. The gun does not appear in the play. Only a mysterious box appears. Sehee carries the box and walks calmly. Kim Ju-yeon hoped that Sehee's appearance "sometimes looks like an ordinary high school girl just walking, and at other times looks like a truly scary person."

This is to create room for the audience to think about a character that can be interpreted controversially. The 고민 (concern) about how to express the character inevitably deepens.

"Although I have done many monologues while acting, Sehee's monologue is definitely difficult. It is a kind of confession-like monologue muttered alone, and depending on how it is heard and received, it can feel very different, so it is challenging."

Kim Ju-yeon, who appeared as the role of 'Sehee' in the play 'Beef'
Photo by Juda Culture

Multicultural Families, LGBTQ+, Chaebol Third Generation... Trauma About Others' Views
Sehee, Like an Ordinary High School Girl... Also Seen as a Scary Person

However, Kim Ju-yeon said that 'Beef' is a play that audiences can watch more comfortably than 'Dear Teacher Elena.' "If the play is 80 minutes, the audience can watch comfortably for 70 minutes and then suddenly think 'What is this?' in the last 10 minutes. The language of the play consists of everyday conversations. The conflicts do not arise from relationships with friends but from each person's struggle with communication breakdown, and in the last 10 minutes, it shows why these people have suffered. Therefore, the play overall has almost no difficult or uncomfortable parts."

Kim Ju-yeon confessed that expressing the character in 'Beef' is more difficult than in 'Dear Teacher Elena.' "Sehee's lines are not words poured out but contain a lot of meaning. I will study hard to persuade the audience. If even one audience member has had bad thoughts about Sehee, I hope they can leave them behind after watching."

'Beef' will open on December 5 at Dream Art Center Theater 3 in Daehangno and run until February 14 next year. Besides Kim Ju-yeon, Seo Hye-won and Yoo Yoo-jin will play Sehee. Seo Seung-won, Lee Jun-hyuk, and Joo Seok-tae will play English teacher Jeong Dong-woo. Kim Ji-hwi, Yang Seung-ri, and Yoon Jeong-hyuk will play literature teacher Yoon Young-jun. Byung-heon and Lim Geon-hyuk will play Sehee's friend Lee Ji-soo, and Kim Ah-seok and Lee Woo-jong will play Yujin.