The 586 Generation Between Ideal and Reality, National Theater Company’s

Performance at Baek Seonghee Jang Minho Theater from December 3 to 20

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Byung-hee] The National Theater Company will perform the new play When You Cross the Night (written by Yu Hye-yul, directed by Lee Eun-jun) at the Baek Seong-hee Jang Min-ho Theater from December 3 to 20.

When You Cross the Night centers on the 586 generation in their 50s in the year 2020. It depicts the story of an individual reflecting on the values they have upheld amid a rapidly changing world. The play portrays the universal experience of middle-aged people struggling with the gap between ideals and reality, living each day as if chased by time.

The protagonist, Hyeong-jin, is the vice president of a civic organization. He has lived by practicing his beliefs without compromising with reality for many years. Although the "better world" he always dreamed of seems distant, he does not give up on the direction he believes is right, enduring the harsh weight of reality together with his wife and son. On the anniversary of his college friend Yoon-gi’s death, Hyeong-jin meets with friends Hyun and Si-hyeong for drinks. Hyun asks Hyeong-jin, "How can you realize ideals when you can’t even solve your own livelihood problems?"

Whenever the characters in the play agonize over what they "must do" and what they "have failed to do," the prematurely deceased Yoon-gi appears. Each time Yoon-gi appears, the poetry of resistance poet Kim Soo-young is played on stage. Kim Soo-young’s poems come alive three-dimensionally through meditative music and the graceful movements of the actors. The playwright places Kim Soo-young’s poetry throughout the play to offer calm and quiet consolation.

When You Cross the Night is the debut play of writer Yu Hye-yul. Borrowing the language of poet Kim Soo-young, Yu Hye-yul delivers deep insights into various generations living in the present era. As a psychology major, the writer intimately portrays the story of a protagonist who has lived fiercely but suddenly questions whether he is still a useful presence in society.

Yu Hye-yul said, "It seems that people’s hearts carry a single face. That face is not of historical heroes or those who left great achievements. Rather, it is closer to the nameless faces of those who, during their lifetime, failed to accomplish much but died holding onto their beliefs. I thought that the undying hearts of these people remain and offer us salvation at important moments. The character 'Yoon-gi,' who passed away in his 20s, came from these faces. The use of Kim Soo-young’s poetry is for this reason," explaining the intention behind the work.

Lee Eun-jun, who has posed sharp social questions through works like Yulgu and Goebbels Theater, directs the play, bringing a profound resonance to the stage.

When You Cross the Night was developed through the National Theater Company’s new play development project, "Play Mailbox." It was selected as an invited work in 2019 and held a reading under the original title Variations of Love.

The National Theater Company annually selects one work from the "Play Mailbox" readings to produce and stage the following year. Last year, they staged Lonely Bath (written by Ahn Jung-min, directed by Seo Ji-hye), based on the Inhyukdang incident, and next year plan to officially perform Tragedy of X (written by Lee Yoo-jin, director TBD), which depicts the story of the exhausted Generation X.

To prevent the spread of COVID-19, the performance will be operated with a "distanced seating system." Additional seat reservations may be made depending on changes in social distancing levels. Those aged 24 and under can watch the play for 15,000 won with the "Shinsegae Duty Free Blue Ticket." However, since the quantity of Blue Tickets is limited, it should be confirmed at the time of booking.