[Inside Chodong] What Exactly Is Theater?

[Asia Economy Reporter Byunghee Park] The play had just started, and not even 10 minutes had passed. The thought that came to mind was the fundamental question, "What exactly is theater?" Looking back now, I think I felt something overwhelming and indescribable from the actor on stage at that time. The seventy-one-year-old veteran actor had already moved from the center to the back, then to the right, showing the fourth character: Mephistopheles, Faust, Ivan, and Alyosha.

The play "The Grand Inquisitor and Faust," performed at the end of last year, was a one-man show by actor Jeong Donghwan. The play intertwined Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's (1749?1832) "Faust" and Fyodor Dostoevsky's (1821?1881) "The Brothers Karamazov." The Grand Inquisitor is the title of a dramatic poem that Ivan tells his younger brother Alyosha in "The Brothers Karamazov."

"Faust" and "The Brothers Karamazov" are masterpieces by Goethe and Dostoevsky. Goethe devoted 60 years of his 80-year life to writing "Faust," completing it one year before his death. Dostoevsky completed "The Brothers Karamazov" and passed away three months later. The original works themselves deal with difficult themes such as God and humanity, religion, and salvation. Combining these two originals made understanding the content of the play a challenging task. However, there was no difficulty in immersing oneself in the play.

From the veteran actor, there was a certain level of mastery on stage that was more than just passion. That is why it was impossible not to focus. The veteran actor carried the play alone for nearly two hours, playing five roles including the Grand Inquisitor. Memorizing a script with profound themes must not have been easy, but the actor seemed completely immersed in the performance, with his face occasionally gleaming brightly.

The year 2020 was an extremely difficult year. Cultural reporters need to see performances or exhibitions to have material to write about, but performances and exhibitions were frequently canceled. Even when attending performances occasionally, the mind was uneasy. It felt awkward to introduce good performances. Last year was designated as the "Year of Theater" by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism for the first time in 29 years since 1991. It was supposed to be a year of festivals, but due to the unexpected novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), it became a lonely and challenging year.

According to government quarantine guidelines, theaters can currently fill only about 30% of their seats. Many performances have been canceled or suspended because they cannot afford to operate at a loss. Nevertheless, some performances continue with only 30% of the seats filled, insisting that performances must go on. Even with the new year, the situation has not improved. Because of this, the lingering impression of the "The Grand Inquisitor and Faust" performance remains strong. Perhaps it was because the actor’s sincerity in approaching the play was felt most deeply. A sincerity that draws you into the play in less than 10 minutes.

Jeong Donghwan asked and answered the question "What is theater?" himself in the program book for "The Grand Inquisitor and Faust." "It is a journey of asking 'Who am I?' experiencing extreme pain and inner conflict of anguish, and finally gaining a positive realization of the meaning of existence." I hope that this year, going to the theater will feel a little easier... It is somewhat fortunate that the number of COVID-19 confirmed cases, which had been over 1,000 daily, has recently dropped to around 600.