Kim Kwang-bo, Artistic Director of the National Theater Company, "Pursuing Progressive Works... Committed to Reducing Carbon Emissions"

Inaugurated Last November... Online Press Conference on the 18th Reveals 3-Year Vision
"This Year's Notable Works: 'Road Kill in the Theater' and 'Angels in America'"

Kim Kwang-bo, Artistic Director of the National Theater Company, is answering reporters' questions at an online press conference held on YouTube on the 18th.
[Photo by National Theater Company]

[Asia Economy Reporter Byunghee Park] "I believe the National Theater Company of Korea needs to approach more sensitive and delicate themes. I want to create works that are somewhat ahead of their time and somewhat progressive."

Kim Kwang-bo, the newly appointed artistic director of the National Theater Company of Korea, expressed these thoughts about the works he hopes to pursue at the National Theater Company during an online press conference on the 18th. Kim Kwang-bo was inaugurated on November 10 last year, and his term is three years.

Artistic Director Kim asked for attention to two productions the National Theater Company will present this year: Road Kill in the Theater (October 22?November 14 at Myeongdong Arts Theater) and Angels in America (November 26?December 26 at Myeongdong Arts Theater).

Road Kill in the Theater focuses on the death of nature and animals marginalized in a human-centered world. The play will stage the phenomenon of "roadkill," where animals such as roe deer and water deer are hit and killed by cars on roads. This performance will also be presented as a barrier-free show for people with visual and hearing impairments.

Angels in America is a representative work by American playwright Tony Kushner. It premiered in 1991 and swept major awards including the Pulitzer Prize, Tony Award, and Drama Desk Award. The play depicts the lives of homosexuals during the anti-gay social atmosphere of the 1980s under U.S. President Ronald Reagan.

Artistic Director Kim explained, "'Road Kill in the Theater' is new and progressive in that it leads the play from an animal-centered perspective. 'Angels in America' is an older work but deals with issues we currently face." Angels in America is composed of two parts, with a total running time of 7 hours and 30 minutes. Kim said, "We plan to perform Part 1 at the end of this year and Part 2 in February 2022."

The National Theater Company will stage 18 productions this year, including Road Kill in the Theater and Angels in America. Last year, marking the 70th anniversary of the National Theater Company, ambitious preparations were made, but due to the spread of COVID-19, some performances were canceled or schedules reduced. These productions will be brought back to the stage, including Faust Ending, Jo's Orphan, Seeds of Revenge, SWEAT, and Full Catch.

Through exchanges with the Th??tre de Li?ge in Belgium, the play The Vegetarian, based on Han Kang's novel and originally planned to be performed in Belgium, will be pursued again. Additionally, three Chinese play readings will be presented in May.

Kim Kwang-bo, Artistic Director of the National Theater Company of Korea
[Photo by National Theater Company of Korea]

This year, the National Theater Company's operational principles are ▲ strengthening publicness ▲ guaranteeing freedom of expression ▲ active climate action. Artistic Director Kim stated, "We will provide equal opportunities so that anyone can enjoy art regardless of gender, disability, age, or region, and create conditions where artists can freely express themselves in a safe creative environment."

Regarding active climate action, Kim explained that it means efforts to reduce carbon emissions that may occur during the production process of performances. Reducing carbon may impose some restrictions during preparation such as stage setup.

"It is a trend of the times and an issue that theater professionals should recognize as important. However, I will not force artists. If artists do not agree, their wishes will be respected."

Kim also said, "We will establish a system to share props, small tools, and costumes that are used once and discarded, and if other organizations request to borrow them, they can be shared."

The National Theater Company was once involved in the cultural and artistic blacklist scandal, which hurt theater artists. Artistic Director Kim Kwang-bo sincerely apologized for this and announced plans to create a 'Blacklist Casebook' to ensure that such incidents never happen again.