[On Stage] "Do You Really Know Her?"... Four Men and Women’s Detective-Like Quest for the Truth Behind an Affair

Seoul City Theater Troupe Play 'Collection' Starring Kang Shingu, Kim Shinki, Choi Nara, Jeong Wonjo
Original Work by Harold Pinter, A Quest for Truth Surrounding the Infidelities of Four Men and Women

"Is that you, Bill?"

At four in the morning, when everyone is asleep, James suddenly calls looking for Bill. His question gives the impression that he knows Bill well. In reality, it is a furious call to find the man who had an affair with his wife Stella, whom he has never even met. The play Collection is a masterpiece that vividly portrays four characters caught in confirmation bias, where no one can be trusted, yet everyone sees and hears only what they want to believe.

Theater play 'Collection' performance photos
[Photo by Sejong Center for the Performing Arts]

Amid tense suspense, the four actors Kang Shingu, Kim Shinki, Choi Nara, and Jung Wonjo, who drive the play through truth and lies, silence and insistence, unanimously describe the work as difficult but fascinating. Among the five actors belonging to the Seoul Metropolitan Theater Company, four appear in Collection, highlighting the remarkable chemistry born from their deep mutual understanding. Actor Kim Shinki introduced Collection as the first production performed solely by the troupe members and said, "Kang Shingu and I have been working together in the troupe since 1997, so it's already been 27 years. Having spent more than half our lives together, it might seem tedious, but I think the familiarity and naturalness between us have been fully reflected in the work."

When Collection was chosen as this year’s final production, the actors had various reactions, but they all agreed it was "interesting." Jung Wonjo, who plays Bill and has long admired playwright Harold Pinter, focused on the unique aspects that distinguish this work from typical plays.

Seoul City Theater Company play 'Collection' lead actors Kang Shingoo, Jung Wonjo, Choi Nara, Kim Shinki (from left). Photo by Yongjun Cho jun21@

"I was very happy to do Collection. Usually, plays have characters pursuing a single goal, but in Collection, each character has different objectives and conflicts, so even without many lines, the story is full of energy, which made it fascinating. Especially, each line carries double meanings, so analyzing the script was very enjoyable."

The play highlights the conflict over a single incident involving the married couple James and Stella, along with Harry and Bill, who live together. James pursues the truth behind the story that Stella had an affair with Bill during a business trip, but the more he investigates, the deeper the truth becomes obscured.

Stella provides the spark for the conflict but uses silence as a weapon to explain her position. Actress Choi Nara defines this silence as a moment for reflection. "When I studied absurdist theater in school, we learned about Harold Pinter, so it felt difficult. But looking closely, the play doesn’t follow a single plot or a linear flow of events. Instead, it looks at the situation from one perspective, then another, and the gaps and silences between these viewpoints contain elements for contemplation. Those who find this process appealing will enjoy the play even more."

Theater play 'Collection' performance photos
Photo by Sejong Center for the Performing Arts

"Do you really know her well?" When James hears this from Bill, who is suspected to be his wife’s lover, he looks more bewildered than angry. The moment the possibility arises that Stella’s story might not be true, James’s certainty collapses into powerless doubt. Actor Kang Shingu, who plays James, vividly expresses this emotional shift. "In fact, James needs factual information to conclude and put a period on what he believes. But the only information available is each person’s testimony, which mixes truth and lies. James tries to weave his own story to reach a conclusion, but the more he does, the deeper he gets lost in the maze. Usually, when acting, you consider your co-actor, but this play required no such consideration. The character believes his own thoughts are right no matter what the other says. Fitting things to his own ideas is the role of the characters in Collection, and before you know it, the play ends?without a conclusion."

The truth behind the incident James pursues remains undisclosed until the end, and the play closes. Actor Kim Shinki said, "I found the play really difficult. But the ambiguous ending felt like a reflection of real-life conflicts. I thought that if such a thing happened in today’s world, the play might end the same way. Bill cannot abandon Harry because of his ambition, and Harry keeps quiet because his reputation is at stake. James and Stella, considering their social positions, would probably just let it go."

Seoul City Theater Company play 'Collection' starring actors Kang Shingu, Choi Nara, Jung Wonjo, Kim Shinki (from left). Photo by Yongjun Cho jun21@

The situation where falsehoods can appear as truths and the lines driving each character remind the audience how important every word can be. Director Byun Yujeong explained about the play, "I thought maybe Harold Pinter predicted the future when he wrote this work in the 1960s."

Thus, Collection is a multi-dimensional work that can be interpreted differently each time depending on the perspective of each character. The four actors emphasized that if you want to fully enjoy this charm, they recommend watching it multiple times. "If you focus on which character holds more justification and keep aligning that thought with the progression of the play, it will be an interesting experience. It might be tiring to guess whose words are true or false, but for audiences living in an age of information overload, seeing different perspectives on a single incident can help refine your own viewpoint."

The performance runs until the 10th at Sejong Center S Theater.