At the National Jeongdong Theater until July 7
The musical drama "Island: 1933~2019," which depicts the lives of two blue-eyed nurses, Marianne Stuecker and Margaret Pisarek, who volunteered for about 40 years on Sorokdo Island, will be performed at the National Jeongdong Theater until July 7. The performance opened on the 22nd of last month.
"Island: 1933~2019" is the second work by the creative group "Voice Project," consisting of director Park So-young, composer Lee Sun-young, and writer Jang Woo-sung, and it premiered in early 2019. This is the first revival stage in five years.
The Voice Project has staged the lives of exemplary figures in our society. Besides "Island: 1933~2019," they presented "Taeil" in 2017, which portrayed the life of labor activist Jeon Tae-il, and last year, "Baekindang (百人堂) Taeyoung," which looked at the life of Korea's first female lawyer Lee Tae-young.
The musical drama "Island: 1933~2019" deals with the lives of Austrian nurses Marianne and Margaret, who cared for Hansen's disease patients on Sorokdo Island. The play narrates the time from 1933 to 2019 centered on their lives. It portrays Hansen's disease patients in Sorokdo in the 1930s, Marianne and Margaret who devoted themselves to the patients in the 1960s, and a family with developmental disabilities in Seoul in the 2010s, crossing time and space to depict marginalized individuals.
"Island: 1933~2019" features 12 actors portraying over 30 characters, and their "chorus" plays an important role. Through this, the actors directly convey the theme of "living together."
Composer Lee Sun-young explained the musical characteristics of the work: "Marianne and Margaret were figures who humbly stayed in the shadows. The way to express their lives had to be through third-person testimony rather than first-person narration. Therefore, the music composed of voices travels between past and present, standing by as witnesses to violence, testifiers of love, and supporters of challenges."
Baek Eun-hye and Jung Woon-sun reprise their roles as Marianne and Margaret from the premiere to the revival stage. Additionally, Jung Yeon and Jung In-ji newly take on the roles of Marianne and Margaret. The "voices" that lead the flow of the performance include actors Ko Cheol-soon, Kim Dae-woong, Kim Ri-hyun, Kim Sung-soo, Kim Seung-yong, Kim Ji-hye, Ryu Je-yoon, Park Se-hoon, Park Seul-gi, Shin Jin-kyung, Ahn Chang-yong, Yoon Deborah, Lee Min-gyu, Lee Si-an, Lee Ye-ji, Lee Ji-sook, Im Byeol, Im Jin-seop, Jung So-ri, and Ha Mimi.
Tickets for "Island: 1933~2019" can be reserved through the National Jeongdong Theater website and Interpark. Ticket prices are 77,000 KRW for all seats.
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