Since 2022, the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts has been presenting contemporary performances under the brand "Sync Next." At the Sejong Center S Theater, audiences can experience unique and experimental works regardless of genre or format. This year's Sync Next opened on July 4 and will feature 11 performances by 18 teams through September 6.
From July 31 to August 2, the stage will host "Door Within a Door," a unique one-person play that falls somewhere between a reading performance and a showcase. "Door Within a Door" is planning a full production next year, and this performance will showcase the development process up to now. Director Junwoo Lee introduced this performance as a "work-in-progress sharing" during a round interview held at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts on July 22.
Director Junwoo Lee explained, "This is a process of presenting preliminary research ahead of the main production. We are preparing movements and forms of expression for the main production, and we want to share these considerations and check them through the audience's reactions."
Director Lee Junwoo is explaining the one-person play "Wall Within a Wall" during a round interview held at Sejong Center for the Performing Arts on the 22nd. Photo by Sejong Center for the Performing Arts
Typically, plays go through a process of reading performances and showcases before the main production to gauge audience reactions and make revisions. Director Junwoo Lee said he plans to check a variety of elements beyond a simple reading performance, which is why he uses the term "work-in-progress sharing."
A reading performance usually involves actors focusing on reading the script without showing their movements. In "Door Within a Door," video and live contrabass performance will be added to this format.
"Door Within a Door" is based on British novelist Herbert George Wells's short story "The Door in the Wall." George Wells is a master of science fiction who was the first to use themes such as the invisible man and the time machine in novels.
The original story "The Door in the Wall" features two main characters. The story unfolds as the young and promising politician Wallace suddenly disappears, and his friend Redmond gives a statement to a detective about what he heard from Wallace.
Director Junwoo Lee explained, "While Wallace plays a major role in the novel, in the play 'The Door in the Wall,' Redmond becomes the central character."
"The meaning of the door changes depending on whether you approach it through the character Redmond or Wallace. We want to see if this difference in the meaning of the door is conveyed well to the audience and if it resonates with many people. By placing the central character differently from the original, we plan to see how the audience reacts and whether it aligns with the creative team's intentions, and then review the script accordingly. If the creative team's intentions are not delivered well, we plan to go back to the beginning and reconsider."
Redmond's delivery of Wellington's story to the audience will also be shown on a screen installed on stage.
"There are scenes where Redmond gives testimony about Wallace, which are also shown through video. There are also scenes where Redmond rewinds the recorded video to review his own testimony. The video of looking back and reviewing oneself may feel like a self-portrait of the actor. The space itself may also feel like Redmond's psychological space."
From the left, Junwoo Lee (Director), Eunhye Baek (Actor), Hoyoung Kim [Photo by Sejong Center for the Performing Arts]
Another distinguishing feature of "Door Within a Door" is that a contrabass player will perform live music, unlike most reading performances that typically use pre-recorded accompaniment (MR).
"Because the contrabass is so large, when the musician plays the instrument, it feels as if they are embracing a person. The massive contrabass seems to comfort the character standing on stage, and when the contrabass is left alone and not played, the sense of solitude or loneliness it conveys fits well with the atmosphere of this play. The resonance of the contrabass feels like the character's heartbeat and also seems to capture the character's inner psychology, which is why we decided to try live performance."
The four performances in total will be shared by actors Eunhye Baek and Hoyoung Kim, with each performing twice. Eunhye Baek said, "The process of creating and making a good work itself was my motivation to participate." Hoyoung Kim commented, "Although I have been active in variety shows, my roots are in theater, and I have always had a thirst for theater, so I am eager to take on this project."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
