[On Stage] Bringing the Confession "The Moon Is Beautiful, Isn't It?" to the Stage

Original Musical "Behind the Moon" at Chungmu Arts Center
Exploring the Life of Apollo 11 Astronaut Michael Collins
Collins's Humanity Shines Through in a Richly Textured Portrait

Natsume Soseki, the author of works such as "I Am a Cat," "Botchan," and "Kokoro," is revered as the father of modern literature in Japan. Even Yasunari Kawabata, the first Japanese Nobel laureate in literature known for "Snow Country," cannot be compared to Natsume in terms of stature. In a 2000 Asahi Shimbun survey on the greatest Japanese writers of the past 1,000 years, Natsume ranked first, while Kawabata was ninth.

There is a legendary anecdote related to Natsume involving the phrase "The moon is beautiful, isn't it?" During an English literature class, when a student translated "I love you" as "I love you" in Japanese, Natsume suggested it would be better to express it as "The moon is beautiful, isn't it?" This is interpreted as meaning that love is more beautiful when expressed with restraint and subtlety, rather than revealing one's feelings too directly.

The opening scene of the original musical "Behind the Moon" is intriguing as it evokes Natsume's anecdote. "Behind the Moon" is a one-man play that tells the life story of astronaut Michael Collins, who flew on Apollo 11 alongside Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin.

Creative Musical 'Behind the Moon' Yoo Junsang Performance Photo [Photo by Company Yeonjak]

The play begins with the first date between Collins and his wife Patricia. As they drink chamomile tea together, Collins is quite shy. He cannot bring himself to tell Patricia that she is beautiful. Instead, he says that although he is now an Air Force fighter pilot, he originally dreamed of becoming an astronaut because he loves the moon, and he asks, in a roundabout way, whether she finds the moon beautiful.

Before boarding Apollo 11, Collins and his fellow astronauts write letters to their families. While on Apollo 11, Collins and his crewmates receive video messages from their families. In her video message, Patricia says that on their first date, all he said was that the moon was beautiful, but she knew that was his way of saying he liked her. Collins replies that he will become the moon for her-not shining like the sun, nor disappearing like a twinkling star, but steadfastly staying by her side.

At home, Collins is a sincere husband and a loving father, and at work, he is an excellent colleague.

During the Apollo 11 mission, only two astronauts, Armstrong and Aldrin, left footprints on the moon's surface aboard the lunar module Eagle. Collins was the only one of the three not to set foot on the moon. As the command module pilot of Columbia, he was responsible for the Eagle's return and docking. In the play, Collins is initially overjoyed when Commander Armstrong invites him to join Apollo 11, but is soon disappointed to learn he will be the command module pilot. However, he quickly accepts Armstrong's offer and willingly embraces his supporting role.

Creative Musical 'Behind the Moon' Go Sangho Performance Photo [Photo by Company Yeonjak]

While his colleagues explored the lunar surface, Collins piloted Columbia in lunar orbit and became the first person in history to see the far side of the moon. Collins is portrayed as a man who enters the darkness so that his colleagues can shine, even if he is not the protagonist. In real life, Collins, who passed away in 2021 at the age of 90, was known for his strong sense of responsibility and for always putting the team before himself, earning deep trust from his peers.

Kim Hansol, the writer of "Behind the Moon," originally wrote the first draft as a five-person play but revised it into a one-man show to focus on Collins. As a result, Collins's diverse and human charms are highlighted, and the play emerges as a work with a rich palette and texture. The scenes with Patricia are sweet melodrama, the moments playing with his children are warm family drama, and the episodes where he puts his colleagues before himself to make history together are classic human drama.

Yoo Junsang, Jung Moonseong, Go Hoonjung, and Go Sangho all deliver passionate performances as Collins. "Behind the Moon" will be performed at the Chungmu Arts Center Middle Theater Black through February 8.