[kt와 함께하는 제61회 동아연극상]
Jo Young-gyu and Song In-seong receive acting awards honors
New Concept Theater Award Children’s Play – Five Senses
Increasing participation of young creators, diverse topics
Judge Chairman: “Expecting a variety of colors and perspectives”
Imagination Theater 2’s ‘To You Who Are Spending a White Night’ and 12th Language Theater Studio’s ‘Days on Mars: Part 1’ won the Best Picture at the 61st Donga Theater Awards.
The Dong-A Theater Awards Jury Committee (Chairman Kim Ok-ran) conducted the final screening at the Dong-A Ilbo Chungjeong-ro office building in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul on the 23rd and selected winners and winners in 9 categories, including Best Picture, Best Directing, and Best Acting, excluding those without awards. This year, 29 works recommended by the judges were included in the main examination. Chairman Kim Ok-ran said, “It was a year in which various notable attempts stood out. “The diverse themes and fresh approach of the young creative team allowed us to look at the work with a variety of standards,” he said. He added, “It is expected that works with various colors and perspectives will be released in the domestic theater industry in the future.”
‘To You Who Are Spending a White Night’ won Best Picture and also won Best Directing (Park Hae-seong). It depicts the process of ‘Dawn’, a second-shift worker, and ‘Yeong-jeong’, a flight attendant, seeking connection despite being diverged due to different time differences. We take a fresh look at the meaning and possibility of connection in a world of isolation created by the hyper-connected era. “It densely captures the sensibilities and worldview of the MZ generation (Millennials + Generation Z). “The short scene was developed with a visual sense, and the sadness and fatigue of these people were expressed in a witty way without being excessive.”
‘Days on Mars: Part 1’ is a prose play centered on the situation in which two characters on a Mars exploration encounter an accident and become stranded in space. It has been described as a ’21st century version’ of Samuel Beckett’s absurdist play ‘Waiting for Godot’. Baek Jong-seung, who appeared in the work, also won the Yoo In-chon Rookie Actor Award. “Although it is a small work, it unfolds deep topics such as artificial intelligence (AI) and non-human discourse with fresh theatricality. The directorial attempt, such as using chairs to create a swimming space, was also evaluated as outstanding.”
Regarding actor Cho Young-gyu (‘Recommended Seok who Lives in Jincheon’), who received the acting award, he said, “He stood out for his sincere acting so that the audience could believe and follow the setting in the play.” Another winner, actor Song In-seong (‘Overlook and the River’), was evaluated as “despite the lonely task of creating a character for a long time, he led the performance while maintaining concentration until the end.”
Actor Choi Ho-young, who appeared in ‘Carthage’ and ‘The Way of Mourning’, and Baek Jong-seung, who appeared in ‘Days on Mars: Part 1’, both received the Yoo Inchon Rookie Actor Award. Regarding Choi Ho-young, who played the role of Tommy, who grew up in a probation office in ‘Carthage’, he said, “His ability to analyze plays and embody characters was excellent.” Baek Jong-seung said, “He is an actor who stands out for having a comical acting character but also showing sincere acting.”
The Play Award went to writer Lee Hae-seong, who wrote and directed ‘Screamers Act 3 – There is a Tree’. This is the final episode of the ‘Screamers’ series that has been running since 2017. It is a story about small humans who embody intangible pain through screams and stand up to huge powers. It was evaluated that “the power and imagination of tenaciously pushing forward with the state-led massacre throughout the three parts stood out.” Regarding director Bonju, who received the Best New Director Award for ‘Co-creation Failure Documentary’, he commented, “He has shown wild strength and grit while working steadily.”
The New Concept Theater Award was given to Jongno Children’s Theater, which hosted ‘Strange Children’s Play – Five Senses’, and Gong Play Club, which produced the work. This is a co-created documentary play that looks at poet Lee Sang’s masterpiece ‘Five Senses’ from a child’s perspective. The judges said, “It shattered the stereotypes about children’s theater. “I thought about the creative methodology for children’s plays in a new and in-depth way,” he said. Regarding stage designer Lim Il-jin, who received the stage arts award for the National Theater Company’s ‘Active Volcano’, he said, “The visual spectacle was powerful, and the object itself showed a bold attempt to specify the aesthetics of the work.”
Kim Min-ki (1951-2024) and ‘Hakjeon’ were selected for the special award. In 1991, Kim Min-gi founded the small theater Hakjeon, a symbol of Daehakro performance culture, and led it for 33 years, and laid the foundation for domestic creative musicals by creating works such as ‘Subway Line 1’. The judges said, “We devoted ourselves to creating works for children and youth, and established a democratic system of hiring young actors in the domestic theater world.”
Although they were not named as award winners, many high-quality small theater plays were also mentioned. These include Trunk Theater Project’s ‘Kimchi Stew Western’, Green Pig’s ‘Historical Controversy Series’, and National Theater Company’s ‘Village Without Electricity’. The awards ceremony will be held on January 20th next year.
“Inspired by the ‘many worlds’ of quantum mechanics… “With infinite solitude”
‘White night… Park Hae-seong, Best Directing Award for ‘
“On the contrary, the infinitely connected world gave birth to infinite loneliness. “It is time to accept this order, but find out how we can coexist and form solidarity.” Director Park Hae-seong (pictured), who won the Best Directing Award at the 61st Dong-A Theater Awards for his play ‘To You Spending a White Night’, said in a phone interview on the 23rd. said this: He directed ‘White Night…’ ‘ is a work that presents a new direction for the meaning of connectivity in the hyper-connected era. This year, it even won Best Picture, winning two awards. Director Park said, “When I heard the news of the award, I thought of each and every colleague I had worked with for a long time. Just like ‘White Night…’ “I am honored and grateful to receive the award on a day when I was having a company dinner with the team,” he said of the award.
The work begins with ‘Dawn’, a second shift worker, and ‘Yeojeong’, his lover and flight attendant, constantly being misaligned due to their respective time differences. The difficult circumstances of each person exhaust the mind with anxiety and alienation, and cause the two people to grow apart. The time difference at this time is expressed as time difference on stage. Director Park said, “We incorporated the concept that time and space can be expanded by directing the scene so that two people are not looking at each other in a scene where they should be looking at each other.” He added, “We wanted to portray on stage that they exist together in some world and some place.” “I did it,” he explained.
This production was inspired by the ‘many worlds interpretation’ theory presented by 20th century quantum physicist Hugh Everett. Director Park, who majored in computer science as an undergraduate, entered the theater world in 2009 and has consistently directed worldviews where multiple universes overlap, such as ‘Sputnik’. He said, “I think the scientific and mathematical philosophy training of observing phenomena, forming hypotheses, and verifying them through failure became the foundation.”
Director Park’s theatrical goal is also connected to his ‘Many Worlds Series’. The aim is to aim for coexistence, not isolation, by solidarity between creators who usually work separately. He said, “In the theater ecosystem where creative agendas are created and exchanged together, various ways and forms can coexist regardless of the success or failure of the work,” and said that it is his wish to provide a variety of ‘parallax’ to the audience.
“I think there are 100 plays for 100 audiences. “We will continue to strive to create works that allow audiences to create their own plays, rather than providing a single correct answer.”