“I truly believe this is a work that surpasses ‘The New World.’” (Park Sung-woong)
The gaze and posture of actor Park Sung-woong towards the play ‘Rendezvous’ stood out. He was the ‘melodrama’ Park Sung-woong who struck a chord with the public, who only saw him as ‘noir.’
On the 1st, a press conference for the play ‘Rendezvous’ was held in Seocho-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul. The event was attended by general producer Lee Young-chan, director Kim Jung-han, and actors Park Sung-woong, Park Gun-hyung, Choi Min-ho, Lee Soo-kyung, Beom Do-ha, and Kim Ah-ri.
Director Kim Jung-han first expressed his gratitude, saying, “I am thankful to be able to do this again this year after last year. I am glad that people are showing interest in the play,” and briefly introduced the work, stating, “I aimed to capture the efforts of people trying to achieve something even if it doesn’t come to fruition.”
The performance depicts a special meeting between a scientist dedicated to rocket development and a noodle shop owner who finds freedom through dance. This work, which portrays the journey of two different individuals defying the physical law of gravity in pursuit of love, is expected to resonate more deeply in line with the new attempts of the Free Theater.
Park Sung-woong, Choi Min-ho, and Park Gun-hyung play the role of ‘Tae-seob,’ who has locked himself in his own rules to escape painful memories. The role of ‘Ji-hee,’ who embarks on a journey to find herself but ultimately returns to the place that troubled her the most, includes Lee Soo-kyung, who is making her first attempt at theater, along with Kim Ah-ri and Beom Do-ha.
Having joined the re-run after the premiere last year, Park Sung-woong said, “I was so moved during the premiere that I wanted to do it again. Lee Soo-kyung is taking on a new challenge, and it has become a completely different work from before. Please look forward to it.” Lee Soo-kyung also expressed her anticipation, saying, “This is my first attempt at theater. There have been many ups and downs, but I hope you will watch it well.” Additionally, Park Sung-woong remarked, “I envy the fellow actors who are doing their first performances. I feel a bit envious thinking they will experience the feeling of first love that I felt when I first encountered ‘Rendezvous’ last year,” and smiled.
Next, Park Gun-hyung, who has been active as a musical actor for a long time, expressed his excitement about joining the play, saying, “It feels strange to compete only with language without music. However, working with new actors in a new work is always a new experience.” When asked about the difference between theater and musicals, he explained, “Unlike musicals that use relatively large performance spaces, this is a long, variable stage that is about 17 meters long, which is essentially at the level of a large theater. The only thing we can convey is the voices of myself and my co-actor. I believe we can show the delicacy that we couldn’t in musicals. This has been a field I have been consistently interested in,” showing confidence.
This performance showcases a bold stage composition that maximizes the variable characteristics of the black box theater at the Arts Center. It features a groundbreaking arrangement that places audience seats on both sides of a long rectangular stage reminiscent of a fashion show runway, transcending the spatial limitations of the theater. Notably, the treadmill installed on stage serves as a unique device that physically embodies the psychological distance between the two characters, and the two actors on stage lead the play for 100 minutes without exiting.
Choi Min-ho also expressed his affection for the work, recalling the moment he read the script after confirming his participation. He said, “I was reading the script while waiting for my food to arrive for dinner. Even when the food came, I was so engrossed in the script that I hardly ate. It felt like magic. I imagined what it would be like to present this through acting and envisioned the stage. It was a happy first encounter, and I really wanted to participate,” he shared.
A key point of the play is the soliloquies that express complex emotions. A soliloquy is a line spoken by a character that is not heard by other characters on stage but is heard by the audience. The two characters express their complicated inner feelings of wanting to get closer but being unable to do so through soliloquies, providing both emotion and laughter to the audience. The scene where the two characters dance while hiding and revealing their feelings, almost touching each other, is impressive, reminiscent of objects cautiously docking in outer space.
Director Kim Jung-han stated, “I don’t think of it as an experimental play, so I haven’t conducted any experiments. As a director, it seems too vast to understand the hearts of others, especially an unspecified number of audiences.” He added, “Let’s do what we love with all our hearts. When I did what I loved and what I liked, it seems that many people liked it,” appealing to the freshness of this work.
Park Sung-woong repeatedly praised the artistic quality of this performance, saying, “I thought that ‘Rendezvous’ could surpass my representative work, the movie ‘The New World.’” He continued, “I was surprised when I first received the offer to participate. The public thinks of me as ‘noir,’ and I wondered if the production team really knew me well. But when I actually engaged with it, I realized they knew me very well, and I was happy while acting,” instilling anticipation.
He added, “I think I cried at the end of every performance. Tears naturally flowed. Personally, I believe this is a work that surpasses ‘The New World,’” he reflected.
Finally, Director Kim Jung-han emphasized, “It would be interesting to see how various generations of actors interpret the same script. Each will carry different scenes and meanings. The audience's feelings will also change depending on what mindset they bring to the performance.”
The Arts Center, in collaboration with The Create Show and Yellow Night, will present ‘Rendezvous’ on the stage of the Free Theater from April 5 to May 11. Following its premiere at LG Arts Center Seoul last August, this performance has gained attention for its innovative stage direction that maximizes the spatial possibilities of the Free Theater and its splendid casting.
Tickets for the performance can be reserved through the Arts Center's website and Interpark.
[Ji Seung-hoon, Star Today Reporter]
