Seoul Arts Center (President Jang Hyung-jun) will present the play 'Rendezvous' on the stage of the Free Theater from April 5 to May 11, co-hosted with The Great Show and Yellow Bomb. This performance, which has been further refined since its premiere at LG Arts Center Seoul, is attracting attention for its innovative stage direction that maximizes the spatial possibilities of the Free Theater and its glamorous casting.
This performance showcases a bold stage composition that maximizes the variable characteristics of the black box theater, Free Theater. With an unconventional setup that places the audience seats on both sides of a long rectangular stage reminiscent of a fashion show runway, it is a new attempt that transcends the spatial limitations of the theater. In particular, 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 will lead the play for 100 minutes without exiting. Writer and director Yossef K. Kim Jeong-han explained, "It is a love story and a story of confrontation between two men and women who get closer and then drift apart, struggling to close the distance. The audience will experience the psychological duel between the two characters as if they were watching a fencing match from both sides."
The main viewing point of this play lies in the 'aside' that expresses complex emotions. An aside 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 asides, providing both emotional depth and humor to the audience. The scene where the two characters seem to touch yet hide their feelings while revealing them and dancing is impressive, reminiscent of objects cautiously docking in outer space.
The role of 'Tae-seop', who has locked himself in his own rules to escape painful memories, will be played by actor Park Sung-woong, who successfully led the premiere with his different charms, and actor Choi Min-ho, who has expanded his spectrum into the theater genre starting from the play 'Waiting for Godot', showcasing his diverse appeal.
Additionally, the role of 'Ji-hee', who embarks on a journey to find herself but ultimately returns to the place that troubled her the most in the past, will be played by actress Lee Soo-kyung, who is challenging theater for the first time, and actress Kim Ha-ri, who received praise for her solid acting in the play 'Rosetta'. It will be a point of interest to see how these actors with different personalities and charms create 'Tae-seop' and 'Ji-hee' in a new combination.
Director Yossef K. Kim Jeong-han is an avant-garde director who has presented a wide range of works from experimental theater to Shakespeare and commercial musicals in the United States and the United Kingdom. Director Yossef K. Kim Jeong-han explained, "Just as we know where the moon is but cannot reach it, everyone has experiences in life where they want to get closer to someone but cannot. In that sense, this work cannot simply be defined as a love story or a breakup story; it can be said to be a contemplation of life."
The performance depicts the special meeting between a scientist dedicated to rocket development and the daughter of a noodle shop who finds freedom through dance. This work, which portrays the process of two different people defying the physical law of gravity and moving towards love, is expected to resonate even more deeply in line with the new attempts of the Free Theater.
Tickets will be sold in two phases, with the first phase ticket opening for paid members of the Seoul Arts Center on March 6 at 2 PM, followed by general sales starting on March 7 at 2 PM. The second phase ticket opening will be announced later. Admission tickets are priced at 70,000 won for all seats, and it is open to audiences aged elementary school and above. Reservations can be made through the Seoul Arts Center website and Interpark.
