"I wanted to do theater since I started acting as a child. I thought there would be something different that comes from theater, and I believed it would be a great learning experience in my acting life. When the opportunity came unexpectedly, I didn't want to miss it, and it felt like it represented my story. Actually doing it has brought me so much, and I fell in love with the theater stage. I don't know what kind of play will come next, but I think I will participate in the work with affection."
Last year, Choi Minho (SHINee Minho, 33) received praise for his first theater challenge with 'Waiting for Godot' and is now back on stage with his second play 'Rendezvous' after a year.
'Rendezvous' is a two-person play that tells the story of a man, Tae-seob, who suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder, and a woman, Ji-hee, who bears the weight of the world. It depicts the process of a rocket developer and a jjajangmyeon restaurant owner, who live on their own trajectories, coming together as if by fate, defying the physical law of gravity.
Choi Minho is currently playing the role of 'Tae-seob', a rocket researcher who has locked himself in his own rules to escape painful memories, in the play 'Rendezvous', which opened on the 5th.
Choi Minho expressed his feelings about returning to the theater stage for the second time, saying, "I have always wanted to perform on the theater stage. I had a vague thought about it, but I was happy to start last year with a good opportunity. I felt regret when I couldn't complete the performance and had to stop midway, but 'Rendezvous' came to me like magic as the next project. The moments of performing are so happy. The performance is more than halfway through, and I feel so sad that it's coming to an end."
What made him decide to participate in 'Rendezvous'? Choi Minho said, "I didn't see the premiere. When I received the script for 'Rendezvous', it felt like a fairy tale, yet it contained realistic content, and while it was fun, the coexistence of pain and sadness was very interesting."
He continued, "So I looked up basic information and found out that it premiered last year with senior actors Park Sung-woong and Choi Won-young. I had a question of 'Why did this come to me when there is an age difference?' but I thought I could express it well enough. I had no concerns."
Above all, he said, "The character Tae-seob is a perfect, planned superhuman. But I am not a planned person; I am a spontaneous person. I have been trying to live like Tae-seob by eating jjajangmyeon every Wednesday for over two and a half months. It started as a joke, but I began to feel a connection. I also created my own routine on performance days. It helps in expressing the character of Tae-seob. I tried to mix parts of my life experiences and indirect experiences to show it."
His debut play last year, 'Waiting for Godot', was also a two-person play in a small theater, like 'Rendezvous'. Choi Minho paired with actor Lee Soon-jae in 'Waiting for Godot' and is now performing with his peer Choi Ha-ri in 'Rendezvous'.
Choi Minho stated, "If I start from a small theater, I have to show my true self more perfectly. I think I can convince many people with my acting in a place where there is no hiding. I still feel inadequate, so I believe starting in a small place will help me grow more."
He added, "Last time, I was led by teacher Lee Soon-jae, who guided me well. The character itself is one that waits to go on stage, so it matched perfectly with me as a first-time theater actor. Teacher Lee Soon-jae also treated me affectionately as a beloved junior, which made me comfortable." He continued, "This time, there are parts where I lead and parts where I am led. It's a 50-50 situation. I learned a lot from teacher Lee Soon-jae in the previous work. Every day was a continuous learning experience, and those learnings could be expressed in my second play."
Finally, Choi Minho shared, "Once you step on the theater stage, you keep going up, and I met 'Rendezvous' in my 30s. I think if I meet it in my 40s, there could be another love story. My small goal is to perform on this stage in my 30s, 40s, 50s, and 60s."
Running time is 100 minutes (no intermission). Performing until May 11 at the Arts Center's Free Theater.
[Shin Young-eun, Star Today Reporter]
