Two Korean productions of Anton Chekhov’s “Uncle Vanya” will begin in Seoul in May, setting up a stage showdown between two star-studded casts.
The National Theater Company of Korea will present “Uncle Vanya” from May 22-31 at the National Theater of Korea, starring Jo Sung-ha and Shim Eun-kyoung.
The LG Arts Center will mount “Uncle Vanya” from May 7-31 at its LG Signature Hall, with Lee Seo-jin and Go Ah-sung in the leading roles. For Shim, Lee and Go, this marks their debut on the Korean stage.
The near-simultaneous runs recall a similar moment last May, when both companies staged Henrik Ibsen’s “Hedda Gabler,” drawing comparisons between their respective interpretations and star casting.
At the time, the National Theater Company cast Lee Hye-young in the title role, while the LG Arts Center featured Lee Young-ae.
Directed by Jo Kwang-hwa, the National Theater Company’s adaptation transposes Chekhov’s late-19th-century Russian estate into a Korean setting. The original play traces the quiet despair of a provincial household whose inhabitants, bound by unfulfilled love and frustrated ambition, confront the possibility that their lives have amounted to very little.
Actor Jo takes on the role of the Vanya figure, a man who has devoted his life to supporting his late sister’s husband, only to realize that the scholar he revered is ineffectual. The revelation leaves him gripped by the sense that his sacrifices have been in vain, even as he continues to endure the bitterness of boredom and unfulfilled desire.
Shim plays the Sonya counterpart: Vanya’s niece, diligent and guileless, yet burdened by unrequited love and insecurities about her appearance. Though she previously appeared in a Japanese stage production in 2019, this is her debut on the Korean theatrical stage.
At the LG Arts Center, director Son Sang-kyu will offer his own reading of Chekhov, with Lee cast as Vanya and Go as Sonya.
hwangdh@heraldcorp.com
