Shakespeare in Busan plans two-week run of ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ in Dalmaji Amphitheater


Busan expatriates will this week get another chance to experience a summer theater tradition they might not have expected in Korea ― Shakespeare in the park.

Shakespeare in Busan will put on “Much Ado About Nothing” this week and next at the Dalmaji Amphitheater in eastern Busan.

The area is popular with hikers and director Jennifer Howell said the venue has a fantastic atmosphere.

“It’s breathtakingly beautiful up there and people tend to have picnics and make a day of it.”

While a performance in the park puts a play at the mercy of the wind, the rain and the odd stray ajumma wandering in from stage left, Howell says there are advantages for a low-budget play.

“There is the advantage of being outside where the trees and the ocean and the gorgeous scenery provide the backdrop for you, so I think in many ways it’s advantageous.”

And the outdoor setting may suit Howell in another way. She said that because she had not studied theater, she was less focused on concept and design aspects that would normally require a stage.

“It’s more that I’m trying to highlight the more dramatic elements of the play, because I have some really strong dramatic actors this year in this production.”

For Howell, who led the group’s first performance in 2010, the main aim was simply to get some expat theater started in the city.

“I never set out to be a director,” she says. “I like doing it now, but I did it because I wanted to see theater and I wanted to act in theater, and I wanted there to be theater happening.”

But her understanding of drama had been mainly from watching and reading plays. While she had done a limited amount of theater beforehand, she says her interest really started while in Korea.

“It was kind of nuts because I had no idea about directing. I didn’t even know what blocking was when I started.”

She could perhaps be forgiven ― it’s hardly a layman’s term. Blocking refers to the positioning of actors on stage.

“I was very fortunate to have met a lot of really talented actors that first year who really schooled me and brought me up to speed on what needed to be done to put something on.”

Among those who have helped her is co-director and co-producer Peter Starr-Northrop. This will be his first Shakespeare in Busan production.

Howell said there was a wealth of talent to draw from, with many of those coming to Korea to teach having theater majors, masters and even film credits.

“It’s pretty exciting, actually. I’ve discovered amazing talent every time I’ve done a show,” he said.

The play is a slight departure from Shakespeare in Busan’s previous two performances ― “As You Like It” and “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” both comedies.

“Much Ado About Nothing” has a pretty serious dramatic climax right in the middle of the show that threatens to derail all the romance and comedy.

“What I’ve been trying to do is not overlook it, but really trying to pump up the drama in the show.”

Howell conceded that because they felt unable to charge admission, budget constraints limited expat theater in Busan. But there has been a musical revue for the last two years and regular Vagina Monologues and V-Men performances. Howell said she was also considering putting on a contemporary play this autumn.

One thing that Shakespeare does well, Howell says, is reliably pull in an audience.

“It’s something that they’re familiar with. And the Korean audience is interested in seeing it because it’s something they’ve also heard of.”

And the shows have been popular with Koreans and expats, with more than a third of some audiences Korean. As well as providing a synopsis in English and Korean, the group also takes a more physical approach to the performance to help non-native English speakers.

“We try to do a fair amount of physical comedy and physical picturization of what’s going on,” she said.

“We might use a few more gestures than if we were performing it for the expat audience, so we do get a lot of Koreans.”

“Much Ado about Nothing” will be staged on June 2, 3, 9 and 10 at 3 p.m. at Dalmaji Amphitheater. The venue is east of Haeundae Beach in Dalmaji Park, opposite Alexander restaurant. For more detailed directions, visit the group’s Facebook page via www.shakespeareinbusan.com.

By Paul Kerry (paulkerry@heraldcorp.com)