Performance Group 153 reimagines Chekhov's 'The Seagull'

| NBNTV = Reporter Kye Gyeong-nam | Performance Group 153 will stage its new creative work, 'Seagull Flies,' at the National Theater's Daloreum Theater from the 15th to the 18th. This production is a modern reinterpretation of Anton Chekhov's masterpiece, 'The Seagull,' unfolding human desire and the meaning of life as characters waver between love and art, success and frustration.

'Seagull Flies' maintains the structure of the original work while realizing the core symbol—the 'seagull'—through movement on stage. Rather than existing only through dialogue and props, six performers embody the seagull as a single entity, representing the desires, hopes, and wounds of 'all of us living today' rather than a specific character. The play focuses on the attitude of either resisting the winds of life or surrendering to the flow, ultimately never folding one's wings, thereby expanding the meaning of 'flying' to mean 'living on.'

The stage also shifts the setting from the original lakeside to a seashore where waves constantly roll in. The ceaseless waves and wind symbolize the characters' lives and emotions, visually revealing the human interior that oscillates between reality and ideals.

The characters in the play are driven by diverse desires. The famous actress G.NA struggles to hold onto her fading youth and fame, while the novelist 'Baek Gon' uses even love as material for his creations. 'Nina,' an aspiring actress, throws her life into her passion for art, and 'Boin' seeks to rediscover the meaning of life after experiencing loss and betrayal. Rather than categorizing these desires as good or evil, the play poses a fundamental question to the audience: 'How should I live?'

Notably, there is a unique behind-the-scenes story regarding the casting of Park Heong-joon for the role of the novelist 'Baek Gon.' To find the right actor, the theater company representative requested a recommendation from an AI, and Park was included in the AI-generated list. This led to his final casting, further cemented by the fact that the representative and the actor had previously appeared together in the 1993 mini-series 'Challenge.'

Park, playing the role of 'Baek Gon,' shared his thoughts: "'Baek Gon,' a reinterpretation of the original 'Trigorin,' is a very bad man who prioritizes his own well-being over the wounds of others for the sake of creation. Since this is a new kind of stage where emotions and momentary impulses are captured through the speed and rhythm of movement—combined with live music, video, dance, and theater—I am preparing for it with great joy.'

Lee Yul, an actor majoring in directing at Dongguk University who participates as a performer, expressed her ambition: 'I have taken on the role of embodying the characters' inner selves through physical movement. Since the performers' movements must breathe in unison with the entire work, I am preparing for a perfect stage by combining individual training and stretching to increase the precision of every motion.'

The actors' movements and emotions are synchronized with live music. Music director Park Hye-jun, a cellist, and the Eastmen band will perform live throughout the show, providing a narrative that drives the actors' movements and emotional arcs beyond mere background music. The stage language—created by a collaborative team of lighting, stage, video, and sound designers—binds the actors' bodies, music, and imagery to heighten immersion.

In particular, the band's live performance and the dancers' movements will begin 30 minutes before the main performance, allowing the audience to naturally immerse themselves in the atmosphere as soon as they enter.

The production is directed, written, and choreographed by Hwang Mi-sook, the leader of Performance Group 153. The main cast includes Jeong A-mi, Park Heong-joon, Choi Jae Ho, Ha Min-woo, Bae Hyeong-bin, and Lee Yul-bin. Park Chan-i, An Chi-hyeon, and Son Seung-woo play the role of Do-min, while Kim Da-young, Lee Ji-hee, Lee Yul, Lee Sang-gu, Lee Jun-gyeom, and Kwak Myeong-jin participate as performers to collectively realize the seagull symbol.

Director Hwang Mi-sook stated, "'Seagull Flies' is not a work that merely reproduces Anton Chekhov, but a story of us living today. Some fly against the wind, while others live by surrendering to the flow. I hope this will be a time when we can understand the desires and wounds of others through different ways of living and ultimately look back on our own lives.'