Actress Lee Young-ae's 'Hedda Gabler' has opened.
On the 7th, the play 'Hedda Gabler,' produced by LG Arts Center to celebrate its 25th anniversary, has taken the stage.
Lee Young-ae, along with Kim Jeong-ho, Ji Hyun-jun, Lee Seung-joo, Baek Ji-won, Lee Jeong-mi, Jo Ji-eun, and a total of seven actors demonstrated captivating performances for 2 hours and 30 minutes without intermission on a stage transformed into 'Hedda's' house, receiving enthusiastic applause and cheers from the audience on opening day.
In particular, Lee Young-ae, who made her return to the stage after 32 years, was entirely 'Hedda' herself. She compellingly expressed the complex emotions of the protagonist 'Hedda,' intertwined with loneliness, desire, cynicism, and anger, captivating the audience with her restrained energy. From her first appearance to the final curtain call, she filled the stage with an undeniable presence that no one could take their eyes off.
Baek Ji-won, who played the role of 'Thea,' a friend who provokes Hedda's jealousy, convincingly portrayed a character with a calm yet strong will, highlighting Hedda's complex emotions. The three men surrounding 'Hedda'—husband 'TES' played by Kim Jeong-ho, judge 'Brack' played by Ji Hyun-jun, and former lover 'Eilert' played by Lee Seung-joo—each brought different charms and presences, solidly supporting the center of the play. Lee Jeong-mi, in the role of aunt 'TES,' and Jo Ji-eun, in the role of maid 'Berta,' also finely tuned the atmosphere and rhythm of the play, showcasing seamless synergy. The cast of 'Hedda Gabler' will meet audiences in a 'one cast' format during the performance period until June 8.
The play 'Hedda Gabler' is a reimagined performance of Ibsen's classic, utilizing a minimal stage and large screens to bring a modern sensibility. This performance is based on a contemporary adaptation by Richard Eyre, who won the Olivier Award for Best Director and Best Revival in 2006. The direction is handled by Jeon In-cheol, who won the directing award at the 54th Dong-A Theatre Awards and is referred to as a 'master of meticulous text analysis,' capturing the timeless nature and psychology of humanity in detail.
The story begins with the beautiful and confident 'Hedda' impulsively marrying the researcher 'George TES,' who knows nothing outside of academia, leading her to feel boredom and frustration in her mundane life. Then, the misfortunate genius writer and former lover 'Eilert' reappears after achieving a comeback, and the realization that her former classmate 'Thea,' whom Hedda had neglected, exists complicates her feelings deeply. Meanwhile, as 'Judge Brack,' who attempts to penetrate and control Hedda's psychology, becomes involved, her life begins to head in increasingly unexpected directions.
The play 'Hedda Gabler' allows audiences to explore the various emotions of humanity through a detailed narrative unfolded by diverse characters across approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes. Although written 135 years ago, the characters in this adaptation resonate vividly with us living in the present age, eliciting deep empathy and questions.
The stage designed by Park Sang-bong is a vast yet minimalistic space composed of monochromatic geometric shapes, with a structure surrounded by walls on three sides, symbolizing both the 'house' where 'Hedda' is trapped and her inner self visually. The front stage occasionally transforms into a large screen, dramatically revealing Hedda's psychological state and emotions, maximizing immersion. The top creative team in various fields, including lighting designer Choi Bo-yun, costume designer Kim Hwan, and sound designer Kaip, enhanced the stage's completeness through sound and lighting that precisely reflect the characters' psychology and symbolic costume design.
[Seo Jin] Provided by LG Arts Center.
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