I Will Live As An Actor - Chapter 73

I will live as an actor Episode 73

Casting.

The most important things in the composition of a play are the stage, the play, the actors, and the audience. It is often said that there are four compositions of a play. However, the most important among them are definitely the play and the actors. No matter how outstanding a play is, if there are no actors with acting skills to back it up, it will be a piece of cake, and vice versa.

“Korean Theater Festival?”

Actress Park Sang-ah frowns. This is because of the recommendation of the agency representative. The story told by Park Sang-ah, who is taking a break after finishing her work a few months ago, is none other than a play. This is not pleasant news for her who was secretly looking forward to seeing a CF advertisement.

“I hate it. It’s already been over ten years since I quit acting. But are you suddenly asking me to do it again?”

“Are you not confident in your acting skills?”

Park Sang-ah narrows her eyebrows at the agency representative’s sly smile. The reason she left the theater was none other than low commerciality and low recognition. What’s the point of having to see it in theaters for a hundred days? My pockets are getting thinner by the day, and public awareness shows no signs of increasing, so in a word, it is not worthwhile.

Moreover, it has already been ten years since I left the theater scene. Too much time has passed to go back. Dramas, movies, and plays each take different paths to acting. In movies, directing is the focus, and in dramas, the writer’s capabilities are greatly demonstrated. On the other hand, a play focuses on the actor’s performance. Since you are acting at a close distance from the audience, everything from vocalization, breathing, facial expressions and even body language must be different. So it would be a lie if I said it wasn’t a burden. However, Park Sang-ah cannot hide her surprise at the words of the agency representative that followed.

“It’s author Jeong Yong-dae’s work, but you still don’t like it?”

“By Jeong Yong-dae, do you mean Jeong Yong-dae, who won the Korean Literature Award?”

“Yes, I heard that you have written a play this time. I think you are planning to submit it to the Korean Theater Festival, and they said they would like to use you as an actor. The stage director is Seong Ji-hoon, and you know Actor Park well, right?”

“I know. But are they really gathering in one place?”

It’s a surprise. Even playwright Jeong Yong-dae is surprising, and he even included Seong Ji-hoon as stage director. Director Seong Ji-hoon is a well-known stage director in Korean theater. Just as the director’s capabilities are important in movies and dramas, the same is true in plays.

He supervises the stage and directs the flow of the play. He is often called the shadow of the stage. Although I don’t show my face to the audience, I have to control and coordinate the entire stage. In that sense, Seong Ji-hoon was one of the best stage directors in Korea. But I heard you stopped directing plays.

‘No, when I was in a theater production, I didn’t even look for it that much, but why on earth are you calling me out like this now?’

There were countless actors who wanted to appear in plays by playwright Jeong Yong-dae and director Seong Ji-hoon. Actress Park Sang-ah was one of them. Still, after seeing my performance at the audition, I immediately thought,

‘Next.’

I remember Seong Ji-hoon’s sharp eyes as he shouted. At that moment, as if reading Park Sang-ah’s thoughts, the agency representative elaborates.

“Hmm, don’t think too badly about it. Now, don’t you think that people have really liked Actor Park’s acting?”

“I’m excited. I know I’m just as disappointed as before. What’s more, it’s a theater festival. And why am I playing a supporting role instead of the lead role?”

The Korean Theater Festival is a stage that every theater person dreams of. However, from Park Sang-ah’s perspective, it was different. It’s been ten years since I left the stage, and I can’t confidently say that my acting hasn’t rusted either. If you’re not careful, you may end up selling both the ones you have and the ones you don’t have.

“Really? I heard that Hyewon’s hand actor was called.”

“Wait a minute, are you talking about Son Jimin?”

“We’ve been rivals since we were in the theater with Actor Park, I guess? I think the casting went to that friend as well. But I heard he said okay without the slightest hesitation. It’s a supporting role, not a lead role.”

The reason why the agency representative was so upset with Park Sang-ah was simple. This is because I want her to grow more broadly as an actor.

After breaking out of the theater stage and appearing in commercial films and dramas, his recognition and appearance fees increased, but many people criticized him for giving the same acting every time. Perhaps because of that, the CEO did not know that she was into mannerism. At that time, actress Park Sang-ah wipes her dry lips and asks.

“Who on earth is the main character?”

The agency representative suppresses laughter. At this level, it’s like catching a giant fish.

“Jang Young-guk.”

* * *

Sehwa High School.

Sehwa High School, a liberal arts high school, was like a school that did not usually enroll celebrities.

This was a natural phenomenon, as not only was admission possible only with good grades, but the majority of students and trainees who wanted to become entertainers went on to arts high schools. However, for some reason, among the new students this year, it was common to see former child actors, including trainees.

‘Is this an agency or a school?’

England’s lips move when he sees the juniors walking around the school. It was common for juniors to glance at England. However, there have rarely been cases like now where juniors come to the class in person to say hello.

“Hello, senior. My name is Kim Na-rin, a Hyewon Entertainment trainee.”

“I’m Hyewon too, sunbae! I got your autograph a while ago when you were learning choreography at our agency, do you remember?”

“My name is Kim Soo-young, an actress from Sunday’s agency. I really wanted to meet you, and it’s an honor to meet you like this!”

“Okay, thank you for coming to say hello, but from now on, let’s just say hello when we meet.”

England bows his head at a ninety degree angle and scratches his head as he looks at his juniors leaving. I usually received a lot of attention at school, so I didn’t feel pressured by people’s attention, but now was an exception, as all the male students were looking at England with envious eyes, and the female students were glaring at the backs of their juniors.

‘I wanted to spend the remaining year quietly.’

There is less than a year left in high school. Now, not only did I have to prepare for the CSAT for college entrance, but I also had to worry about which university and department to choose for my future career. I wanted to spend the rest of my school days quietly, but looking at the situation, it seems like that won’t go as planned. As proof of that.

“Why are you sitting here?”

As lunch time came and we were eating, Yeonsu, wearing the name tag of a first-year student at Sehwa High School, sat across from England holding a lunch plate. Considering that most students sit together by grade, her actions cannot help but feel bold.

“Now do I have to ask for permission to sit down? Why are you doing it so that I can eat with you? By the way, are you being bullied at school? Why is there no one around?”

As Yeonsu said, the area around England was as if a curtain had been drawn, with no one sitting around. Of course, this does not mean that peer relationships at school in the UK are not good or anything like that.

But, like everyone else, wouldn’t you want to eat comfortably when eating lunch? Like a celebrity’s mission, there were a lot of students glancing at me while eating lunch, so my friends tended to sit far away.

“Okay, stop staring and eat.”

Yeonsu makes a pouty expression and picks up her chopsticks. I was eating crunchy stewed lotus root and stir-fried sausage. Yeonsu suddenly asks.

“I heard you’re going into theater as your next project?”

“Where did you hear that again?”

“Our CEO told me that everyone was surprised that my brother chose a play. But what kind of work is it?”

“I haven’t even rehearsed properly yet.”

Why should I say that he played the role of Joseon’s best Casanova?

“By the way, Yeonsu, you don’t seem to be busy these days. I heard you’re really busy because you have to go to the countryside a lot to film a historical drama, but seeing as you show up at school like this regularly.”

“Why does it seem like words have bones? That’s why you don’t like them?”

“I got food in my mouth.”

Yeonsu touches the corner of her mouth to remove the rice and makes a pouty expression again.

“I didn’t answer the question. I finished filming the historical drama and finished my child role.”

“okay?”

“Well, what should I do? Even so, my brother is not very interested in me. I watch the drama he appears in live from the episode to the last episode, but he doesn’t even invite me to fan meetings.”

England looks confused for a moment. Come to think of it, I didn’t seem to be interested in Yeonsu. Even after moving to Seoul, I barely contacted him. That’s right, if you look at England on the outside, he’s still a high school student, but on the inside, he’s no different from middle-aged. Rather than harboring any feelings for Yeonsu, I felt more inclined to look at her like a younger sister.

“And I chose my next project, which is also a play.”

“what?”

It’s a puzzled look. I could never have imagined that Yeonsu would choose a play as her next project. Even though theater and drama seem similar, they are completely different areas. Since Britain is well aware of the gap, it is bound to be even more questionable.

“What kind of work is it?”

England asked, intending to give some advice. I guess I have years of experience honing myself in theater. Because there are many plays I’ve seen so far. However, at Yeonsu’s voice that followed, England’s spoon plummets to the floor.

“Spring of Joseon.”

* * *

Korean Theater Association.

The Korean Theater Association, which organizes the Korean Theater Festival, is in trouble. At the Korean Theater Festival, held every year, numerous plays are submitted from all over the country. However, among them, only a few works can make it to the final stage. This is because only works selected through rigorous screening receive support for production costs to be staged.

‘Are we going to lose money this year again?’

Kim Seong-do, president of the Korean Theater Association, sighs deeply. He is the person who most hopes for the revival of Korea’s theater industry. But unfortunately, the public is not that interested in theater.

As evidence, tickets to the Korean Theater Festival were rarely sold out. Therefore, there were many cases where the belly button was larger than the belly due to the cost of stage production and prize money.

‘A star needs to come out.’

To bring about a revival of theater in Korea, a star must emerge. Of course, this is only possible if there is an outstanding play at the foundation. However, if you look at the actors participating in the Korean Theater Festival, most of them have been acting in theater for a long time. Therefore, there were almost no cases where new actors appeared at the Korean Theater Festival, except for small roles.

‘It can’t go on like this.’

It is a time when a turning point is needed. While the film and drama industries are developing day by day, isn’t the theater industry alone on the path to decline?

Nowadays, the majority of people who visit theater productions are only those with mania-like hobbies. The reason for this is that, unlike theaters and TV, accessibility is difficult, and the prejudice that plays are somehow old-fashioned also played a role. It was then.

smart!

An employee of the Korean Theater Association enters with a loud knocking sound. Kim Seong-do looks at the employee with sweat dripping down his face and asks curiously.

“What’s so urgent? Did something happen during the preliminaries?”

“Mr. Association President, I think you should take a look at this for a moment. Among the works judged in today’s preliminary round, there is one that stands out.”

“You stand out?”

Preliminary judges are selected solely based on the composition of the play, stage director, and actors. To say that it stands out is one of two things. Either you submitted a work to the preliminaries that made absolutely no sense, or you submitted a work that was very surprising.

“Spring in Joseon?”

Association President Kim Seong-do’s eyes narrow as he looks at the title of the play. Eventually, he bursts out in exclamation as he reads the playwright’s name and the stage manager’s name.

“Jeong Yong-dae and Seong Ji-hoon!”

Playwright Jeong Yong-dae, who was once said to have lost his writing, and stage director Seong Ji-hoon, who had left the stage, have returned. That’s two people coming together at the same time. This alone was enough to become a hot topic in theater circles. However, the employee gives a urging look as if that is not the end.

“The composition of the actors.”

Seongdo Kim is speechless.

“Lee Chang-hoon, Ji Dong-yeon, Kim Min-hwa, Park Sang-ah, Son Ji-min…”

Aren’t they all characters who left the stage? These actors are currently working hard on screen and TV respectively. As usual, characters who left the stage rarely returned to the stage.

That’s because the reason most people left theater productions was because they couldn’t endure hunger. But they get together again. And finally, the names of the male and female leads attract attention.

“Yeonsu and Jang Young-guk!”

Even if the president of the association is not interested in TV dramas, he is an actor whose name I have heard of at least once. The president of the association looks like he is swallowing dry saliva as if he has a intuition that something will happen at this year’s Korean Theater Festival.