The National Theater of Korea is set to premiere its production of the heartwarming play “Our Town” at the Daloreum Theater from June 22-25. The Korean adaption of the Pulitzer Prize-winning play by American playwright Thornton Wilder explores the beauty and significance of everyday life, weaving a narrative around a family with a disabled member. Im Do-wan, who directed the National Theater Company of Korea’s production of “Scarpin,” took the helm of the adaptation

The 20th Busan International Performing Arts Festival kicked off in Busan on Friday with 41 productions by artists from 11 countries presenting their work over the 17-day festival. A special performance titled "1945," presented by theater company Dongnyok, will be staged at Busan Citizen's Hall from Friday to Sunday. "1945" tells the story of forgotten individuals who embark on a return journey to Korea after the country’s independence from Japanese colonial rule

The Seoul Metropolitan Dance Theatre wrapped up its four-day performance of “One Dance,” or “Ilmu” in Korean, at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts from Thursday to Sunday. Directed by Jung Ku-ho, the iconic performance presents a modern reinterpretation of a traditional dance from Jongmyo Jeryeak, a royal ceremonial performance encompassing singing, music and dance that took place during the royal ancestral rites at Jongmyo Shrine. Jung, a fashion designer-turned-

Eight Korean dance groups have been invited by the American dance company the Bang Group to perform in New York next month. Titled “All of Seoul,” the event will be held at Arts on Site Studio 3R, in Manhattan, on June 15-16. The Bang Group, established in 1995, is a contemporary theatrical dance troupe. The company is hosting a performance series for the first time this year, and has invited Korean dancers for a program dedicated to Korean contemporary dance. On June 15, Unplugged B

Sweden's Gothenburg Opera Dance Company will meet Korean audiences for the first time by performing “Kites“ and “SAABA“ at the LG Arts Center Seoul, on Friday and Saturday. The leading contemporary dance company in Europe is composed of 38 dancers from over 20 countries, and has been actively collaborating with international choreographers to stage challenging and innovative performances. Katrin Hall, artistic director of the company since 2016, said the participatio

A series of ballet performances from classics to new creative works inspired by Korean literature and hit Spanish TV drama series “Money Heist” are set to be staged next month. Under the theme of “Face the Times in Ballet,” the 13th edition of Ballet Festival Korea will showcase 11 productions by both established and emerging dancers at the Seoul Arts Center from June 8-25, the organizing committee announced during a press conference on Tuesday. The Universal Ballet is sc

William Shakespeare’s famous play "The Merchant of Venice," will be reborn as "changgeuk," a traditional Korean opera, next month, with a contemporary twist. From June 8 to 11, the National Changgeuk Company of Korea will present the first changgeuk adaption of “The Merchant of Venice,” a highly anticipated production that has brought together renowned theater creators and talented "pansori" performers. “The Changgeuk Company has made numerou

Actor Lee Soon-jae, celebrating the 68th year of his acting career this year, is set to make his return as King Lear in William Shakespeare’s tragic play “King Lear.” The production, which sold out during its premiere in 2021, is scheduled for performances at the LG Arts Center in Gangseo-gu, Seoul, from June 1-18. Lee will play the role of King Lear, an aged king whose plan to step down from the throne and divide his kingdom equally among his three daughters ends tragically. &

The Seoul Metropolitan Dance Theatre has been invited to perform “Ilmu,” or “One Dance,” at New York’s Lincoln Center from July 20-22. The performance will be featured as part of “Korean Arts Week,” one of the highlights of the Lincoln Center’s annual summer festival “Summer for the City” celebrating visual art, music, dance, theater and culture. Premiered in May 2022, the production is directed by creative director Jung Ku-ho, in colla

Twelve years after TV drama "Dream High," featuring Kim Soo-hyun and Bae Suzy, gained enormous popularity with the story of six high school students aspiring to be superstars, a new musical attempts to continue their story. Musical "Dream High" is based on the TV series and used some songs from the original soundtrack, but the story shows the story of the main characters 10 years later. Song Sam-song (played by Kim in the TV series) returns to Kiran Arts High School to find

Visiting Korea for the first time, Bambang Prihadi, chairman of the Theater Committee at the Jakarta Arts Council, said he is leaving Korea with good memories and new inspiration. Prihadi participated in the “K-Fellowship,” an annual program organized by the Korean Culture and Information Service, which invites prominent cultural figures from overseas to experience Korean culture and network with Korean counterparts. As the artistic director and actor of his own theater company, Labo

People cope differently when society rapidly changes: Some ignore the changes and fall behind while others adapt and thrive. Anton Chekhov’s “The Cherry Orchard,” set at the turn of the 20th century, contrasts the fate of the declining aristocracy with that of the rising middle class. Currently running at the National Theater Company of Korea until May 28, Chekhov’s final full-length play stars actor Baik Ji-won in the lead role under the direction of NTCK artistic direct

Entering the concert hall, the audience was immediately captivated by the sight of white confetti scattered and piled on the floor. “Slava’s Snowshow” running at the LG Arts Center in Gangseo-gu, Seoul until May 21, has transformed a corner of Magok-dong in the middle of May. The mime show created and staged by Russian performance artist and clown Slava Polunin has toured over 100 cities around the world since its premiere in Russia in 1993. In Korea, the Russian troupe last pe

Sitting outside in a cold and windy night on an uncomfortable plastic chair for 100 minutes might be challenging, but witnessing a musical centered on King Sejong the Great with the majestic hall, Geunjeongjeon, National Treasure No. 233, as the backdrop at Gyeongbokgung truly felt like a privilege. At 7:30 p.m. on May 2, night had already fallen and the show began by illuminating a spotlight on a pansori performer who introduced the historical background of the story. As pansori singer Lee Bong