The annual Seoul Theater Festival unveiled its line-up for this year’s edition, featuring a number of works delving into socially-conscious subject matters including bullying, poverty, and the experiences of migrant women.

First established in 1979, the performing arts bash celebrates its 34th anniversary this year. A total of eight works have been included in its official line-up this year, while 36 works have been featured in four different unofficial sections.

Among the eight works in the official line-up, Stage Yeonwoo’s “The Seven Neighborhood Like Warm Sisters” features an aging woman who used to work as a prostitute near the U.S. military base. The fictional character, named Sun-young, had a son with one of the American customers, but sends the baby off to an international adoption agency.

The plot of the play develops as Han-na, a scholar who is doing research about the history of the U.S. military and prostitution in Korea, visits Sun-young for an interview for her scholarly paper. Sun-young first rejects Han-na’s request, but changes her mind upon meeting Sunny ― a migrant woman from the Philippines ― who reminds Sun-young of her younger days. 

Another play in the line-up, “Pyeongsang,” deals with poverty and redevelopment. A work by local troupe Daehangno Theater, the play features a mother and a son who live in shabby basement studio. The building they live in is about to be demolished as their neighborhood is going to be redeveloped. Their studio is full of mold, and the only piece of furniture they have is “pyeongsang,” a low wooden bench, which protects them from leaking water on the floor.

In spite of the terrible living conditions, the mother and the son act as if they are living in a luxurious penthouse. The mother thinks of herself as the wife of a wealthy businessman, while the son thinks he will inherit his father’s wealth ― which seems to be nonexistent in real life. The audience does not find out the reasons behind their delusional behavior until the very end.

Meanwhile, Theater Cornfield is staging “A Trauma Repairman,” which features the life of a reclusive and unsociable young man, while Theater Windows is presenting “Human Cannonball Show,” a play about bullying and its teenage victims. Another notable work is Spider Company’s “Rossum’s Universal Robots,” a Korean adaptation of Czech writer Karel Capek’s 1920 science fiction play of the same title. The play features a factory that produces “robots.” In the piece, the robots are closer to the modern idea of clones, rather than automated machines. Its plot develops as the “robots” make a plan to destroy their creator ― mankind ― and build a utopia of their own.

Aside from the 44 plays, there will be music concerts, art exhibitions, and book markets during the festival, the organizers said. A number of works will be awarded during the closing ceremony in about 20 categories, which is scheduled to be held on May 12 at Daehangno Arts Theater in Seoul. The top prize will be given to one of the eight plays included in the official line-up.

The 34th Seoul Theater Festival runs from April 15 to May 12 at a number of venues in Seoul. For tickets and information, call (02) 765-7500 or visit www.stf.or.kr.

By Claire Lee (dyc@heraldcorp.com)