Actress Seo Yea-ji will make her theater debut in January, stepping into the role of Yun Sim-deok, the ill-fated soprano whose short life and tragic romance have long occupied a central place in modern Korean cultural history.
Yun, widely regarded as Korea’s first professional soprano, and her doomed love affair with the playwright Kim U-jin have inspired generations of retellings, including television dramas, films, musicals and stage productions.
Set in the 1920s, "Crying for You" traces the intertwined lives of Yun and Kim against the backdrop of colonial-era Korea. The play is based on an original script by the late playwright Yoon Dae-sung, but it introduces additional historical figures, including Na Hye-sok, Korea’s first female Western-style painter. The Korean title, "Hymn of Death," takes its name from one of Yun’s most famous songs, recorded in 1926 shortly before her disappearance.
Seo, known for her television work in series such as "Eve," "It’s Okay to Not Be Okay" and "Save Me," has been cast as Yun in her first theatrical role. She will alternate performances with actress Jeon So-min, who returns after portraying the character in a July run.
The production will run from Jan. 30 to March 2 at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in Seoul.
hwangdh@heraldcorp.com
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