‘The Cherry Orchard’ makes successful New York premiere with Park Hae-soo, Jeon Do-yeon
cap/ "The Cherry Orchard" in New York (Park Avenue Armory)
NEW YORK — South Korean actors Park Hae-soo and Jeon Do-yeon made their New York stage debuts Wednesday in the North American premiere of “The Cherry Orchard,” opening to an enthusiastic audience at Park Avenue Armory.
The Korean-language adaptation of Anton Chekhov’s final play, directed and adapted by award-winning Australian dramatist Simon Stone, opened Wednesday at the Armory’s Wade Thompson Drill Hall. All 12,000 seats for the production’s 10 performances through Sept. 26 have sold out.
“It was our ‘last dance,’ beginning with the Seoul production, and I’m so grateful that we were able to bring our first performance in New York to the stage,” Jeon said after the opening.
Jeon, who won the best actress award at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival, said she was more nervous than usual ahead of the New York debut, curious about how local audiences would receive the play.
“I was nervous as always, but I was more nervous than ever. I was very curious about how New York audiences would receive the work.”
She said she was moved to tears by the audience’s response at the end of the performance.
“Now that we have successfully completed our first performance, I want to do my very best through the final show,” she said.
Park, an Emmy-nominated actor known internationally for “Squid Game,” said performing in New York in Korean was particularly meaningful.
“It is deeply meaningful and an honor to perform on a New York stage, especially in Korean,” he said. “At first, I could sense that some audience members were unfamiliar with the subtitles, but as the play progressed, I could feel them connecting deeply with the story.”
“Ten actors and dozens of staff members have been giving their all to this production, and I want to continue showing our best through the remaining performances. I am sincerely grateful to all the fans in Korea and around the world who have supported us.”
Stone’s adaptation transposes Chekhov’s 1904 play to modern-day Seoul, following a wealthy Korean chaebol family whose values and way of life are increasingly challenged by rapid social change.
The production premiered at LG Arts Center in Seoul in 2024 before traveling to Hong Kong and Singapore in 2025 and Adelaide in 2026. The New York engagement marks the final stop of its international tour.
Stone said Jeon and Park “effortlessly ricochet between comedic and tragic impact” in their performances, drawing audiences into the story of a crumbling dynasty.
“I have learned a great deal from collaborating with these incredible artists working in Korea’s theater and film ecosystem and am honored to return to Park Avenue Armory with this unparalleled cast and creative team,” Stone said.
“Following (Simon) Stone’s unforgettable presentation of ‘Yerma’ in 2018, we could not be more excited to welcome him back to the Armory with the North American premiere of this innovative and ever-relevant adaptation,” Rebecca Robertson, Adam R. Flatto Founding President and Executive Producer of Park Avenue Armory, said in a press release.
“Uniquely animated within the Drill Hall’s singular architecture, ‘The Cherry Orchard’ will offer New York audiences the opportunity to witness some of Korea’s finest dramatic actors amidst a global renaissance of Korean culture,” she said.
Lee Hyun-jung, head of LG Arts Center Seoul, said the New York run demonstrated the potential of Korean-produced theater on the international stage.
“Seeing ‘The Cherry Orchard,’ which was born in Seoul, receive enthusiastic applause from audiences in New York, the center of the global performing arts, has once again confirmed the competitiveness and potential of Korean-produced theater,” Lee said.
“The close collaboration with the global creative team, the outstanding performances of our actors and the theater’s accumulated production expertise have come together in New York, making this moment even more meaningful,” she said.
“I hope this production will open a new channel through which Korean stories and artistic sensibilities can deeply connect with audiences around the world.”
hwangdh@heraldcorp.com
