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| A scene from the Korean production 'Rent' staged at D-Cube Arts Center through Aug. 23 / Courtesy of Seensee Company |
By Kwon Mee-yoo
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| 'Rent' director Andy Senor Jr. / Courtesy of Seensee Company |
A Korean production of the Broadway musical raised its curtain at D-Cube Arts Center in western Seoul last week, for the first time in nine years. The previous Korean productions were helmed by Korean directors who tried to interpret the resilient rock spirit for Korean audiences, but the show's producer Seensee Company decided to seek changes this time and invited a "Rent" expert from Broadway to breathe new, authentic life into the show.
Andy Senor Jr., the director of this production, has a longstanding relationship with the show, written by Jonathan Larson. He debuted as an actor in "Rent" back in 1997, playing the iconic role of Angel, in shows on Broadway, in the West End and on U.S. and international tours. In 2011, he worked with the show's original director Michael Greif on the off-Broadway revival as an associate director and directed "Rent" in Japan and Cuba.
"They wanted to get closer to the source of what the show is, using Michael Greif's original direction," Senor said in an interview with The Korea Times, Tuesday.
Though Korea is one of the few countries in the world with theaters still opening up every night, the Cuban-American made a tough decision to travel to Seoul to mount this production in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Senor, who lives in Spain, arrived in Seoul at the end of April and quarantined for two weeks before joining the cast and crew at rehearsals here.
"In January, I was putting up another show and as I watched the news, I thought there is no way I'm gonna make it to Korea. The cases were just rising. But we kept going with the visa process regardless. The process kept changing and every day it seemed like there is new information and new hurdles," he said.
"For me, the most difficult part was mental. It was making the decision if I was going to do it or not and what that implies. Nobody was traveling at that time, so I was afraid of getting on a plane. That was the biggest fear."
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| Mimi, played by Ivy, in a scene from 'Rent' / Courtesy of Seensee Company |
Senor is one of the people who best understand the show's message as he has spent a long time with "Rent," both performing in it and putting it up all over the world. He decided to spread the show's message by serving as a model.
"I knew there was a group of actors that were waiting for me. And Jonathan's words kept ringing in my ear ― Give in to love Or live in fear No other road No other way No day but today. How am I gonna profess this around the world and believe in Jonathan's lyrics and not to come. It would be such a contradiction," he said.
With the COVID-19 crisis going on around the world, Senor said it worked as a way for actors to understand the impact of the AIDS crisis through this period piece.
"Look at the news. There are riots going on and police brutality happening in the U.S. So they were able to understand what is happening as the piece is very similar to current events," he explained.
Despite being decades old, "Rent" still resonates with contemporary audiences who haven't experienced the era.
"The show is the show as it is with its original staging. The show takes place in 1991. At that time, being diagnosed HIV positive was a death sentence. It no longer is. But it is what these characters are dealing with. That is the biggest difference," he said.
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| Joanne, left, played by Jung Da-hee, and Maureen, Jeon Na-young, in a scene from 'Rent' / Courtesy of Seensee Company |
Senor pointed out that a lot of the characters in the show are considered "the others" in the marginalized community.
"Although there has been a lot of progress on that subject in the U.S., I would say here in Korea, there hasn't been much as far as LGBT rights," he said. "I think Rent will help people think about it. And you can't not think about it. They may see Angel being a clown or a human being. It just depends on whether that person is moved past their beliefs," he said.
Senor, a self-proclaimed "control freak" who has both experience as an actor and director, said he can use the whole of him when directing.
"As an actor, I am a link in the chain. As a director, I am the chain," he said, adding that the most important role of a director is "to make sure everyone in the team is empowered, so all the links in the chain are strong."
He had to make sure all cast members and the creative team in Korea were committed to the vision of the show.
"Innately, all these characters have human truth. Although circumstances are different, we all have the same truth. Truth is timeless," Senor said. "People know what death is and love is. And we all had heartbreaks in some way. So my job is to dig in with each actor and see what that thing is."
Senor tried to capture the sense of rawness yet incredible passion of "Rent."
"Having been with the show for such a long time, I know the essence of Rent ― Jonathan and Michael's original vision. Living that vision for such a long time, I had to make sure we are all in the same world. You could teach it, but it's more experiential. Anybody could put up Rent anywhere in the world, but it's up to interpretation and I'm carrying the original vision of the show," Senor said. "The music is irresistible and it starts from there. The truth in lyrics and story are universal. It is just good musical theater, the medium at its best."
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| Roger, left, played by Jang Ji-hoo, and Mark, Jung Won-young, in a scene from 'Rent' / Courtesy of Seensee Company |
