Park Jung-hee, director of the National Theater Company of Korea (NTCK) / Courtesy of NTCK

With the global theater landscape evolving rapidly, Korean theatrical works are stepping onto the global stage, showcasing distinctive storytelling and artistic diversity.

This year's World Theatre Day falls on Thursday, offering a timely moment for the global theater community to reflect on the medium's power to transcend borders and foster interconectedness. That message particularly resonates in Korea, where productions are beginning to reach audiences well beyond their traditional home base.

"I think the fact that people from all over the world interact with each other in a festive way through the medium of theater is what makes World Theatre Day so meaningful. I hope that this year's World Theatre Day will be a time for people around the world to share messages and empathy through theater," Park Jung-hee, artistic director of the National Theater Company of Korea (NTCK), told The Korea Times in an email interview Tuesday.

World Theatre Day, established in 1961 by the International Theatre Institute and first celebrated in 1962, is an annual celebration every March 27, dedicated to honoring the art of theater and its global impact.

Drawing inspiration from Ariane Mnouchkine, French theater director and founder of avant-garde company Theatre du Soleil, Park likened theater to "a stone in a well-functioning gear," highlighting its capacity to provoke critical reflection on social issues.

"Theater has a role in voicing the problems of society, and I would say that theater has a responsibility to provide individuals with opportunities to communicate with and grow within their communities," she said.

A scene from the National Theater Company of Korea's production of "Scapin," based on the original play "Les Fourberies de Scapin," written by French playwright Molière, which was held at Myeongdong Theater in Seoul from April 12 to May 6, 2024. Courtesy of National Theater Company of Korea

Redefining global identity

Park noted that Korean theatrical works are beginning to make strides on the international stage, showcasing a wide array of directorial styles and playwriting that bring a refreshing perspective to the international theater scene.

"Korean theater is now at a pivotal point, beginning to show its presence on the global stage," said Park, who has helmed the state-run troupe since April 2024. "While neighboring countries such as Japan and China have long recognized our excellence and engaged in frequent exchanges, we are now broadening our reach."

Beyond its immediate neighbors, Korean theater is increasingly making its presence felt in Europe and the United States, she noted.

"Although Korean theater is not yet widely known in prestigious European and American theater festivals, we are seeing promising signs," the director said. "The recent nomination of the National Changgeuk Company of Korea's 'Lear' for the 2025 Laurence Olivier Award in the Outstanding Achievement in Opera category and the establishment of a Korean language section at the Avignon Festival in France this July, are notable achievements. We are taking steady steps onto the global stage."

When asked about the unique strengths of Korean theater and the challenges it faces, the director highlighted diversity as its most captivating attribute, while acknowledging the need to overcome the limitations of the Korean language, which is not widely spoken globally.

"The strength of Korean theater lies in its diversity. We have young writers and directors with distinct voices and their writing and directing styles are so diverse that we can't really categorize them by genre," Park said.

"Of course, the language of our plays is Korean. The diverse ways in which Korean is expressed, both in text and dialogue, present a significant translation challenge for international audiences. Last year's Nobel Prize-winning author Han Kang was praised for the quality translation of her works, so it seems that translation is becoming increasingly important."

A scene from the National Theater Company of Korea's production of "A Village Without Electricity," written and directed by Kim Yeon-min, staged at Hongik University Artcenter in Seoul from July 11 to Aug. 4, 2024. Courtesy of National Theater Company of Korea

The director emphasized that for Korean theater to achieve global resonance, it's crucial to move beyond simply localizing works with Korean settings. Instead, the focus should be on discovering and embedding Korea's unique aesthetic beauty into everything from the script and stage design to costumes and music.

"When we talk about staging Western or Eastern classics in Korea, we often think of localizing the works as globalizing them," Park said, emphasizing the need to transcend this mindset.

Park noted that a notable recent trend in the global theater scene is the contemporary reinterpretation of classic works. Rather than simply reproducing classics, many productions are now reimagined with newly written scripts, updated visuals and stage design that speak to the sensibilities and themes relevant to today's audiences.

"In line with this growing trend, for Korean theater to truly reach global audiences, it is essential from the outset to plan and produce works with international audiences in mind," Park explained.

She mentioned NTCK's adaptation of Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night" as an example of this approach. Premiered in 2024, this production presents the Shakespearean classic set in Korea's 1392-1910 Joseon Dynasty era and packed with traditional Korean humor and modern theatrical techniques, developed with global touring in mind.

"The key will be continuously exploring ways to express Korea's unique aesthetics and humor, transforming them into stage elements that can captivate the eyes and hearts of global audiences," Park added.

Actor Kim Sun-young is seen in a promotional image for the National Theater Company of Korea's new play "Mother of Him," slated for April. Kim plays Brenda, a mother who fights for her criminal son. Courtesy of NTCK

Vision for future

The director outlined the NTCK's commitment to fostering collaboration and nurturing emerging talent through initiatives such as the Special Invitational Program Picknic project and the revival of its creative playwriting competition.

"The NTCK's lineup this year is the first lineup I've made since I took over as artistic director. We will be presenting a three-year program centered on the theme of ‘existence and coordinates,'" she said. "This year's theme is ‘human existence' offering selected original plays and new works from abroad that align with this theme."

Next month, the NTCK will present British Canadian playwright and screenwriter Evan Placey's debut play, "Mother of Him." The director described the play as "a work that stands out for its intense psychological portrayal, repeatedly depicting emotional repression and explosions through a mother's blind maternal love, prompting reflection on human instincts."

Park will direct the original play "Heo Nanseolheon" (tentative title), scheduled to premiere this November, and explore the agony of women frustrated by social barriers and the source of their artistic inspiration by dealing with the life of Heo Nanseolheon, a female poet of the Joseon era, through a modern lens.

Recognizing the importance of engaging younger audiences, Park emphasized the need for contemporary productions, targeted outreach programs and digital engagement.

"We're leveraging social media and our online theater platform to connect with younger demographics," she said. "It's crucial to provide them with opportunities to expand their theatrical experiences."

In regard to her vision for the theater, she said her primary goal is to curate a compelling lineup as an artistic director.

"Good works attract good creators and producers, which in turn attract good audiences. Internally, communication between the creative and production teams is also a crucial value. Ultimately, communication and the dissemination of theater are important to our shared goal of creating excellent works through the collaboration of diverse individuals," the director said.

Who is Park Jung-hee?

Park Jung-hee, a seasoned theater director known for her experimental and thought-provoking productions, was appointed as the director and artistic director of the NTCK in April 2024.

Her career is marked by a commitment to pushing theatrical boundaries. Since 2001, she has had led the theater company Stage Pungkyung, where she has consistently produced works that challenge conventional norms.

Her directorial credits include critically acclaimed plays such as "Cello," which earned her the Best Director award at the 2008 Seoul Theatre Festival, as well as "The Maids."