Chapter 79:
Chapter 79
“I’m Back as a Lawyer, The Story of Walgok, Jeongsangok, The Song of the List, A Man and a Woman, The Chronology of Seo Sang-il…”
Kim Sang-do, the president of the Korean Theater Association, recites the titles of the plays that will be performed at this year’s theater festival.
The lineup is arguably the most dazzling in the history of the festival, with a series of powerful works.
They are all plays that have been popular nationwide, and the actors are also well-known figures in the Korean theater scene. And last but not least.
“Spring of Joseon.”
It is no exaggeration to say that the past glories have come rushing back like a slogan.
The actors who once dominated the Korean theater scene have returned to the stage.
The script is also written by Jung Yong-dae, a playwright who was once called the Shakespeare of Joseon, and the stage director is Sung Ji-hoon, who was known as the giraffe of the directing world. But the most important thing is the casting of the leads.
‘It was amazing.’
As with any theater troupe, it was almost unheard of for a rookie actor to land a leading role on stage.
That was because theater was different from movies or dramas, where editing techniques could fix any mistakes.
On stage, one had to perform from start to finish without a break, so the lead role, who had the most appearances and lines, usually went to an experienced actor.
But in Joseon’s Spring, both the male and female leads were newcomers with virtually no theater background.
They were the only exceptions.
Everyone else involved in Joseon’s Spring, from the actors to the playwright and the director, had deep theater experience.
They must have seen something more than just buzz in the rookies, because they wouldn’t risk their comeback stage on them otherwise.
After all, nothing could be worse than having the lead actor mess up on their return to the spotlight. In that sense.
‘I can’t help but wonder what convinced them.’
I wonder what kind of acting skills he had to be able to get the lead role as a rookie actor.
Just then, an association staff member enters the president’s office to get approval.
“President Kim, this is the list of sponsor companies related to the stage production of this year’s theater festival. More companies than expected showed interest. Especially Hanol promised to spare no support for the overall lighting of the stage.”
“Huh, they wouldn’t even answer my calls before.”
President Kim Sang-do gives a bitter smile. Theater doesn’t have a high status in Korea.
Not to mention, in a situation of economic recession, it’s hard to expect a sold-out ticket even if a famous theater actor stars in it.
They say that theater is the least profitable art form.
There are statistics to prove that it is the most miserable industry in the cultural sector. But then.
‘How could everything change with the appearance of one person?’
Ever since the name ‘Jang Young-guk’ showed up in the articles, the landscape of the Korean Theater Festival started to shift.
Not only were the tickets sold out, but even the reporters requested to attend officially.
He must be an actor who is attracting attention from the broadcasters and the media.
The chairman of the association looked up after finishing the payment.
“By the way, isn’t today the day to decide the order of the festival? The results should be out by now. How did it go?”
“Mr. Chairman.”
The employee can’t open his mouth properly, mumbling something. Chairman Kim Sang-do gives him another puzzled look, and he finally speaks up.
“There’s a commotion in the auditorium right now. The staff are trying to intervene.”
“A commotion?”
“Actor Park Sang-chul is causing a scene because he can’t accept the results of the play festival’s order…”
Chairman Kim Sang-do’s eyes curve strangely. He suddenly stands up from his seat, surprising the employee.
“Chairman, you’re not going to the auditorium yourself, are you?”
The president of the association walked away from his staff, adding over his shoulder.
“Hey, don’t you know that watching a fight is the most fun thing in the world?”
***
Actor Park Sang-chul narrowed his eyes. How dare that young junior mock him. He felt humiliated by being ignored by his junior in front of his fellow actors. He quickly composed his face and turned to Young-guk.
“What did you just say?”
Everyone thought that Young-uk had made a slip of the tongue.
It happens to everyone once in a while. You say something out loud that you were only thinking in your mind.
Especially when the other person is Park Sang-chul, the actor who is notorious for his temper in the theater world. But.
“Did you say I’m a street rat? Are you hard of hearing, senior?”
Young-uk repeated his words with a faint smile, and everyone’s eyes widened. Even Lee Chang-hoon, the director, was no exception. In the tense situation, Young-uk turned to the audience and shouted.
“Aren’t you all theater actors!”
Everyone flinched at Young-uk’s voice, which sounded like he had boiled a train car.
“The Korean theater industry has been too closed off from the past. The seniors always say this. Only those who can endure will survive in this field. I can understand why they make the newcomers practice acting so harshly that it seems cruel, because of the nature of theater. But do you think it makes sense to maintain that discipline even in this place?”
Yeonguk looked at the actor Park Sangcheol and added.
“They say the order of the theater festival was rigged, or that it was a scheme by the association. I have nothing to say if that’s the case. I’m not acquainted with the chairman of the association, nor did he push our order to the last because he liked me. If you don’t trust me, you can return our order and vote again. But aren’t you all here because you want the Korean theater industry to revive!”
The revival of the theater industry.
“What’s so important about the order? Isn’t the content of the performance more important? To be blunt, do you all want the Korean theater to revive? Or do you want to win an award at the Korean Theater Festival? You might think it’s impudent for a young junior like me to say this. But I’ll be a little more impudent and say a few more words.”
As everyone was stunned, Director Lee Chang-hoon watched the scene with an interested expression.
“I heard that all the tickets for the four-day theater festival were sold out. This is the perfect opportunity for us. Countless audiences are waiting for us. For their sake, I want to do one more run-through of the performance right now, instead of wasting time on this mess because of the order of the Korean Theater Festival. The purpose of an actor is not to agree or disagree, but to give the audience a touch and a lasting impression.”
A touch and a lasting impression.
The words that lingered in my mind as I repeated them.
Since when did everyone become obsessed with the huge competition of the Korean Theater Festival, forgetting the essence of theater?
The theater industry was not lagging behind other cultural industries for no reason. There was also a problem with the attitude of those on the scene.
Finally, Young-uk shouted at the actors.
“What is your purpose of participating in the Korean Theater Festival, seniors!”
Actor Park Sang-cheol’s face is red and blue. But he doesn’t approach Young-guk and get angry like he did just before.
It’s because his words were not wrong. It would be like spitting on my own face if I kept making a fuss in this situation. In the end, Park Sang-cheol narrows his eyes and turns away.
And the chairman of the association looks at him with a pleased smile from afar.
***
Two days later.
“Hey―!”
A loud voice erupts from the MBS drama department. PD Go Byeong-man, who has been working for 10 years, glares at AD Kim Young-min.
His expression is so fierce that the others don’t dare to intervene and swallow their saliva. Go Byeong-man scolds Kim Young-min with his neck full of veins.
“You’ve been an AD for five years, and I trusted you with team B, but you did the filming like this? I clearly told you to go with a full shot (F/S) when shooting scene 57 and then switch to a waist shot (W/S). I told you to pay attention to the montage picture later. But you brought me this kind of picture? What’s wrong with your eyes?”
“I did my best to pay attention, Senior Go. I told you, didn’t I? The picture doesn’t feel right with that composition. That’s why I suggested we tilt it down and move on.”
“You dare talk back to me, you little punk? And what the hell is tilt down? Do you think you can teach me anything? You’re still an AD because you suck at this. I let you be a stand-in for one picture and you act like you’re a real director? Huh? Look at your face. You’re not backing down?”
Go Byung-man snaps at Kim Young-min. Kim Young-min feels a pain in his shin, but he clenches his teeth and doesn’t show it. Go Byung-man keeps pushing Kim Young-min for a long time, then narrows his eyes and says firmly.
“If this week’s broadcast goes bust, it’s all on you.”
Go Byung-man leaves the editing room and the drama department finally quiets down. The senior PDs act like they don’t care, as if it’s a common occurrence. The junior ADs occasionally send sympathetic glances at Kim Young-min. That’s when it happened.
“Why are you so down?”
A hand lands on the shoulder of AD Kim Young-min, who is sitting at his partition. He lifts his head to see who it is.
It’s none other than PD Yoo Myung-han. He gives a brief smile and points to the rooftop, then walks ahead.
“Put this on before you get bruised.”
Yoo Myung-han tosses a jar of Vaseline to Kim Young-min, who is climbing up to the rooftop.
Kim Young-min catches the Vaseline, which flies in a parabola, and lowers his head with a sheepish expression.
“Thank you, senior.”
“Hey, relax. There’s no one else here but you and me, since it’s meeting time on the rooftop. But why is senior Go so angry with you since this morning?”
“Well, you know. The mini-series that senior Go was in charge of flopped big time. And Kim senior, who was working on team B, had his appendix burst and took a sick leave, so I had to fill in for him for a while. But he didn’t like the footage I shot.”
“Forget about him, he’s always like that. He blames everyone else but himself when the ratings don’t go well. You were only a substitute for the last week’s shooting anyway. I heard Kim Yang-soo is coming back today.”
“Yes. That’s a relief. I might be overstepping my bounds here, but I’m human too, and it’s too hard for me. At least there are people around today, so it ended at this. Last time, he grabbed me by the collar at the emergency exit stairs. How is it my fault that the ratings keep dropping?”
“You have to let it out somehow if you’re having a hard time. But you also have to know when to let it go. That’s how it is in the drama department. You have to survive, you know…”
Yoo Myung-han shows a bitter smile.
The drama department is the most sensitive to ratings in the broadcasting station.
That’s especially true for PDs like Go Byung-man, who have been in the business for 10 years.
They are pathologically sensitive to ratings.
No matter how well they follow the trend, they can never become CPs, let alone spend their whole lives as average PDs, if they lose in the performance competition.
“Young-min, you don’t have any schedule from now on, do you?”
“Who would give me any work after senior Go got so mad at me? I’ll just do some small tasks in the drama department. At this rate, I’ll never get to wear the PD badge and end my AD life. I heard there’s a rumor that I might be transferred to the entertainment department like senior Jung, but that might be easier for me. My dream was to direct a music program, you know.”
“Kid, don’t say that. Why don’t you try to sync with me for once?”
“Sure…?”
AD Kim Young-min’s eyes widen.
“Yu, I mean, hyung, you’re not working on any project right now, are you?”
“I think I’ll be taking one soon. The director is really pushing for it.”
“Don’t tell me it’s that historical drama. Just say no and lie down on the floor. It’s like playing with a time bomb, no matter how you look at it. All the seniors are avoiding it because they don’t want to ruin their careers. Why do you have to pick up that bomb, hyung? You said you can’t stand the drama department because it’s so dirty.”
“I want to give them a taste of their own medicine in that dirty place.”
“Give them a taste of what?”
“I want to become a CP before those so-called senior writers.”
Kim Young-min looks around the rooftop in shock. Fortunately, no one is there. Just as he is about to sigh in relief, Yu Myung-han pats his back and adds.
“Get ready. We have to go on a business trip today.”
“What? A business trip, all of a sudden?”
“It’s already approved by the director. We have to cast the lead actor at the Korean Theater Festival. It’ll be nice to watch some plays after a long time.”
“Hyung, what is casting the lead actor, and what is a theater performance? And I didn’t even say I’m going with you…”
Kim Young-min still looks bewildered. But he snaps out of it when he hears the next words.
“Don’t you want to join me in this?”
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