The play 'Lear Oejeon' opens on the 11th with half the audience seats reduced

Performance Reduced to 8 Shows... Online Live Broadcast of the Performance on the 14th

[Asia Economy Reporter Byunghee Park] The play 'Lear Extra' will open on the 11th at the Daehangno Arts Theater Grand Theater, reducing available seats by half.

The theater company 'Mabangjin' announced that, following Seoul city recommendations, they will implement a 'distanced seating system,' leaving seats empty in front, behind, and on all sides of the audience to maximize safety distance and reduce available seats to half for the performance of 'Lear Extra.' Additionally, they will conduct thorough disinfection of the venue before and after performances, require all staff and audience members to wear masks, check for symptoms before entry, have attendees fill out health questionnaires, provide hand sanitizers and thermal scanners, and prepare isolation spaces for symptomatic individuals to ensure strict quarantine and safety measures during the performance. Mabangjin also stated that during rehearsals, the 'Lear Extra' staff and actors have been responding to COVID-19 by recording body temperatures, wearing masks, and disinfecting rehearsal rooms.

The number of performances has also been reduced from the originally planned 11 shows to 8. Mabangjin announced that, anticipating crowds on holidays and weekends, they will cancel three performances: daytime and evening shows on the 15th, the general election day, and the evening show on the 18th.

Instead of more performances, an online live broadcast will be provided. Mabangjin stated that for audiences who find it difficult to visit the theater due to concerns about COVID-19, the performance on the 14th at 8 PM will be streamed live online. The live broadcast on the 14th will be simultaneously available on Naver TV and V Live, and can be viewed through the Korea Arts & Culture Education Service channel and the V musical channel.

'Lear Extra' premiered in 2012 at the LG Arts Center and returns to the stage after 8 years.

'Lear Extra' is a boldly twisted and restructured work of Shakespeare's 'King Lear,' one of his four great tragedies, featuring director Go Seon-ung's distinctive witty dialogue and directing style. The play maximizes theatrical enjoyment by filling the tragedy with exhilaration and entertainment elements. Centered on the characters King Lear and Gloucester, the production features powerful movements from 22 actors, including 11 main characters and 9 chorus members, rapid-fire dialogue delivered like rap, and a dynamic stage that portrays even tragedy in a cheerful manner.

The protagonist Lear, who suffers various hardships after being betrayed by his daughters, is played by Ha Seong-gwang, who gave an impressive performance as the lead character Jeong-yeong in director Go Seon-ung's 'The Orphan of the Jo Family, Seed of Vengeance.'

Tickets for 'Lear Extra' can be purchased at Arko Daehangno Arts Theater, Yes24, and Interpark.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.