The Simple Taste of Food Felt by Inmates, Play 'Gunggeuk-ui Mat'

Free Performances at Doosan Art Center Space111 from Next Month 2 to 20

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Byung-hee] Doosan Art Center will present the play "The Ultimate Taste" for free at Doosan Art Center Space111 from next month’s 2nd to 20th.

"The Ultimate Taste" is a reimagined work based on the manga of the same name by Japanese manga artist Tsuchiyama Shigeru. The hidden stories of inmates imprisoned for gambling, assault, and murder are revealed through food. The inmates encounter familiar and humble dishes such as beef radish soup, ramen, and blood sausage hangover soup, evoking meanings beyond just taste. Through the stories contained in everyday and ordinary food for someone, the play discovers the "ultimate taste" that has been filling our lives.

The play is directed by Shin Yoo-chung, who won the Best Director Award at the 56th Dong-A Theatre Awards for the play "There Is a Lot of Poop in Nokcheon." The adaptation was done by playwrights Hwang Jeong-eun, Jin Joo, and Choi Bo-young, creators selected for "Doosan Art Lab 2020." DAC Artist and playwright Yoon Sung-ho, who presented the play "Lonely People, Hard People, Sad People," participated as dramaturg.

Playwrights Hwang Jeong-eun, Jin Joo, and Choi Bo-young said, "There are people and lives inside the prison, but writing while completely erasing our prejudices was not easy. Through this work, we wanted to show moments of confronting the ups and downs of life by dealing with various foods, stories, and characters. We hope that through the images of those who have not fully digested their lives, people can take a moment to reflect on their own lives."

Director Shin Yoo-chung said, "'The Ultimate Taste' is a work centered on food, where inmates gather closely in prison and share their stories. We wanted to create a play where the audience is not just listening and watching from afar but also exists together within the play. Now is a time when a new definition of coexistence is needed. We hope 'The Ultimate Taste' becomes a work that can look beyond this period of anxiety."

"The Ultimate Taste" is the second play presented in "Doosan Humanities Theater 2020: Food." Doosan Humanities Theater is a place to collectively contemplate questions and themes worth thinking about in today’s shared life through various artistic activities such as plays, exhibitions, and lectures from diverse perspectives. This year, under the theme "Food," eight lectures and three performances will be held for free from May to July, inviting speakers from sociology, humanities, science, and other fields.

The play "The Ultimate Taste" can be viewed for free through advance reservation on the Doosan Art Center website. Details can be found on the website.

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