[On Stage] "I Thought I'd Be Mature at Eighty... But I Wasn't"

Play 'Harold and Maude' Mode role Park Jeong-ja

In 2003, "I will perform this work until eighty"
A vague wish has now become reality
Still active... Appearing in 'Billy Elliot' in August

Actor Park Jeong-ja.

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Dong-hyun] "I thought I would be very mature when I turned eighty. But I am still immature. However, an actor shouldn't be too saintly wise (laughs)."

Actress Park Jeong-ja's first impression was like that of an innocent child. She looked at the flower basket on the table, which no one was paying attention to, with curiosity and smiled brightly, saying, "Is this a sunflower?" Appearing with a spiky sports haircut, she even looked like a mischievous prankster who liked to fool around.

Park Jeong-ja is the godmother of the Korean theater scene. Next year marks her 60th year in acting. To celebrate her eightieth birthday this year, she will perform her signature play Harold and Maude (19 and 80) from May 1 to 23. This will be the seventh and final time.

Harold and Maude is first known as a film of the same name (1971) based on the screenplay by writer Colin Higgins (1941?1988). It was later adapted into a play (1973) by the same author. It premiered in Korea in 1987. The play features a somewhat unconventional story about a 19-year-old boy named Harold, who dreams of extreme choices, meeting and falling in love with Maude, an 80-year-old free spirit.

When Park Jeong-ja first appeared in Harold and Maude in 2003, she vaguely said, "I want to perform this play every year until I am eighty." That statement has now become a reality. "At that time, I thought it would end after the first performance. But as I performed it multiple times, the audience liked it even more than I did. Seeing that, although no one told me to, I promised myself to continue this performance until I am eighty. This is what I call Park Jeong-ja's beautiful project. By the way, does this count for the Guinness Book?"

Actors Park Jeong-ja (right), who played 'Mode,' and Oh Seung-hoon, who portrayed 'Harold,' in the play 'Harold and Mode.'

For Park Jeong-ja, Maude is a role model. In the play, Maude uproots street trees dying from exhaust fumes and moves them to a funeral home to replant. She even secretly frees a sea lion from the zoo. Park Jeong-ja has tried to live like Maude, who possesses such free-spirited and pure charm. She has closely followed Maude's age and is attempting her own finale. Perhaps it is to fully embody Maude and escape the character from the stage into the world. Now, Park Jeong-ja is Maude, and Maude is Park Jeong-ja.

"There is a part where Maude tells Harold, 'Let's try something new every moment.' I tell myself this every day. Because of that, I sometimes take quirky adventures, and then Son Sook or Yoon Seok-hwa sometimes look at me with disbelief. But that quirkiness can sometimes turn into energy and come out into the world... I always pursue something new in my roles. I have been a queen, a shaman, a mother-in-law. Sometimes I even requested roles that the director hadn't thought of and got them. Always having an adventurous spirit. I want to sum up my 60 years of acting life like that."

Although it has been less than two weeks since rehearsals began, Park Jeong-ja is eager to meet the audience. "People around me sometimes show performances online, but there is nothing more dreadful than that. Theater is essentially analog and cannot become digital. Perhaps the reason I am still immature is that I remain analog."

This production of Harold and Maude is directed by actress Yoon Seok-hwa. The two giants of the theater world, Park Jeong-ja and Yoon Seok-hwa, are known to be close friends. Ten years ago, when Park Jeong-ja asked Yoon Seok-hwa to direct, she refused, saying, "Not now." Later, when Park Jeong-ja urged, "Then you must do it when I turn eighty," Yoon Seok-hwa reluctantly said, "Okay." Yoon Seok-hwa said, "Back then, it felt so far away, and I never imagined time would pass like this. I am not confident as a director, but I want to lead this with happiness and gratitude for the promise and friendship with the teacher."

Park Jeong-ja's journey does not stop here. In August, she plans to passionately perform as Billy's grandmother alongside four teenage Billys in the musical Billy Elliot.

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