First Korean-American Joint Performance Premiered in New York "Reflecting on Technical Isolation and Aging Concerns"

'Female Employee and Male Thief' Interview with Artistic Director Rene Philippi
"Inspired by Hong Gil-dong... I Want to Present the Play in Korea Too"

Rene Philippi, Artistic Director of the Concrete Temple Theater, USA

[Asia Economy New York=Special Correspondent Joselgina] "Imagine this. Perhaps in the future, or even now, there will be a world where all humans are isolated and live alone, and the only allowed interaction is through mobile phones. This dystopian society is the backdrop of the play."

Renee Phillippe, artistic director and U.S. co-director of the Korean-American original musical drama The Waitress and the Male Thief, which premiered in New York, introduced the play to reporters on the 28th (local time) after the performance at Dixon Place in Manhattan, New York, saying, "It reflects concerns about technological isolation and aging."

The play, created through over four years of collaboration between Korea's theater workshop Mabangjin and Yellow Bomb Production and New York-based Concrete Temple Theater, depicts the story of a waitress and a male thief who act according to their beliefs to find freedom in a virtual society controlled by mobile phones.

Phillippe, who wrote the script and co-directed, explained, "To save the elderly who are marginalized and ignored, the waitress decides to kidnap, and the young man, who was chased away by his family, becomes a thief who steals the mobile phone that controls society to liberate people. The characters sing as they fight for what they believe in. The direction is styled like a mashup you might find in a comic book."

In particular, the play addresses human alienation caused by technological advancement and social disconnection, focusing on the elderly and families, using witty dialogue and music. It has been recognized as a noteworthy work at a time when reflection on the alienation of the elderly and socially vulnerable, who were isolated during the COVID-19 pandemic, is necessary.

A scene from the Korea-US original musical play 'The Waitress and the Male Thief'

Phillippe emphasized the play's most important message: "Everyone is overly dependent on mobile phones, and human connections are collapsing. Moreover, the power of corporations affecting our lives is so strong that resistance seems impossible. The question is, what is our responsibility for all this?"

He added, "Embracing both our commonalities and differences will make us all stronger and smarter. We can help solve each other's problems and build stronger human relationships." He also noted, "Performing simultaneously in both English and Korean was to give power, depth, and humanity to the work and to expand it."

The 'seaweed soup' that appears early in the play was the starting point for Phillippe writing the script. He said, "When I was considering a new work, I was surprised to hear a story about seaweed soup from my longtime colleague Miseon Choi. From there, we talked about children who do not support their parents. Later, I wanted to focus intensively on what 'old age' means in Korea."

The structure of conflict between the eldest son and the second son (the male thief) was inspired by the German playwright Friedrich Schiller's work The Robbers and the Korean classic Hong Gil-dong-jeon. Phillippe said, "I like Hong Gil-dong-jeon. It's a wonderful story. I was moved by the similarities between Hong Gil-dong-jeon and The Robbers. Both works are stories about justice and making the marginalized visible."

Actress Choi Ju-yeon, who played the role of the waitress Do-hee

Phillippe also expressed respect for the Korean partners Mabangjin and Yellow Bomb. Despite time differences, physical distance, and linguistic and cultural differences, the Korean and American sides have been producing and developing the work since 2017. He said, "I want to emphasize how meaningful this collaboration is to me," and expressed his hope, "I definitely want to present it in Korea as well."

Choi Ju-yeon, who plays the waitress Do-hee, also said, "It was meaningful to be able to perform in Korean as well as English in New York, USA," and added, "After more than four years of continuing the work and repeatedly reflecting on its direction, we were able to stage this performance, and I hope to meet audiences in Korea very soon."

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