[On Stage] From Critic to Writer, Then Director... "Dreaming of Theater That Captures Dilemmas"

Play 'Dionysus Under the Magnolia' by Theater Company Nanhee Directed by Kim Myunghwa
Active as Theater Critic and Playwright, Taking on 3 Roles Including Director
A Work Offering Comfort to Modern People, Restaged After 4 Years Due to COVID-19

"When the magnolias bloom, I recall the first drink I had, and when the flowers fall, I remember an old love."

A small cafe and bar named Dionysos, run by young theater artists, is a space where people call each other by nicknames related to the myth of Dionysos. In this quiet place with few customers, visitors with their own wounds come one by one, sharing drinks, exchanging stories while intoxicated, watching plays and having quarrels, and eventually becoming consumed by the desire to destroy themselves. Can Dionysos, the god of wine and theater, truly comfort them?

Kim Myunghwa, CEO of Theater Company Nanhee.
Photo by Kim Heeyoon

The play Dionysos Under the Magnolia is a 2019 work by playwright and director Kim Myunghwa, a theater critic, which naturally blends elements of mythology with the daily lives and sorrows of modern people. Returning to audiences after four years, director Kim introduced the story as “a work I wrote to comfort myself when I was emotionally troubled and in pain.” As he wished, the play was praised at its premiere for offering solace to contemporary people, and although a revival was planned soon after, it was postponed due to COVID-19 and has only now returned to the stage.

Director Kim recalls that Dionysos Under the Magnolia was a story freely written without being bound by conventional theatrical grammar, drawing out the Dionysos myth deeply held in his heart. Although he earned a master's and doctoral degree in theater studies because of his love for theater, he felt that the grammar he learned had controlled him. Through this work, written as his heart led him, he experienced a sense of freedom and comfort.

Play 'Dionysus Under the Magnolia' [Photo provided by Theater Company Nanhee]

Kim debuted as a theater critic in 1994, winning the Ye-eum Culture Foundation Ye-eum Award for criticism, and actively worked in the field. In 1997, he made his playwright debut with Birds Do Not Cross the Crosswalk, winning the Samsung Literature Award for drama. He then solidified his position as a playwright with works such as Dolnal, Oedipus, That Is Human, and Chimhyang. Soon after, he ventured into directing, founding the one-man theater troupe Nanhui in 2017, skillfully performing three roles by himself.

“If I had been in my twenties, I would have recruited members and enthusiastically built a troupe, but I started the troupe at fifty. I felt that the period during which I could be at my best in life was not long, so I wanted to take more initiative in theater, which led me to create the troupe and start directing. Since the troupe itself was not the goal, I operate it as a one-man troupe, running a project system where each work collaborates and disperses, continuing with continuity rather than ending as a one-time event.”

He describes the charm of theater as “an art where the audience and actors meet, exchanging and influencing each other's energy.” Majoring in educational psychology at university, he found theater more attractive than the often dull major classes. Although he appeared on stage as an actor, severe stage fright led him to switch to staff and work as an assistant director. “I participated as an assistant director in a troupe, but the military-style culture was so strong that it was hard to adapt. Still, I was captivated by the magic of theater and studied theater in graduate school, eventually debuting as a critic.”

Poster of the play 'Dionysus Under the Magnolia'.
[Photo by Nanhui Theater Company]

Meeting the audience again after a long time through a work written to comfort himself, he said, “In life, we often face very complex points where it is hard to find answers. Theater allows us to pause briefly, show that moment to the audience, and invite them to share in that confusion.” He added, “By acknowledging and empathizing with that confusion, and seeing the world more broadly, I believe that is what theater is.”

Unlike film, which uses close-ups to emphasize or distance the audience and keeps them from pausing to think by following changes in speed and image size, theater offers a space where the audience can stop and reflect amid a sense of distance. Director Kim emphasized that he dreams of creating plays that capture such dilemmas well, writing works and presenting them to audiences. The play Dionysos Under the Magnolia welcomes audiences at the Kkumbit Theater in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, until the 15th. From the 20th to 21st, it will be at the Bupyeong Art Center Grand Theater, and from the 27th to 28th, it will be at the Jinju Hyunjang Art Hall.

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