"Anna Karenina" Director Chevik Hopes It Will Not Be Seen as a Simple Love Story

Musical "Anna Karenina" Launches Its Third Season in Seven Years
"Anna Resisted Society in an Effort to Protect Her Own Happiness"
"It Reflects Aspects of Social Violence in the Age of Social Media"

"I hope people will not dismiss this as a simple love story. Although the original novel was written in the 19th century, the way society corners Anna still gives us plenty to think about today."

Russian director Alina Chevik explained at a recent press conference held at a hotel in Seoul that while the musical "Anna Karenina" cannot possibly contain the entire scope of the massive original novel, it is still a work worth revisiting and reflecting on.

"Anna Karenina" is based on the novel of the same name by the great Russian author Lev Tolstoy. Along with "War and Peace," the original novel is considered one of Tolstoy's masterpieces.

Set in 19th-century Russian high society, the long novel depicts the clash between love and marriage, morality and individual desire. By contrasting the lives of the two main female characters, Anna and Kitty, it juxtaposes a love driven by desire that ultimately leads to ruin with a love that matures within morality and a sense of responsibility. Anna, the protagonist, is trapped in a loveless marriage with her husband Alexei Karenin when she meets a young officer, Vronsky, and falls into an affair. Kitty, who had feelings for Vronsky, is deeply hurt when he chooses Anna, but unlike Anna, she finds true love with Levin, a country landowner.

Because of time constraints, the musical cannot include all the vast content of the original novel. Director Chevik said, "In the musical, we tried to focus as much as possible on the story of Anna and Vronsky," adding, "That is why the stories of other characters such as Kitty, Levin, and Stiva are not fully reflected." Stiva is Anna's brother and Kitty's brother-in-law.

Anna, who even bears Vronsky's child, becomes the target of social condemnation. To soothe her pain, she grows increasingly obsessed with Vronsky, while Vronsky, in turn, tries to distance himself from her. In the end, Anna makes the tragic decision to end her own life. The original novel also carries a critical perspective on a male-centered society that demands a higher moral standard from women.

Director Chevik said, "Things have improved compared with the past, but I still think there are cases where the same behavior is forgiven when a man does it, yet is not forgiven simply because a woman did it," and added, "Anna became someone who resisted society as she tried to protect her own happiness and love."

Russia was the last among Western countries to abolish slavery. Serfdom was abolished in 1861, and "Anna Karenina" is set against the still-turbulent society that followed the emancipation of the serfs. Director Chevik said that Anna, who became an object of scorn in aristocratic society at the time, should be considered in connection with the social violence that now takes place on social networking services (SNS).

"Anyone can make mistakes, but now we live in a society where, in the name of society, one specific individual’s wrongdoing can easily be criticized and hounded through mass media," Chevik said. She went on to stress, "'Anna Karenina' quotes a Bible verse that says a person cannot judge another person; judgment of people belongs to God alone."

"Anna Karenina" is a rare example of a Russian musical staged in Korea. The work was created in Russia in 2016 and premiered in Korea in 2018. After a revival in 2019, this third production has come to the stage seven years later.

Director Chevik said, "In Russia we once staged a Broadway musical under license, but it was not a box-office success," explaining, "Russian musicals are very different from Broadway musicals and are closer to European musicals." She added, "Russian audiences seem to enjoy works that are painful and gloomy, that make them think about people, rather than upbeat shows."

Finally, Chevik said, "Nothing would make me happier than if, after seeing the performance, audiences become curious about the original novel and seek it out."

"Anna Karenina" opens on February 20 at the Grand Theater of the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts and will run until March 29.

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