Lines Spoken by the Body... Dongseo University Launches Physical Theater Musical

"I Am the You I Want to Be" Performance

Exploring Youth Identity and Relationships Through Physical Language

They pose questions with their bodies. An unconventional stage that expresses the concerns of young people's identities and relationships through physical language is being presented in Busan.

The Department of Musical Entertainment at Dongseo University will stage the physical theater musical "I Am the You I Want to Be." The performances will take place at 7:30 p.m. on May 14 and 15 at the Sohyang Experimental Theater on the Centum Campus.

This piece has been entered in the 'Rookie' section of the 21st Busan International Theater Festival and was produced in collaboration with Dongseo Musical Entertainment, the performing arts creative group Ujusonyondan, and the Europe-based arts organization Archetype.

The musical is a physical theater production that explores the struggles of modern youth regarding identity and relationships, expressed through a body-centered stage language.

Dongseo University explained that instead of a linear narrative structure, the performance is composed around the actors' gestures, rhythm, imagery, and the flow of music.

The performance lasts about 70 minutes and portrays the anxieties and desires of the young generation through images such as "nameless existence," "uncontrolled body," and "undefined world."

Professor Yoon Taesik, who directed the production, said, "We will continue to expand the possibilities for university-based creative performances to connect with professional arts festivals and grow into Busan-style glocal cultural content."

The collaborating group Ujusonyondan consists of graduates from the Department of Acting at Dongseo University, while Archetype is an arts organization active in Europe.