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| ▲ This photo, provided by Seoul Arts Center, shows actor Park Ho-san. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
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| ▲ This photo, provided by Seoul Arts Center, shows the poster for 'Othello.' (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
SEOUL, Mar. 16 (Yonhap) -- The South Korean production of Shakespeare’s powerful tragedy “Othello,” starring Park Ho-san, Yoo Tae-woong, Lee Ho-jae, and Lee Ja-ram, will be put on the stage of the Seoul Arts Center in May.
The Seoul Arts Center is gearing up to stage this iconic play at the CJ Towol Theater from May 12 to June 4 in commemoration of its 30th anniversary, the Center confirmed Thursday.
The performance of Shakespeare’s tragic story will also mark the return of the long-awaited “Towol Traditional Theater” series, which has been on hiatus due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. Veteran actors Park Ho-san and Yoo Tae-woong, who are of the same age, have been slated to play the role of Othello.
Park, who made himself known by appearing in multiple television series, films, and musicals, once played Agamemnon in the 2005 Seoul Arts Centers’ traditional theater series “Agamemnon.” In the meantime, Son Sang-gyu will suit up as Othello’s standard-bearer Iago, while Lee Seol will play the role of Desdemona, who falls in love with Othello.
A multi-faceted actress, singer, and music director Lee Ja-ram will take the stage as Iago’s wife Emilia, while veteran actor Lee Ho-jae will play the role of Brabantio, a senator and Desdemona’s father.
Shakespeare’s tragic love story, which begins with elopement and mutual devotion and ends with jealousy, rage, and death, has long been reckoned the most famous literary exploration of the destructive powers of jealousy and suspicion. As one of Shakespeare’s four legendary tragedies, “Othello” powerfully depicts noble love falling into the abyss with literary devices and psychological descriptions.
Director Park Chung-hee, who is well known for her experimental yet sophisticated production style, has taken the helm for this upcoming Korean production and will be joining hands with stage artist Yeo Shin-dong and costume designer Kim Hwan, who has been active in Germany.
“The play ‘Othello’ will inaugurate the return of our Towol Traditional Theater series, which has been put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Seoul Arts Center will ensure to take the lead in revitalizing the basic art genre,” said Jang Hyung-joon, head of the Seoul Arts Center.
(This article is translated from Korean to English by Ha eun Lee)
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