《Kang Min-kyung's Insert》
'20th Anniversary of Debut' Kim Yoo-jung and Jin Ji-hee take on their first play
A child actor who went to the stage where ticket prices rose significantly.
'20th Anniversary of Debut' Kim Yoo-jung and Jin Ji-hee take on their first play
A child actor who went to the stage where ticket prices rose significantly.
《Kang Min-kyung's Insert》
Like an insert scene that magnifies important points in a movie, TenAsia reporter Kang Min-kyung focuses on issues in the film industry. Let's take a closer look at the front and back of the hot topic from a three-dimensional perspective.
Actors Kim Yoo-jung and Jin Ji-hee, who started out as child actors and have continued their acting careers, attempted theater for the first time. The two are of the same age, born in 1999, and are also the main characters of this year's year of the cat, the year of the rabbit. In particular, Kim Yoo-jung and Jin Ji-hee, who are celebrating their 20th debut anniversary, are attracting attention by performing on stage side by side.
Kim Yoo-jung is meeting the audience through the play 'Shakespeare in Love', which opened on the 28th of last month. 'Shakespeare in Love' is based on the movie of the same name released in 1998, and started from the pleasant imagination that 'Romeo and Juliet' was born out of the love of the great writer William Shakespeare. It depicts a sad love story between Shakespeare, who was in a slump, and Viola, a woman who dreams of becoming a theater actress.
In the play, Kim Yoo-jung plays Viola de Lesseps, Shakespeare's love and the daughter of a wealthy merchant, a bold woman who strives to achieve her dream of becoming a theater actress, which was taboo for women at the time. Kim Yoo-jung shows off her diverse charms by playing three roles in her first play. The lovely Viola girl, Kent, who dreams of becoming a theater actress but wears a short-cut wig and a mustache to hide her status as a woman, and even Juliet.
Even as Kim Yu-jeong pursues her dream of becoming a theater actress, her love for Shakespeare develops. When playing Kent, she speaks in a low tone to conceal her gender, and when playing Viola and Juliet, she speaks in the elegant tone of Kim Yoo-jung, who is commonly known. The moment you first meet Kim Yoo-jung on stage, you may feel unfamiliar. However, Kim Yoo-jung gradually focuses the audience's attention according to her own tempo, neither fast nor slow. The lines are delivered with accurate diction without any chewy lines, and it makes you empathize. Of course, the dazzling stage setting of 'Shakespeare in Love' also plays a role.
The reason Kim Yoo-jung, who has been active in acting across genres such as dramas, movies, and OTT, went to the stage was because of 'dreams.' Kim Yoo-jung said, "It was my first time performing on stage, so everything was new. Actually, I had a strong desire to do a play. The play was like a dream." He continued, "I didn't think of this work as a to me as it was the 20th anniversary of my debut. I wanted to do it because it was a dream, so I decided to participate. I think it will be a challenge good memory for a long time. There may come moments when I feel tired or difficult as I work for a long time. "I think I'll remember the passion, love, and happy moments I felt here at that time. “Every performance and every day is precious and happy,” he added.
Song Han-sam, producer of 'Shakespeare in Love', said about the reason for casting Kim Yu-jeong, "I think that in 16th-century London, plays were Netflix and BTS concerts. In modern times, it was unfortunate that plays were enjoyed only by people who liked certain genres. “I thought about the essence of Shakespeare's play,” he said. “In the end, it was entertainment. In order to communicate with the public, really good actors and the power of stars were. We hired actors who were already qualified as theater actors, not simply because they were stars. “Thanks to this, we were able to meet the audience while maintaining the essence of entertainment. I am proud of this casting and think they did a “Good job,” he explained.
While Kim Yoo-jung is currently meeting the audience, Jin Ji-hee recently finished performing 'Seagull'. Jin Ji-hee, like Kim Yu-jung, also attempted theater for the first time. 'The Seagull', starring Jin Ji-hee, is based on a play by Anton Chekhov, a leading Russian playwright, and is a story about tragic love and desperate conflict between characters, and the search for the reason for human existence and the meaning of life. Jin Ji-hee played Nina, a beautiful person with a desire to become an actress.
If Kim Yu-jeong's dream was to play, for Jin Ji-hee, it was her reunion with Lee Soon-jae. Jin Ji-hee said, "It's because I'm working with teacher Soon-jae Lee. 'The Seagull' is familiar to me because I encountered a lot of plays when I was a college student. A work is also a work, but when I heard that teacher Soon-jae Lee would direct it, I immediately wanted to do whatever it was." said.
Jin Ji-hee, a graduate of the Department of Theater at Dongguk University, said, "It meant something special to me when teacher Soon-jae Lee said he was doing the classic 'Seagull', which I studied a lot in school. I read it a lot, and I hated it so much that I got sick of it, but it is a work I am attached to. The teacher and ' “There was an expectation of 'what kind of story would be born if 'The Seagull ‘met?’” he explained.
When you think of Jin Ji-hee, the first image that comes to mind is the child who shouted 'Bbangkudongkkuya' in 'High Kick Through the Roof'. Now, 13 years later, she is pioneering a new image through Jenny in the 'Penthouse' series. Jin Ji-hee, who played Nina, showed off another face. From his pure dream of becoming an actor to his desire for love, he was portrayed. From the first act to the final fourth act, the vocalization became stable and showed off the unexpected charm. Because it made me gradually fall from brightness into a vortex of darkness.
Kim Yoo-jung and Jin Ji-hee have something in common. He debuted as a child actor and has been active ever since. On the 20th anniversary of his debut, he attempted his first play and played a character who dreams of becoming an actor. Now, the boundaries between dramas, movies, and OTT have disappeared. The same goes for the stage and media. Actors Jo Jung-seok, Jeon Mi-do, and Jeong Moon-seong also have stage backgrounds, but are actively working in the media. Kim Yoo-jung and Jin Ji-hee are also trying to shed the title of child actress and show a new side as adult actors. The theater challenge is in the same context.
'Shakespeare in Love', in which Kim Yoo-jung is appearing, has VIP seats priced over 100,000 won for the first time. As musical ticket prices have risen since last year, the theater industry has also risen along with it. Producer Song Han-sam said, "I have faith and hope that those who have seen the performance will understand the reason why the price was set at the current price. This is because production costs have risen due to the use of various devices on stage. .I would like to tell you that the ticket price has inevitably been raised. “He explained.There is a reason why former child actors Kim Yu-jung and Jin Ji-hee went to a stage where ticket prices have risen sharply because it was a dream, but also to show that the boundary between theater and media has been blurred.
Kang Min-kyung, Ten Asia reporter kkk39@tenasia.co.kr