'Shape of Things' - darker than your average romantic comedy
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The old saying "Don't judge a book by its cover" applies well to the play "The Shape of Things". It opens as a typical romantic comedy but its unexpected twists and revelations take it somewhere darker. The more sensitive viewers will likely leave the theater feeling somewhat disturbed.
The original play, which premiered in 2001 and was made into a film two years later in the United Kingdom, is a well-known work by American writer and director Neil LaBute.
LaBute is noted for his cynical description of the power struggle between men and women, and of human cruelty in general. And his characteristic exploration of the dark side of humanity is well reflected in the local adaptation of "The Shape of Things", now playing in Daehangno, Seoul as well.
The play features female character Se-kyung, a smart and goal-driven art graduate student who dates Yang-woo, a nerdy guy, and inspires him to change; to lose weight, change clothing style and even get plastic surgery.
Smitten, Yang-woo grooms himself to meet his girlfriend's expectations.
A few months later, Yang-woo is an attractive and confident man with contact lenses and a beautiful nose. But that also allows him to do the unthinkable - he cheats on Se-kyung. Meanwhile, it also turns out that Se-kyung did not love Yang-woo at all, and had only approached him to accomplish a personal goal.
Se-kyung is played by Yoo Sun, who has returned to theater for the first time in seven years. Yoo's seemingly effortless depiction of her witty and yet sensual character cleared doubts that her many years on TV and the big screen may have dulled her theatrical skills. The role is doubled by Jeon Hye-jin, also a TV and movie actress, whose acting focuses more on the character's cruel side.
Playing the role of Yang-woo is theater actor Jeon Byeong-wook who effectively played a ruthless guy in the recent production "Some Girls", another piece by LaBute.
"Shape of Things" will be staged through Oct. 26 at Dongsoong Art Center in Daehangno, Seoul. For details call (02) 766-3390 or visit http://www.idsartcenter.co.kr/playplay
The original play, which premiered in 2001 and was made into a film two years later in the United Kingdom, is a well-known work by American writer and director Neil LaBute.
LaBute is noted for his cynical description of the power struggle between men and women, and of human cruelty in general. And his characteristic exploration of the dark side of humanity is well reflected in the local adaptation of "The Shape of Things", now playing in Daehangno, Seoul as well.
The play features female character Se-kyung, a smart and goal-driven art graduate student who dates Yang-woo, a nerdy guy, and inspires him to change; to lose weight, change clothing style and even get plastic surgery.
Smitten, Yang-woo grooms himself to meet his girlfriend's expectations.
A few months later, Yang-woo is an attractive and confident man with contact lenses and a beautiful nose. But that also allows him to do the unthinkable - he cheats on Se-kyung. Meanwhile, it also turns out that Se-kyung did not love Yang-woo at all, and had only approached him to accomplish a personal goal.
Se-kyung is played by Yoo Sun, who has returned to theater for the first time in seven years. Yoo's seemingly effortless depiction of her witty and yet sensual character cleared doubts that her many years on TV and the big screen may have dulled her theatrical skills. The role is doubled by Jeon Hye-jin, also a TV and movie actress, whose acting focuses more on the character's cruel side.
Playing the role of Yang-woo is theater actor Jeon Byeong-wook who effectively played a ruthless guy in the recent production "Some Girls", another piece by LaBute.
"Shape of Things" will be staged through Oct. 26 at Dongsoong Art Center in Daehangno, Seoul. For details call (02) 766-3390 or visit http://www.idsartcenter.co.kr/playplay
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