Manseon: The Yearning of a Fisherman
16 Mar, 2023~
09 Apr, 2023
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Venue
Myeongdong Theater
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Genre
Theater
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Show Time
Weekdays 7.30pm ㅣSat & Sun 3pmㅣNo performance on Tuesday
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Tickets
R 60,000KRW | S 45,000KRW | A 30,000KRW
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Duration
110 minutes. Subject to change.
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Enquiry
cs@ntck.or.kr
Language Korean
* English subtitles are provided on Thursdays and Sundays. (except 3/16, 3/30).
Age Restriction Suitable for ages 14 and over
※ In the event of a confirmed case or a close contact of Covid-19, the production may be suspended or cancelled, and all tickets will be fully refunded without incurring cancellation fees. We will send out further instructions on how to proceed with the cancellation.
Amidst the silent clamor of the gong, the sea did not let go of the boat.
Gomchi is an ambitious fisherman who dreams of owning his own boat.
Even when he triumphantly returns with a full load of white croakers, his dream is foiled by rental fees and interest.
Faced with the danger of losing everything, Gomchi once again sets sail for the tumultuous sea. Toward a full load of fish!
“Let go of the fishing net? Leave the sea? Not a chance!”
A Masterpiece of Korean Realism That Starts on a Boat
Chon Seung Sei’s Manseon, a widely celebrated work that brilliantly depicts people living off the sea, is NTCK’s first production in 2023.
Featured in the national curriculum, the play is indeed a must-see for all.
Director Shim Jae-chan’s perceptive interpretation and the vividly realistic stage design make the production more powerful than ever.
Gomchi’s boat sets sail for the roaring sea in the rain. Will it be able to return with a full load?
The play unfolds the story of people clinging on to hope in the darkest hour.
Synopsis
In a small village on Korea’s southern coast, fisherman Gomchi learns that the sea is full of white croakers, and confidently sets sail.
Eventually, he fulfils his long-lasting dream and returns with a full load.
However, his joy does not last long as Lim Je-soon, the ship’s owner, claims that Gomchi owes him money and takes everything away.
To make matters worse, Mr. Lim refuses to lend him a boat until he pays off his debts.
Worn out by poverty and anxiety, Gomchi’s wife tries to persuade him to quit fishing and make a new start.
Yet, Gomchi departs for the sea once again with his son, vowing to catch another boatful of fish.
Directed by Shim Jae-chan
Shim Jae-chan conveys human nature through realistic expressions and insightful interpretations. He worked as an assistant director for a number of Korea’s first-generation directors including Lee Won-kyung, Cha Bumseok and Lim Young-woong before founding Theater Company Jeonmang in 1991. Since then, he has pursued his own unique approach to theater. His directorial credits include several plays that delve into human psychology (Onion, Thus Have I Heard, Uncle Vanya, and Ensemble), as well as the musicals Tick, Tick... Boom! and Urinetown. Some forty years after his introduction to the world of theater, Shim continues to work extensively across various genres, seeking new changes and engaging closely with the contemporary era.
Major Works
Plays: For You Who Are Adrift, Wolfsbane, Death of a Salesman, You in the Mirror, Song Like This, Thus Have I Heard, Onion, Goodnight, Mother, Here Comes Love, Agarwood, Uncle Vanya, and Ensemble
Musicals: Tick, Tick... Boom! and Urinetown
Selected Awards
2022 Bogwan Order of Cultural Merit
2003 Korea Musical Awards Best Foreign Musical (Urinetown)
2002 Best 7 Plays of the Year (Onion)
1991 Baeksang Awards Best New Director
Written by Chon Seung Sei
Chon Seung Sei made his literary debut in 1958 by winning the Dong-A Ilbo New Writer’s Contest with his short story “Jeomrye and the Ox.” In 1964, his play Catalyst won the Kyunghyang Daily New Writers’ Award. The same year saw him win the playwriting competition hosted by the National Theater Company of Korea for his play Manseon. The play went on to earn him the 1st Korean Theater and Film Arts Awards (now known as Baeksang Arts Awards). He is widely known for his concise and popular writing style, not to mention his use of symbolic yet elegant narrative structure, which allows him to address systematic problems of society.
Major Works
Fiction: The Yellow Dog’s Yelp, Master Archer, Hyeja’s Snow Flowers, There Are Only Dream Ways, Birds Migrating Across the Four Seasons
Plays: Catalyst, Manseon
Awards
1989 1st Korea Writers’ Association Freedom Literature Prize (Manseon)
1982 4th Seongok Culture Prize, Grand Prize for Arts
1975 Manhae Prize for Literature
1965 1st Korean Theater and Film Arts Awards
1964 The Kyunghyang Daily New Writers’ Award
1958 The Dong-A Ilbo New Writer’s Contest
