The National Theater Company of Korea (NTCK) collaborates with

the Chungbuk Theatre Company on a special production of <The Seagull>,

one of Anton Chekhov's most celebrated works,

bringing a fresh artistic synergy to the stage at Myeongdong Theater.

Featuring the accomplished actors of the Chungbuk Theatre Company, this timeless masterpiece by the renowned Russian playwright has captivated audiences around the world for more than a century. Set on a lakeside country estate in Russia, the play follows a richly drawn cast of characters over the course of two years. Open to a wealth of interpretations, it offers a profound exploration of human nature and desire, revealing both what changes and what remains the same.

“We long to stay young and be in love forever.”

Through tangled relationships and conflicted emotions, the shape of love finally reveals itself.

In Chekhov's portrait of love in all its forms, whose story resonates with us most deeply? A famous actress, a doctor past his prime, and others come together, each with their own history and each caught in their own cycle of desire and longing. Endlessly foolish and at times overwhelmed by love and passion, these characters invite us to reflect on the loves we have left behind and the emotions we carry today.

Synopsis

Kostya has written a play with Nina, the woman he loves, in the lead role. When his mother Arkadina derails the performance, he is plunged into despair. His anguish deepens as he watches Nina fall for Trigorin, a novelist and the lover of his famous actress mother. He fears that he, too, will end up like the dead seagull. Meanwhile, Nina dreams of running away with Trigorin, and Arkadina, desperate not to lose him, pulls out every trick she has to keep him by her side. Set against the romantic lakeside landscape of the Russian countryside, the play unfolds as a story of desire, jealousy, and unrequited love.

Chungbuk Theatre Company

Chungbuk Theatre Company was founded in 2024 after years of anticipation from the people and theater community of Chungcheongbuk-do. As Korea's fourth provincial theater company, it aims to strengthen the region's performing arts sector and provide diverse, high-quality cultural experiences for local audiences, serving as a platform for the creation, presentation, and distribution of the performing arts. Under the slogan "One Heartbeat, Together through Art," the company is dedicated to building a vibrant local theater ecosystem, bringing art into people's everyday lives, and pursuing a vision rooted in the identity of Chungbuk while remaining engaged with contemporary artistic practice.

Original Play by Anton Chekhov

Anton Chekhov was born in 1860, the son of an impoverished peasant. In 1879, he enrolled in the Moscow State University School of Medicine. Unable to abandon his literary ambitions, he supported himself by publishing short stories in magazines rather than practicing medicine. Between 1882 and 1887, he published more than 300 stories, and in 1887 his collection At Dusk received the Pushkin Prize, bringing him widespread recognition in literary circles. Alongside O. Henry and Guy de Maupassant, Chekhov is regarded as one of the three great masters of the short story, and his influence on writers around the world has been immense. He devoted himself equally to playwriting, committing fully to the form and producing a series of masterpieces from 1896 onward. In particular, The Seagull, Uncle Vanya, Three Sisters, and The Cherry Orchard are considered his four major plays. The relentless pace of his writing worsened his tuberculosis, and he died in 1904 at the age of 44. Chekhov’s plays and stories continue to be performed and read worldwide.

Major Works

The Seagull, Ivanov, Uncle Vanya, The Bear, A Marriage Proposal, Three Sisters, The Cherry Orchard

Directed by Nakhyung Kim

Production after production, Nakhyung Kim captivates audiences through delicate and nuanced interpretation paired with sophisticated mise-en-scène. He is recognized for not only delving into the depths of emotion but also portraying the paths that lead to it, embracing the journey as a dramatic event in its own right.

Major Works

The Red Cicada, Toran-Geuk, Macbeth, All the Nights on Earth, A Midsummer Night's Tempest, The Moebius Train, The Seagull

Awards

2009 Grand Prize, Cairo International Festival for Experimental Theatre (CIFET)

2019 Commendation from the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism

2019 Best Director, Dong-A Theatre Awards