Among the Dead
| Among the Dead | |
|---|---|
| Written by | Hansol Jung |
| Date premiered | November 6, 2016 |
| Place premiered | HERE Arts Center |
| Setting | Burma (1944/45) and Seoul, South Korea (1950 and 1975) |
Among the Dead is a play by Hansol Jung. It premiered in November 2016 at the HERE Arts Center under the direction of Ralph B. Peña.
Plot summary
[edit]Among the Dead takes place in three main time periods and locations: Burma in 1944/45, the Hangang Bridge in Seoul in 1950, and a hotel room in Seoul in 1975.[1] In 1975, 30 year-old Ana Woods travels to Seoul to scatter her estranged father's ashes. Jesus, appearing as a bell boy, gives Ana a journal of her father's which causes her to relive her parents' story. In 1944, Ana's father, Luke, is fighting in the Burmese jungle when he meets Number Four, a Korean comfort woman.[2] In 1950, Number Four waits on a bridge in Seoul contemplating suicide. As the play continues, it is revealed that Luke assaulted Number Four in 1944 after watching Number Four's sister be assaulted by Japanese soldiers.[3]
Characters
[edit]- Ana Woods — a Korean-American
- Luke — an American soldier fighting in Burma, Ana's father
- Number Four —a Korean comfort woman, Ana's mother
- Jesus —a shape-shifting character who first appears as a bell boy
Performance history
[edit]Among the Dead premiered at the HERE Arts Center for Ma-Yi Theatre in November 2016 under the direction of Ralph B. Peña. Ma-Yi's production starred Julienne Hanzelka Kim as Ana, Mickey Theis as Luke, Diana Oh as Number Four, and Will Dagger as Jesus.[4] Kenneth Goodwin was the sound designer while Reid Thompson was responsible for scenic design and Galway McCullough was responsible for the fight choreography..[5]
In February 2019, Spooky Action Theatre produced Among the Dead as directed by Richard Henrich. This production starred Julie M as Ana, Nahm Darr as Jesus, Chris Stinson as Luke, and Kyosin Kang as Number Four. April Joy Vester was the set designer and Amy MacDonald designed costumes.[6] In May 2019, Deborah Block directed Among the Dead for Theatre Exile in Philadelphia.[7] Block's production featured Bi Jean Ngo as Ana, James Kern as Luke, Cathy Simpson as Jesus, and Claris Park as Number Four.[8]
References
[edit]- ^ Donna, Herman (2016-11-14). "Among the Dead". The Front Row Center. Retrieved 2021-06-15.
- ^ Collins-Hughes, Laura (2016-11-21). "Review: 'Among the Dead' Deals in War and Family Mysteries". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-06-15.
- ^ Steinberg, Gabriella (2016-11-15). "Reviews - Among The Dead". Theatre is Easy. Retrieved 2021-06-15.
- ^ Norman, Robert (2016-11-14). "Review: Among the Dead at HERE". Exeunt Magazine. Retrieved 2021-06-15.
- ^ Block, Michael. "Review: Searching for Truth". Theatre in the Now. Retrieved 2021-06-15.
- ^ Wren, Celia (2019-02-19). "Hansol Jung's 'Among the Dead' unwinds a strange, time-hopping trip of war". Washington Post. Retrieved 2021-06-15.
- ^ Shapiro, Howard (2019-05-10). "Review: Caught in a time warp 'Among the Dead' at Theatre Exile". WHYY. Retrieved 2021-06-15.
- ^ Ao, Bethany (2019-05-09). "'Among the Dead' at Theatre Exile: A compassionate, nuanced portrayal of Korean comfort women". Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved 2021-06-15.