LG Arts Center and the National Theater Company of Korea will both stage Anton Chekhov’s ‘Uncle Vanya’ in the first half of this year, setting up another close-timed matchup after last year’s dueling productions of ‘Hedda Gabler.’
Director Son Sang-gyu, who is leading LG Arts Center’s version, said at a production news conference on April 7 in Seoul that he welcomed the overlap. “I think it’s a good thing that we interpret the same work differently,” he said.
Son said he watched last year’s ‘Hedda Gabler’ faceoff with interest and, after seeing both productions, came away thinking it could be worthwhile to mount the same classic at the same time. He said that after news spread of another head-to-head, he initially brushed off concerns from people asking if he was worried, but has since felt a sense of camaraderie. “They’re working hard, and we’re working hard,” he said. “I find myself cheering them on.”
Son said his production will reimagine the play without locking it to a specific era or place, unlike the original set on a 19th-century Russian country estate. He said the staging aims to help audiences connect with a story written about 130 years ago by infusing Chekhov’s text with contemporary emotions and language.
Actor Lee Seo-jin will play Vanya, and actor Go A-sung will play his niece, Sonya, in her first stage play since debuting as an actor.
Son highlighted a clear difference from the National Theater Company’s approach. “They changed the setting to Korea,” he said. “We didn’t. Even if it’s not radical, we’re looking for ways to express it freshly, without strain, and as freely and effectively as possible.”
LG Arts Center Director Lee Hyun-jung said she was surprised to hear the National Theater Company would stage the same work. She said audiences could find it more engaging to watch the two productions back-to-back and compare how each interprets the classic.
Son said he saw echoes of his father in Vanya, a man who complains but shoulders responsibility until he finally erupts in anger. He also said Lee Seo-jin’s on-screen persona — grumbling yet reliably completing tasks — made him a strong fit for the role.
“My father worked late and retired,” Son said. “Because he had to support the family, he used to say, ‘I’ve never even been able to take a trip.’ Who can judge that kind of life?” He added that ‘Uncle Vanya’ portrays regret over not doing what one wanted and the humiliation that follows, but said it would be wrong to declare the character lived incorrectly.
Son said he hopes the production offers comfort by encouraging people to be more forgiving about their own lives, much as one accepts a tree as it is.
He said he recently cried while watching the cast rehearse, but described the play as a comedy. “It’s a comedy, but I want to include sadness and emotion, too,” he said. “I want audiences to laugh.” He recalled once seeing a young couple arguing on the street and finding it funny from the outside, even if it was not funny for them.
The production runs May 7-31 at LG Arts Center Seoul’s LG Signature Hall.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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