Screen stars move to theater stages

KBS reported that actors who have worked on television and in film are moving onto theater stages. The broadcaster said performers from idol backgrounds as well as established screen actors are appearing in plays, bringing more activity to the theater sector.

According to KBS, Choi Sooyoung of Girls' Generation is playing Portia in The Merchant of Venice. In a stage line aired by KBS, she says, 'Justice alone will not save anyone.' KBS said Sooyoung is taking on Portia on a theater stage that is unfamiliar to her, and Sooyoung told the broadcaster that Portia was her favorite female character in Shakespeare's works and that she was glad when the offer came.

KBS said Cha In-pyo, who has mainly worked in dramas since Star in My Heart, is playing teacher Keating in Dead Poets Society. The broadcaster also said Seo Yea-ji is playing the tragic soprano Yun Sim-deok in Hymn of Death. Cha told KBS, 'This is indeed my first play. Through Dead Poets Society, I am making an attempt to move beyond that frame as an actor.'

KBS described theater, once a gateway for new actors, as becoming a stage for stars. The broadcaster said the spread of OTT services has reduced drama and film production and lengthened gaps between projects for actors. KBS said theater ticket sales in this year's 1st quarter rose 194. 3% from last year with stars entering stage productions.

KBS quoted audience comments tied to the casting. One audience member from Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, said, 'I think I became more interested because Sooyoung was in the cast,' while another from Eunpyeong-gu, Seoul, said, 'I came to see actor Won Jin-ah and the grandfathers from Grandpas Over Flowers.' KBS said it remains a task to ensure 'star casting' leads to a healthy performance ecosystem without threatening existing theater actors and newcomers.