“Why is the stage so clean?”
Actor Ji Dongyeon’s eyes widened.
“Don’t even get me started. Yeongguk came in this morning and cleaned everything by himself with a mop. We were so surprised when we got here just now. We were even considering hiring someone to clean the stage.”
“Yeongguk did that?”
“It would be fine if he just cleaned. He also mapped out all the stage directions and taped the sections for easier blocking. When I asked how he did it, he said he just learned it from a book.”
“Huh?”
Ji Dongyeon let out a dry chuckle. This theater was rented for a month for the Daehan Theater Festival. It had been closed for a while, so there were many things that needed fixing.
Marking stage directions and dividing stage sections were tasks that usually required years of experience in the theater. Was it even possible to learn that from a book? Ji Dongyeon’s gaze turned to Yeongguk, who was in a corner of the stage.
What’s his deal?
He couldn’t forget the performance Yeongguk showed during their first rehearsal. It was hard to believe he was a rookie actor, given his mature performance. He clearly had the demeanor of someone who had studied theater, as if he had honed his skills for a long time.
Unable to contain his curiosity, he even asked the interim director, Lee Changhun, who Yeongguk learned acting from. But the answer he received left Ji Dongyeon speechless.
Self-taught.
“Yeongguk, you’ve worked hard since morning.”
Director Lee Changhun patted Yeongguk on the shoulder. He was also surprised. Who would have thought Yeongguk would come early in the morning to clean and organize the stage? After all, he’s a well-known teen actor in the broadcasting world these days. One would expect him to be full of himself, but his actions showed how genuinely humble he was.
“It’s nothing, it wasn’t that hard.”
Yeongguk showed an awkward smile. In truth, coming to the theater early in the morning was a habit from his past life.
The maknaes were always in charge of cleaning.
Cleaning the stage and audience seats was the maknae’s job. Yeongguk had been a maknae for a long time. Even when juniors joined, they couldn’t last a few months, so he ended up being the maknae for over five years.
“Oppa.”
At that moment, Yeon Su cautiously approached and called Yeongguk. She took him to a place where no one else was around and sighed before adding,
“Next time, take me with you.”
“What?”
“If there’s cleaning to do in the morning, let’s go together.”
Yeongguk had an “Aha” moment. Come to think of it, he wasn’t the only maknae in the theater; Yeon Su was one too. He had forgotten because she was much younger, and he thought of her as a little sister.
Of course, she must also have felt a bit uncomfortable with the current situation. It’s similar to how privates in the military would watch their seniors’ moods. If one person stood out too much, the others were bound to be undervalued.
“Alright, let’s go together next time.”
Yeongguk’s answer made Yeon Su’s lips curl into a smile. In fact, Yeongguk didn’t know. Yeon Su wasn’t saying it because she felt awkward; she was looking forward to coming to the theater early in the morning with Yeongguk when no one else was around. Just then, Director Lee Changhun shouted, cutting through their thoughts.
“Run-through, let’s begin!”
* * *
Run-through.
A rehearsal where the performance was acted out from start to finish without stopping. Even if an actor made a mistake, the director would not stop the rehearsal.
Typically, a run-through was practiced after more than three months of stage-by-stage rehearsals. But with the Daehan Theater Festival approaching, the run-through had to start sooner.
“Director Seong, as both the director and stage director, what are your thoughts after observing for two weeks?”
“It’s beyond expectations. I did expect them to be able to adapt quickly since they were quite famous actors when they were still in the theater scene, but they erased the issues from the first rehearsal in just two weeks. Actor Park’s eye contact was a problem, but it improved as if by magic, and actors Son and Kim have regained their former selves. There’s no need to mention the director or Actor Ji; they’re all in their prime. The driving force is undoubtedly Actor Jang.”
“Isn’t it amazing?”
“Absolutely. Not only is it amazing, but I’ve never seen a rookie like that in my stage director career. Thanks to him, even actor Yeon next to him is visibly improving.”
Rehearsals had run non-stop for the past two weeks. These were actors who once dominated the theater scene, but having been immersed in the broadcasting world for a long time, it was expected to take time to regain their former selves. However, for some reason, it didn’t take long to return to their prime as rehearsals continued. At the center of it all was undoubtedly Actor Jang Yeongguk.
It’s as if everyone, regardless of their theater experience, is inspired by him.
It’s not the acting of a rookie. A director must oversee and coordinate everything happening on stage. When an actor presented an overly exaggerated performance, it had to be pointed out, and if the use of stage directions seemed lacking, the stage had to be reset using stage equipment. Moreover, this was a temporarily rented theater.
It was a much smaller stage compared to a regular theater stage. Thinking that a smaller stage would make performing easier was a mistake. In fact, using a small stage was more challenging than a large one.
In that sense, rookie Actor Jang Yeongguk utilized the small stage better than anyone else. The way he recited lines and moved as if the stage was the palm of his hand made the empty stage look like the streets of Gyeongseong.
Act 1, Scene 7.
Why is my heart racing like this?
Actress Park Sangah clutched her pounding heart as she watched Yeongguk perform in front of her. Although he was a rookie actor with a significant age difference, the depth of his acting was on par with any seasoned actor.
As proof, when she played the role of Misaki, the only daughter of the Governor-General of Korea, she unknowingly stumbled over her lines. Park Sangah steadied her breath and continued her lines.
“Muyeol, aren’t the cherry blossoms beautiful? The saplings we brought when we built the Governor-General’s Office in Joseon have grown so much. I hope to visit Kiyomizu-dera in Kyoto with you someday to see the cherry blossoms. Walking hand in hand through the streets of Kyoto would be truly enchanting.”
Baek Muyeol responded to Misaki’s question with a faint smile. He calmed his troubled heart as he looked at the cherry blossoms blooming profusely on the streets of Gyeongseong. By now, the streets were filled with signs in Japanese, and people dressed in traditional Japanese clothing were a common sight.
The sound of clogs, known as geta, clattered as they walked, and swords were strapped to their side as if it were a badge of honor. It would be a lie to say that sight wasn’t repulsive.
“Someday, I hope to walk the streets of Kyoto with Misaki. It would be truly wonderful because you would make the scenery even more beautiful. By the way, I heard the Chief Inspector has been so busy with work lately that he doesn’t come home often. Is that true?”
“Yes, that’s right. That’s why there are more guards at home than usual. I snuck over the wall today to meet you, Muyeol. Why don’t you come to Kyoto with me? If I tell my father, he’ll surely change your status to Japanese.”
“I’ll have to think about that for a moment. It’s not that I wouldn’t go anywhere with you, Misaki, but I still have things to do here.”
“Hmph. Do you dislike Japan, or do you dislike being with me?”
At that moment, Misaki, who was walking alongside, hesitated. Park Sangah, who was playing the role of Misaki, showed a hint of embarrassment on her face. It wasn’t acting; she had actually stumbled. In that instant, Baek Muyeol wrapped an arm around Misaki’s waist and faced her.
“How could I let such a clumsy woman go alone?”
Park Sangah’s face turned as red as a beet as her waist bent like a bow. Yeongguk, playing the role of Baek Muyeol, helped her straighten up as if nothing had happened. Watching from the audience, Jeong Yongdae couldn’t help but be impressed. His quick thinking in an unexpected situation was remarkable. As a playwright, he approached each scene with the curiosity of a spectator eager to see what happens next.
It was then.
“Let’s stop for a moment!”
Stage director Seong Jihun raised his hand, halting the run-through. The sudden interruption drew puzzled looks from the actors on stage. However, his gaze was fixed on the lights hanging from the ceiling of the stage.
* * *
“This is a problem.”
Stage director Seong Jihun scratched his head, looking at the flickering lights. Various lights were used on the theater stage. Especially during rehearsals, changes in scenes and acts were often expressed through lighting and music. Ideally, the stage set would be constructed and the run-through conducted as is, but budget constraints made it difficult.
Many actors and staff in Daehak-ro theater companies didn’t even earn minimum wage.[1] As a result, it’s common for actors who majored in theater to perform in children’s plays or leave for other jobs to make a living. The same went for stage construction. In reality, minor tasks were often handled directly by the actors or staff rather than outsourced.
What should I do about this?
Seong Jihun was troubled as he looked at the flickering lights. As a stage director, it was his responsibility to fix it, but unfortunately, he wasn’t well-versed in lighting. The wiring was old and tangled like a spider’s web, making it difficult for anyone but an expert.
“Director Seong, I’m sorry.”
Playwright Jeong Yongdae ran a hand over his dry lips. He hadn’t realized the state of the theater he had rented was so poor. It was a mistake not to consider many factors since it was only a one-month rental. A third of the production budget went to paying the actors in Spring of Joseon. As a consequence, it was insufficient to create an outstanding rehearsal stage.
Unable to watch any longer, Director Lee Changhun approached and said,
“Let’s not mess with it ourselves. I’ll contact a lighting technician today. If we tamper with it, we might make it worse. If it’s someone who used to work on Daehak-ro, fixing this shouldn’t be a problem.”
All the actors sighed as they looked at the flickering lights.
“Everyone, please step aside for a moment.”
Yeongguk gestured to the gathered people and set up a ladder in the spot. As everyone stood dumbfounded by the sudden actions of the maknae, Yeongguk, who had somehow acquired gloves and tools, climbed the ladder with Yeon Su holding the toolbox beside him.
Good thing I brought it.
Yeongguk had brought a toolbox just in case. Over the past two weeks of rehearsals at the theater company, he realized there were many things that needed fixing. As he examined the lights attached to the stage ceiling, Yeongguk furrowed his brow.
‘The border lights are problematic, and the grounding on the baby spot is damaged. Whoever designed the batten did a sloppy job.
“Director Seong, please turn off the main power for a moment. Yeon Su, hand me the small flashlight from the toolbox.”
The flickering lights on the stage went out, and Yeongguk received a small flashlight from Yeon Su, who was standing like an assistant with the toolbox. Climbing to the top of the ladder, Yeongguk held the small flashlight in his mouth and skillfully handled the tangled wires, resembling a lighting technician.
I almost became a stage staff member.
Small theater companies, always struggling with budgets, often handled stage production and lighting themselves. As a joke, theater actors often said they couldn’t tell if they were on a construction site or a stage.
As the maknae at the time, Yeongguk often assisted the lighting technician because of his dexterity. Their teamwork was so good that the lighting technician even joked that Yeongguk should quit acting and become his apprentice.
Yeongguk, who was at the top of the ladder, called out below.
“Turn on the lights, please.”
At Yeongguk’s direction, stage director Seong Jihun turned the main power back on, and the previously flickering border lights and other lights shone brightly as if nothing had happened. As Yeongguk descended the ladder, his assistant, Yeon Su, took the tools from him. The others were left speechless by the actions of the maknae. Then Yeongguk addressed the people watching him.
“Alright, everyone, let’s resume the run-through.”
[1] Daehak-ro is known for its vibrant performing arts scene, especially in the theater.
