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ACC Wednesday Theater - An evening of culture, excellent domestic and international performances viewed through video

As the week progresses, by Wednesday, a sense of monotony and weariness from the daily routine begins to seep in, leaving one feeling empty and fatigued. While the approaches to rejuvenating one's life energy may differ for each person, one of the most effective ways is to establish a personalized routine. Having someone to meet at a specific time and a destination worth exploring can provide a comforting sense of reassurance deep within.

The “ACC Wednesday Theater” is a regular event that occurs on Wednesday evenings, showcasing cultural experiences. It takes place on the first and third Wednesday of every month at 7 PM. Even from the VIP seats of the theater, it is difficult to see the vivid expressions and gestures of artists. However, through the large screen of the theater, you can enjoy domestic and international outstanding performances with great vitality. Additionally, it offers opportunities to explore a wide range of genres including theater, classical music, opera, ballet, dance, traditional music, and musicals.

On May 17, the ACC produced and screened the work titled <I Wasn't There in Gwangju> as a commemoration of the May 18th Gwangju Uprising that occurred 80 years ago. After the "2022 Yun Bo-sun Salon Concert," the ACC screened Henrik Ibsen's masterpiece <A Doll's House>. This play is renowned for being the first in theater history to portray the symbol of women's liberation. Although there were some differences in audience preferences by genre, a significant number of people were unable to get a seat due to the attention it had received from the social issues represented by Nora in <A Doll's House>. I confess that it was my first time watching a play like <A Doll's House> so intensely for about 135 minutes. I quickly realized that any concerns I had about how watching a video of a live stage performance would impact my artistic experience were swiftly put aside.

Henrik Ibsen's original work, directed by Yuri Butusov,
<A Doll's House>

Henrik Ibsen's <A Doll's House> has been praised for providing the foundation for women's liberation since its premiere in 1879. The story is about Nora, who used to live as her father's doll before marriage, but leaves her home to find her own identity after marriage. This work is mentioned as a symbol of new femininity and women's liberation, and is also known as the first feminist play.

The work introduced this time is a production directed by Yuri Butusov, which was performed at the Seoul Arts Center in 2018. Yuri Butusov is undeniably one of Russia's top directors, as he has swept major theater awards such as the Golden Mask Award. In addition to its feminist narrative, the realistic play <A Doll's House> has also sparked much discussion with directors' new interpretations and alternative endings. For example, in Thomas Ostermeier's version of <A Doll's House>, Nora leaves her husband and kills him, while in the Mabou Mines' version directed by Lee Breuer, they cast a male actor with dwarfism. In some versions, Nora is unable to leave her home due to her children or the reconciliation of the couple. It could be said that the various adaptations of this play over the past 140 years have served as a platform for discussions on societal perceptions and identities of women in patriarchal societies.

The 2018 production <A Doll's House> directed by Butusov gained wide recognition as a work that reflects on human life, rather than being a story limited to women. In the play, the main characters sometimes switch roles and deliver through dance instead of language, raising questions about our fixed notions by presenting various perspectives and views and allowing us to see the situation in a multi-dimensional way. Personally, I was amazed by Alexandre Sischkin's stage design, which contributes to the director's intentions and offers a unique aesthetic sense. If you are studying performing arts, there are certain parts that you must see at least once.

Excellent Domestic and International Performances Viewed through Video, ACC Wednesday Theater

ACC Wednesday Theater is a program designed to provide access to performances that were not available in Gwangju through video. Currently, national organizations such as the National Theater Company of Korea and the Seoul Arts Center are promoting projects to record and distribute performances. After researching the list of their works and exploring international productions, the final program is composed considering genre diversity. This year, we have also prepared international productions such as <La Traviata>, which took place at the Rome Opera House, and the <Concerto per Milano>. ACC Wednesday Theater takes place twice a month on the first and third Wednesdays at Theater 3 of the ACC Archive & Research. Thanks to this, the number of regular audience members who attend every performance has also increased significantly. Based on the audience market share so far, Gwangju audiences prefer opera and classical music. Furthermore, ACC Wednesday Theater is playing the original production pieces of the ACC. The play <I Wasn't There in Gwangju>, which was shown on May 17, was a work that could not be seen again at ACC Theater this year, and it was widely watched by theater clubs and university student groups.

In July, there are plans to showcase outstanding performances from overseas, and there is great anticipation from the audience. On Jul. 5, the <Concerto per Milano 2018> will be screened. It is an opportunity to watch an outdoor concert by the La Scala Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Riccardo Chailly, with 10,000 spectators at the Piazza Duomo in Milan, Italy. On Jul. 19, there will be a screening the live version of <La Traviata>, an opera considered to be one of Verdi's masterpieces from his middle period, which contains insights into life, love, and humanism, at the Rome Opera House.

Etiquette for a happy cultural experience
“No Show Prevention Campaign”

Many people expressed their regret at not being able to book tickets for the sold-out performances of <A Doll's House>. “ACC Wednesday Theater” is being offered for free in order to expand the opportunity to enjoy culture. One unfortunate point is that, perhaps because it is free, there are quite a few cases of “no-shows” where people make reservations but do not show up at the venue. When this happens, there will be cases where people who really want to see the performance cannot see it.

Park Ji-soo, as a member of the Performance Project Team, would like to make the following appeal. “If it is difficult to attend the performance after making a reservation, we kindly request that you cancel your reservation by the morning before the performance so that more people can have the opportunity to enjoy the show.” They added, “We would like to inform you that for audience members who have attended ACC performances within the past 3 years, we send ticket open notification messages. However, for the upcoming video, ticket reservations will open at 10 AM, two weeks in advance. It is best to make a reservation through the ACC website at that time.” After receiving this great tip about booking, the day after I also succeeded in reserving tickets for the <Concerto per Milano>. Personally, it's one of the performances I really wanted to see. If I can't go to Italy to see it in person, I decided to try it this way first. Perhaps this is what's great about the experience we can have through ACC Wednesday Theater.