36th Geochang International Theater Festival Concludes 10-Day Journey with Grand Finale at Suseungdae

50 Groups from 8 Countries Present 78 Performances: A Summer in Geochang Filled with Theater
Awards for Ten Competition Pieces, Concluding with a Musical Gala Concert

The 36th Geochang International Theater Festival concluded on August 9, wrapping up its ten-day schedule of performances.

Organized by Geochang County and related institutions, this year’s festival was held over a ten-day period from July 31 to August 9, centered around Suseungdae in Geochang County. Under the slogan “Free Immersion, Sweet Imagination,” a total of 50 domestic and international groups from eight countries participated, presenting 78 performances.

Shows were staged at various venues in the area, including the Suseungdae Turtle Theater, Guyeon Seowon, Bamboo Theater, and Yeongeukgo. By utilizing the natural landscape and traditional spaces as performance venues, the festival combined Geochang’s representative tourist site, Suseungdae, with the world of theater.

[Photo by Choi Soon-kyung] At the closing ceremony of the 36th Geochang International Theatre Festival, the award ceremony for the competition works is taking place with the attendance of the mayor of Geochang County, the chairman of the county council, provincial and county council members, and ambassadors Kang Booja and Kim Seonggyun.

This year’s festival opened with “The Old Man’s Dream,” followed by a diverse range of works from both Korea and abroad.

Internationally recognized productions such as “Othello” and “Pack Rat the Collector,” along with “Gulliver’s Travels: Zoom In Out” and “Ikaino Bike,” which were introduced as Korea Theater Best Works for 2025, were staged.

Family-friendly plays like “Field Play Jjillekkot” and “Chunja in Wonderland” were also performed, expanding the spectrum of genres and audiences for the festival.

Notably, in the competition segment, ten productions took part, competing in terms of artistry, direction, and acting.

The results of the competition were announced at the closing ceremony. Awards were given in five categories, comprising seven prizes in total: Grand Prize, Gold Prize, Best Director, two Best Acting Awards, and two Audience Jury Prizes.

The closing ceremony was held at 7:30 PM on the 9th at the Suseungdae Turtle Theater.

The event was attended by the Geochang County Mayor, the Chairman of the County Council, provincial and county council members, festival promotional ambassadors Booja Kang and Seonggyun Kim, judges, the Geochang Police Chief, the Director of Geochang Cultural Center, foundation officials, representatives from Wicheon-myeon, participating teams, audience members, and around 300 attendees in total.

The ceremony began with the host’s introduction of the event and the guests, and continued with the jury’s reviews of the competition works.

This was followed by the awards ceremony for the competition pieces, commemorative photo sessions with winners and participants, and closing remarks from the dignitaries. After the closing address and the official declaration of the festival’s end, the ceremony concluded.

The finale of the closing ceremony was a musical gala concert.

Starting at 8 PM and running for 80 minutes, the closing performance featured musical actors Chiyeon Cha, Woo Hyuk Min, and Young Sook Shin, who performed highlights from major musicals. By ending the ten-day festival, which began with theater, with a popular musical performance, attendees were able to enjoy a special finale.

This year’s Geochang International Theater Festival continued its tradition as a leading regional performance festival that merges theater and tourism by making use of Suseungdae’s natural surroundings as a performance space.

In particular, the festival featured not only Korean works but also international ones, and by combining both competition and invited performances, the program allowed audiences to experience a wide variety of genres and styles.

However, challenges remain for the future, such as further expanding international exchanges befitting the festival’s name, developing programs to increase participation from local audiences, and improving accessibility and facilities at each performance venue.

This year’s festival, involving 50 teams from Korea and abroad and presenting 78 performances over ten days, came to a close with the final performance of the closing day.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.