Jeon Mi-do Returns as Nina in 'The Seagull' After 15 Years: "Now I See Emotions I Didn't Notice Before"

Man Theater Celebrates 20th Anniversary with Signature Production
Starring Jeon Mi-do, Park Ho-san, Lee Dong-ha, Woo Hyun-joo, and More
Director Kim Jung-yi: "I Wanted to Present the Original Work in Its Entirety"

"When I read the script again this time, I noticed many aspects of Nina's character that I wasn't aware of 15 years ago. Back then, I focused on depicting Nina as someone who simply dreams of becoming an actress, but this time, I could also see the conflicts, desires, anxieties, and fears beneath that innocence."

Jeon Mi-do shared that returning to Anton Chekhov's The Seagull after 15 years allowed her to reinterpret the protagonist Nina in a new light. At a press call for the play held on the 12th at Ticketlink 1975 Theater in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, she said, "I feel that I am now able to express a much richer and deeper portrayal of the emotions and painful aspects rooted in Nina's troubled family background, among others, compared to before."

Actor Jeon Mi-do is performing a scene from the play Seagull at the press call held on the 12th at Ticketlink1975 Theater in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News

Jeon Mi-do is returning to the stage in a play after eight years, taking on the role of Nina in The Seagull. Her last stage performance was in 2018, when she played Mona Juul in the National Theater Company's production of Oslo. In The Seagull, Jeon Mi-do portrays Nina, a young woman around 20 years old who dreams of becoming a celebrated actress. Initially, she felt burdened by playing a young character in her mid-forties and declined the offer, but decided to take the role since it was a production by her own theater company. Jeon Mi-do said, "I wanted to return to theater, and if I did, I thought it would be most meaningful to do it with my own company."

The Seagull is a collaborative production between Man Theater, the troupe Jeon Mi-do belongs to, and the performance planning company NHN Link. Man Theater was founded in 2007 and includes members such as Jeon Mi-do, Park Ho-san, Woo Hyun-joo, Lee Dong-ha, and Lee Eun, all of whom are performing in this production.

Woo Hyun-joo, a founding member and the head of Man Theater, said, "Among the plays we've staged, The Seagull received the highest praise from both critics and audiences," adding, "As we approach our 20th anniversary, we were thinking of a work that could help us reflect on the spirit of theater, and The Seagull came to mind." She continued, "Above all, I wanted to see Jeon Mi-do's performance as Nina again."

The Seagull, one of Chekhov's most famous works, depicts the desires and frustrations of people who yearn for art and love but are unable to live as they wish. Nina defies her father's opposition to a career on stage and leaves for Moscow, where she has a child with the famous writer Trigorin but is ultimately abandoned. She fails to achieve success as an actress and returns to her hometown in a haggard state.

The director is Kim Jung-yi, who garnered attention after winning the Best New Director Award at the 54th Dong-A Theater Awards in 2017 and the 9th Doosan Yonkang Arts Award in 2018 in the performance category.

Director Kim Jung-yi said, "I wanted to present the original work in its entirety," explaining, "Rather than attempting something entirely new as a director, I tried to find ways to convey the instincts and desires embedded in the play, not only through words but also through the staging and the actors' physical performances."

Actor Jeon Mi-do demonstrates a scene from the play "The Seagull" at the press call held on the 12th at Ticket Link 1975 Theater in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News

She explained that, as the play is a well-known classic, she wanted to preserve its inherent value as much as possible. She added that adapting the script herself carried a considerable sense of responsibility. Director Kim said, "The play is already so famous that there are many scenes and lines that are especially well-known among theater enthusiasts," noting, "That made me extremely cautious about how to approach adapting them."

Chekhov's plays are characterized by revealing hidden desires and conflicts through the everyday lives and conversations of ordinary people, rather than highlighting dramatic incidents or confrontations.

Director Kim said, "Although I initially thought of it as a play about the small emotions that arise in daily life, I discovered that there are actually quite a few fantastic elements woven into the work," adding, "I tried hard to find those aspects and bring them to the surface."

The Seagull opened on August 9 at Ticketlink 1975 Theater in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, and will run until the 31st.

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