Review: SMOKE at DCF LIFEWAY HALL 2, 'Let's Fly One More Time!'

'A writer who was ahead of one's time,' 'A misfortunate genius,' are names that are given to one of Korea's greatest writers, Lee Sang. To commemorate the 80th anniversary of his death, last year, Double K Film&Theatre presented a musical entirely about Lee Sang's life and his works. After a successful run last year, the musical, SMOKE came back this year for its second performance with upgraded settings and music.

SMOKE is a unique musical in that it combines a historical text with modern techniques. Its main story is about one of Lee Sang's most controversial works, 'Crow Eye's View' with details about his rigid life during the period of Japanese occupation. Instead of just describing how the piece of work was made and what troubles he had to face, the musical uses three characters to express different desires or characteristics of the writer. Though the three characters are all played by different actors, they eventually conclude to being one.

The three main characters of SMOKE are Cho, Hae, and Hong. All three of them are 27 years old and Hong is the only female character. Cho is a writer whose works are not appreciated by the society and who desires to die. Hae is an adult with a soul of a pure young child. He is Cho's friend and wants to go to the sea with him. He believes that if they go to the sea, he will be able to draw and Cho will be able to write again. Hong is a difficult character to define because she is more of a representative of different things than one definite subject. However, during the beginning of the musical, she is introduced as the daughter of the owner of Mitsukoshi Department store. A key point to keep in mind is to understand what each of these characters represents.

SMOKE has an unusual set design that looks like a kind of dome. The walls that are surrounding the main stage are actually thin screens that are used throughout the whole show. It is rather an important tool because it depicts the title and the overall theme of the show.

SMOKE may be a hard show to people who are not familiar with the history of Korea or Korean literary works, especially Lee Sang. However, that is why it is an interesting way to learn through watching a musical. Especially, since this show gives the historical background thoroughly, it is easier for unfamiliar audiences to understand Lee Sang's actions and emotions. Not only that, there is also a scene where different works of Lee Sang's are displayed on the screen, so audiences could see more of his works.

Korea had a dark time when people did not have a country or a language. In a time where everything was taken away from us, there were so many courageous people who fought against injustice, not only physically but also with literary works. Lee Sang was one of these people, who though was not recognized during his work period, was truly a genius that had made so many innovations to Korea's literature.

SMOKE is performed at DCF Theater 2 until July 15th. Tickets start at 40,000 and there are two different kinds of seats. Tickets can be purchased at the ticket box and online at www.interparkglobal.com. Be sure to check the cast prior to buying the tickets.

For more information, please visit www.interparkglobal.com

Photo Credit: WIZCULTURE

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