Oedipus, who tried to escape a prophecy that he would kill his father and marry his mother but ultimately could not evade his fate, is being revisited through a contemporary lens in two upcoming productions. Sophocles' tragedy "Oedipus Rex," reworked countless times over nearly 2,500 years, is being reinterpreted by the National Theater Company of Korea from the perspective of minorities, and by the National Changgeuk Company from the perspective of women.
The National Theater Company will stage "Oedipus" at the Myeongdong Theater from the 24th of next month through October 18. It is the third work in "Anthropolis," a five-part cycle in which Roland Schimmelpfennig, a leading figure in contemporary German theater, modernizes the tragedy of the royal house of Thebes. The company presented "Prologue & Dionysos" and "Laios" last year, and this year it is staging the remaining three works: "Oedipus," "Iokaste" and "Antigone & Epilogue."
This production reimagines Oedipus not as a robust and flawless hero but as a figure with the identity of a minority — a person with disabilities and a migrant. It delivers the message that in a human-centered society that has pursued perfection while producing hierarchy and exclusion, this minority status can instead become a clue to solving the problems of the times.
Kang Ryang-won directs, with music by Jung Jae-il of the Netflix original "Squid Game" and stage design by Lim Il-jin. Kim Seok-ju plays Oedipus and Kim Moon-hee plays Iokaste. Following last year's sold-out run, audience response is already strong this year: a presale package of 300 sets bundling the three earlier productions sold out within a week.
The National Changgeuk Company plans to offer something fresh with an Oedipus reborn through Korean traditional song and as a woman. Having adapted Western classics such as "Lear" and "The Merchants of Venice" into changgeuk, the company is now taking on one of Sophocles' signature tragedies. The most striking change in the changgeuk "Oedipus" is a female Oedipus. Centered on female performers, it views the familiar narrative of the male hero from a new perspective. Bae Sam-sik, who wrote "Hwajeonga" and "1945," penned the script, and Choi Jin-a directs. With composition by Jang Seo-yun, the production uses Korean traditional song to unravel the inner life of a human being who draws closer to a tragic fate the harder they try to escape the prophecy. It will be performed at the Daloreum Theater of the National Theater of Korea from November 26 through December 5.
