'Dead Poets Society' Oh Man-seok: "Cha In-pyo = Kindness of buying meals every week... Yoon Jung-hun's face is kind from the start"

*This content was translated by AI.

The film 'Dead Poets Society' has been reborn on the Korean stage as a play.

On the afternoon of the 21st, a press conference for the play 'Dead Poets Society' was held at NOL Theater Daehak-ro Woori Card Hall in Dongsung-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul. Director Cho Kwang-hwa, music director Lee Dong-jun, and actors Cha In-pyo (playing John Keating), Oh Man-seok, and Yoon Jung-hun attended.

What are the distinctive traits of Mr. Keating portrayed by these three actors? Oh Man-seok said, "No matter how hard we try to act similarly, our performances end up different. Don't you find Yoon Jung-hun kind just by looking at his face? Kindness is ingrained in him."

He continued, "Cha In-pyo treated the children kindly and bought them meals every week, saying they worked hard. I think I was somewhere in between. I tried to create a pleasant atmosphere." Oh Man-seok added, "I also tried my best to emulate the kindness of Cha In-pyo and Yoon Jung-hun."

Cha In-pyo said, "In 'Keating Seon Saeng-in (Director)', the character is 35 years old, but I am 58. I view people as 'colleagues who live this life together.' I strive to act from that perspective of a colleague."

Yoon Jung-hun smiled and said, "Like my senior Cha In-pyo, this is also my first time doing a play. It's been over ten years since I last played the youngest role at Navy Headquarters." He added, "Working with my seniors has given me new and wonderful experiences as we harmonize together."

He further shared, "The three of us portray Keating in very different ways. That might actually be our strength. Please come see us all three times."

The premiere of the play 'Dead Poets Society' is Korea's first officially licensed production based on the screenplay of the same name by Tom Schulman, which won an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay after its 1989 release. Set in 1959 at Welton Academy, a prestigious boarding school in New England, USA, it tells the story of John Charles Keating, an English teacher newly appointed there, and the journey of young boys searching for their identities amidst an exam-focused reality.

The original film achieved global acclaim thanks to director Peter Weir's profound direction and Robin Williams' acting, highlighting the tragedy of youth who are not respected as independent individuals under authoritarian educational systems and parental ambitions, thereby forging a deep emotional connection with audiences. This work is renowned for Keating's famous line to his students, "Carpe diem" (Seize the day), and the students' iconic final line where they stand on their desks defying the headmaster's oppression, shouting, "O Captain! My Captain!"

In the play, the powerful performances of veteran actors blending with the energy of newcomers shine. Cha In-pyo, Oh Man-seok, and Yoon Jung-hun, who portray the teacher John Charles Keating who imparts independent thinking to students, lead the production with deep emotional acting. Alongside them, young actors Kim Rak-hyun, Lee Jae-hwan, Chan-hee (SF9) as Neil Perry, a boy resisting an oppressive reality, and Kim Tae-gyun and Moon Sung-hyun as Todd Anderson depict on stage the close bond between teacher and student.

The play 'Dead Poets Society' will run from the 18th to September 13 at NOL Theater Daehak-ro Woori Card Hall.

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*This content was translated by AI.