Actress Jeon Mi-do is returning to the stage production of The Seagull after 15 years.
Running from Aug. 9 to 31 at Ticketlink 1975 Theater, The Seagull is one of the most celebrated works by legendary Russian playwright Anton Chekhov. Through Treplev, who loses his way between art and life, Nina, who wavers between love and desire, and the people surrounding them, the play asks enduring questions about life, love, and the meaning of art itself.
Man Theater’s production of The Seagull became legendary during its 2011 run for its experimental staging, provocative direction, and overwhelming cast ensemble. At the time, the company removed all first-floor audience seating to create a radically immersive theatrical environment that electrified both critics and audiences. Though Chekhov’s masterpiece has continued to be adapted in many forms over the years, Man Theater’s interpretation remains one of the most talked-about Korean productions of the play. Now, ahead of the company’s 20th anniversary, the production returns to the stage after 15 years.
The revival is drawing particular attention as Jeon Mi-do’s first return to theater in eight years and her first performance as Nina in 15 years. Longtime core members of Man Theater are reuniting for the production, raising expectations for a deeply refined ensemble performance that aims to reaffirm the value of actor-centered theater.
Set on a rural estate, The Seagull is a lyrical yet tragic masterpiece depicting sorrow, love, hope, and despair. Characters such as Treplev, who dreams of creating new art yet fails to gain recognition, and Nina, who once pursued a shining future only to fall into mediocrity, wander painfully between aspiration and harsh reality. Their exhaustion, loneliness, and endless struggle resonate strongly with the isolation, anxiety, and generational conflict confronting modern audiences today.
The figures in Chekhov’s world continue enduring life even when their dreams themselves become a form of punishment. More than 130 years after its premiere, the playwright’s question — “How should we continue living despite everything?” — still functions as a powerful emotional landmark for contemporary audiences moving through an era of disconnection and survivalism.
Treplev, the young artist desperate for something new, will be played by Lim Chul-soo, known for dramas including Undercover Miss Hong and Our Unwritten Seoul, as well as stage productions such as Finding Happiness and Perfect Strangers.
Following the success of Hospital Playlist, Jeon Mi-do has consistently remained active on stage through musicals such as Maybe Happy Ending and Werther. In this production, she once again takes on Nina, a woman collapsing beneath the brutal collision between idealism and reality.
The role of Arkadina, the celebrated actress and Treplev’s mother, will be double-cast with Woo Hyun-joo and Yang So-min, both longtime stage performers recognized for emotionally layered acting.
The vulnerable writer Trigorin, a man torn between fame and artistic instability, will be portrayed by Lee Dong-ha, whose recent work spans dramas, theater, and musicals. Veteran actor Lee Dae-yeon has been cast as Sorin.
The charismatic doctor Dorn will be played by both Lee Jung-yul and Park Ho-san, bringing together two actors known for commanding performances across theater, television, and film.
Actress Hwang Young-hee will appear as Polina, while Kang Jin-hwi takes on the role of Shamrayev, the retired army lieutenant managing Sorin’s estate. Actress Lee Eun will portray Masha, who suffers from unrequited love for Treplev, while Kwon Gyeom-min appears as Medvedenko, the schoolteacher pursuing Masha.
This revival of The Seagull will be directed by Kim Jung, a rising force in Korean theater recognized for reinterpreting classics through the lens of contemporary anxiety. Winner of both the 54th Dong-A Theatre Awards and the 9th Doosan Yonkang Arts Awards, Kim explained that she rediscovered herself inside Chekhov’s exhausted characters.
“During a period when I was deeply exhausted myself, I returned to Chekhov and realized every character in the play felt like me,” Kim said. “Ordinary lives, tired lives, worn-out desires — I found immense excitement in discovering the tangled emotional threads hidden inside them.”
She added, “Although The Seagull is about artists and the people surrounding them, I believe it must ultimately expand into a story about all of us who once lived with dreams, then gradually gave them up while enduring disappointment and fading hope. We are preparing various theatrical devices to reduce the distance between the audience and the stage despite performing in a large venue, so I hope audiences will look forward to it.”
Reported by News Culture M.J._mj94070777@nc.press
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