Acting Up in Yeosu with Four Corner Productions
Written and photographed by Kristy Dolson
The stage lights illuminate eight faces flushed with the euphoria that comes from a successful performance. The final bow is taken, and eight shot glasses – six of soju and two of water – are uplifted, clinked, and drained to thundering applause. And then it’s all over. The cast disperses to thank friends and colleagues for coming, while the director begins the thankless task of clearing up the stage and gathering props, glowing with pride over her amazing accomplishment – one worth celebrating. After six years in Yeosu, Katie Carriero has finally realized her dream of bringing English language theater to her Korean hometown. It was well worth the wait.
Four Corner Productions (FCP) was founded in March of 2018 with an open call on the Yeosu Wayguks Facebook page for auditions. A small but brave assortment of individuals showed up for a read-through, eager for their share of the spotlight. Hailing from all four corners of the planet, the group’s name was chosen unanimously by the team, and FCP was born. Its inaugural show, the children’s play Little Miss Bossy, written by Carriero herself, was performed in May to a decently sized audience on the boardwalk of Soho-dong. Inspired by this success, Carriero set her sights on the adult foreigner crowd of the tri-city area of Yeosu, Suncheon, and Gwangyang, and began putting together Four Corner Production’s Various Tales: A Cabaret. The show consisted of short thematically related vignettes taken from popular plays, TV shows, and movies. Another call for actors went out, and the cast grew.
Katie Carriero (director) – You can take the stage manager out of the theater, but you can’t take the damn stage manager out of the girl. After years and years on the stage or behind it, this is Katie’s premier directing experience.
Kristy Dolson (actress) – As a teacher trainer at Jeollanamdo International Education Institute, Kristy loves to promote drama and dramatic teaching strategies both in and out of the classroom. She’s been involved with many performance groups throughout her life, but she’s most proud of her involvement with FCP.
Jool Kang (actress) – Jool is a self-proclaimed “S-holic”: smile, sky, song, sea, style, sul (술, alcohol), Sunhari (her dogs), and Suncheon (her current hometown).
Axel Mackintosh (actor) – Brought to you by the New Zealand Board of Tourism, Axel is a seasoned veteran of the performance industry. His first appearance with FCP was met with critical acclaim in a New York Times review that called him “engaging,” “inspiring,” and “ultimately unnecessary.”
Kajal Ramsunder (actress) – Kajal felt she’d been shrunk, stretched, scratched, and stuffed into a teapot in South Africa! So before she lost her “muchness,” she left on a new adventure to Korea; now she’s here mad as a hatter to be a part of FCP.
Ryan Richardson (actor) – An Australian native, Ryan is the self-proclaimed God of the seven kingdoms, savior of grace and aptitude, conqueror of the nations of Andar, and protector of the flowers.
Nathan Siemenski (actor) – Turtlenecks and chains. His great aunt got hit in the head by a homerun hit by Babe Ruth.
Malina Workman (actress) – Hailing from the distant realm of bears and cowboys, the wildest of the west, this mysterious wanderer has journeyed far and wide in search of honor, glory, love, adventure, a chance to prove her mettle, and theater troupes small enough to take anybody who wants in.
Under the leadership of Carriero, this zany group pulled itself away from Yeosu’s siren song of beer and pastry pizza long enough to memorize the lines, blocking, and intricate prop shuffling required for Various Tales. Not only did its members effortlessly deliver lines, get their blocking cues just right, and shuffle props like seasoned crew-hands, but they also managed to actualize an hour or so of dramatic magic, transporting an enraptured audience into the seductive realm of the theater – something that’s severely lacking here in Jeollanam-do.
So if you’ve been looking for more English language theater options, either to enjoy as an evening of cheap entertainment, or to get involved as cast and / or crewmember, then get thyself to Yeosu!
FCP, riding high from its first critical success, is now welcoming new members. If you’re a little bit shy, or just want to get your feet wet behind the scenes first, then you’re in luck because FCP especially needs crew members – although more actors are always welcome!
Please contact Director Katie Carriero at katiecarriero@gmail.com for more information.
The Author
Kristy Dolson lived in South Korea for five years before taking a year off to travel, read, and spend time with her family in Canada and Australia. She holds a Bachelor of Education and moved to Yeosu this year, where she splits her time between teacher training at the new Jeollanamdo International Education Institute and acting with her newfound theater family.