Gwangju Performance Project takes Center Stage in Gwangju

Gwangju residents will be able to enjoy a unique piece of American theater this month by seeing Christopher Durang’s “Why Torture is Wrong and the People Who Love Them.”

On the surface, the play follows Felicity, a young woman who marries a man named Zamir, whom she knows nothing about, during a drunken jaunt. Felicity is met with hostility and shock from her parents upon bringing Zamir home to meet them. Her father, an extremely conservative individual, proceeds to interrogate Zamir as the audience watches the situation devolve further.

The plot is straightforward, as are its allegations. The play explores “American nationalistic fervor” and the repercussions of such a mindset. Durang’s piece delivers a focused and deliberate criticism about patriotism, in addition to other social constructs and issues.

“It’s pretty explicit, it’s definitely not a subtle satire. It’s very heavy handed on purpose,” Travis Major, producer and actor explained. “It’s about how America has lost their minds over national security and terrorism and how that overlaps with the American family, the 1950s stereotype of the way things should be but not really.”

Despite the heavy dose of dark subject matter, director Gail Elgersma hopes the audience takes away a brighter message.

“The fact that the play was dark made me uncertain about what to do with it and how the audience would take it,” Elgersma explained. “I understand the title much better now. It’snot just about torture; it’s about loving as well. I hope people aren’t just stunned by the darkness but hopefully they’ll notice the love too, that’s a huge part of the plot. I hope the audience can take away not just being nice to people but that you should look for the good in people too.” “Torture” will be Elgersma’s first production as a director.

“Why Torture is Wrong and the People Who Love Them” is produced by the Gwangju Performance Project (GPP) and will be the nonprofit’s fifth production since its inception in 2011. Major, along with Jo Park, founded the GPP in 2011 and the project has since brought a theater outlet to the expat community with plays such as “Ives Just Got to Dance” and “The Real Inspector Hound.” The GPP has grown since its first play, Steve Martin’s “Picasso at the Lapin Agile” took the stage in June 2011.

“We took it all one step at time, found scripts and held rehearsals until it all came together. It took a long time, about six to seven months and we didn’t have a venue until the last minute. It seemed like it wasn’t going to work out until the last minute when we pulled it all together,” Major recalled.

The GPP works closely with the Gwangju International Center and donates much of its proceeds to the GIC. The project aims to provide the Gwangju community with a cultural and extracurricular vent that adds variety.

“For me personally, the more different avenues of groups and organizations within a community, the better,” stage director Amanda Koons said. “It rounds out the community and gives everyone something to do. For everyone who comes out and sees the show, it’s a break from going out to bars and stuff. Theater helped me find my place in Gwangju and helped me find a home.” Koons studied stage management in college, taking over Park’s role as stage director shortly before the GPP’s second production.

Major aims to provide the community with a piece of live theater in English, a rarity in Gwangju, but at the core Major’s hopes align with a common goal theater everywhere. “I’m always just concerned about entertainment, being able to make people laugh, to have an escape and have a nice night. It’s nice to be able to provide that,” Major says.

Elgersma also intends to offer a production that expats can relate to in terms of language and culture as a break from living abroad.

“It’s that feeling you get when you watch an English movie in Korea, you forget until the lights come up that you’re here. It’s that phenomenon. We have the power to give people a sense of belonging, and for Koreans it’s the opposite; they have something completely different from another culture brought to them here.”

“Why Torture is Wrong and the People Who Love Them” will have three showings: the first on Saturday, October 19, with a second matinee performance and a third evening performance on Sunday, October 20, all at the Geumnaro Park Theater. Directions to the theater are available by visiting the GPP’s website: gwangjutheatre.com. Tickets will be available for purchase at the door for 10,000 won, or for 8,000 won in advance by contacting Mirna Chicas, the GPP’s Ticket Master, at mirnachicas@gmail.com.