Six Plays, Four Nights, One Couch
I never really gave much thought to the Cape Verdean Alliance outside of Boston, Massachusetts. Honestly, and admitting my incredible ignorance, I never understood the need for foreign social organizations. I was never against them, it was just that the few immigrants I knew seemed so adjusted, they wouldn’t NEED to listen to Portuguese radio or watch Telemundo.
I think around day one of living in Korea as a foreigner I finally and deeply understood that need to stay connected to my own language and culture, as well as to identify with other foreign people in my city. To this day, I have to fight the urge to hug some of my Southeast Asian neighbors because, although we may empathize with one another, I still don’t actually know them personally.
The Gwangju International Center is the only independently operated international center in Korea and home to the Gwangju Performance Project, another foreign organization unique to Korea. As our headquarters for workshops, rehearsals and meetings, the GIC has given so much more than just physical space. On November 10, in the spirit of community, the Gwangju Performance Project participated in the Gwangju International Center Day. It’s an annual festival held to remind everyone of the GIC’s mission to share cultural understanding. From the moment I climbed aboard the free shuttle bus, I knew that day would be special. So many beautiful and unique faces smiled excitedly at me from their seats. Each person had a secret to share about his or her culture and I couldn’t wait to hear it.
Thanks to shameless self promotions, the talents of the Gwangju Performance Project are not exactly a secret, but we really bore all at the festival, paying careful attention to accessibility. Members of the GPP are passionate about theatre, but our abilities to share are sometimes limited due to language barriers. With this in mind, actors and directors developed a unique set of physical comedy sketches and a dance which invited all members of the community to participate. Although we didn’t speak much, we shared some very intimate moments with one another. The beauty of living in an international community is seeing how theatre, music or dance becomes essential to communication.
What the Gwangju Performance Project offered at the GIC Day was only a taste of what’s in store this season. Following the summer script-writing competition, Your Words on Stage, the GPP will produce Six Plays, Four Nights, One Couch this December. The six one-act plays were chosen from the dozen submitted by Gwangju-based writers. Actors, directors, designers and writers have been working tirelessly together for the past three months to bring this project to fruition.
I would like to formally invite all members of the Gwangju community to see our production of Six Plays, Four Nights, One Couch on December 8th, 9th, 15th and 16th. Whether you love theatre, want to support a local organization or just want to hear English spoken for a solid hour and a half, you’re sure to find some level of appreciation here. And, trust me, the feeling is mutual. For more information on tickets and the location of the theater visit www.gwangjutheatre.com.