Profile

LEE Youn-Taek

In 1986 he started his career in the theater and founded the Street Theater Troupe. He has become one of the representatives of Korean experimental theatre through playwriting, directing, actor training, and staging, along with his rich experience in criticism, scenarios, TV dramas, and columns. In 1994 he opened the Korean Theater Institute out of his concern about training actors and theorizing the theater. He also taught acting in Germany and Japan and worked as Art Director at the Korean National Theatre. Since 1999 he has been managing the troupe of nearly 50 members, pursuing Korean experimental theater. He is now in office as Art Director of the Street Theatre Troupe and as a professor at the Dongguk University. His best known works are “Citizen K”, “Sanssikkim”, “Ogu – a Ritual of Death”, “Baboogaksi” (Fool Bride), “Hamlet”, “The King YON-SAN”, “Feeling, Like a Nirvana”, “A learned man – Jo Nam-yeong”, “Mother”, “King Lear”, “Thieves”, and “Mother Courage and Her Children”.

CAST

Mikari (Desdemona)
She debuted with Shuji Terayama’s “Duke Bluebeard's Castle” when still in high school.
Currently a member of the Ku Na’uka Theatre Company, she has appeared in several of
its productions under the direction of Satoshi Miyagi, including “Salome”, “Medea”,
“Tristan and Iseult”, “Tenshu Monogatari” and “The Mahabharata”. She is widely
acclaimed in Japan and abroad for her overwhelming concentration and stage presence,
“stimulating the imagination of the audience.”

Kazunori Abe (Othello)
Member of the Ku Na’uka Theatre Company since its foundation in 1990. He has made several guest appearances with other theatre companies, and regularly holds workshop for non-professionals. Starting in 1998, he has also gained attention with his one-man shows. Among his representative works are “Medea” (narration), “Mahabharata” (narration) and the “Tenshu Monogatari” (narration). Kazunori Abe is also a part-time lecturer at Oberlin University and a special lecturer at the Bunka Gakuin.

Koichi Otaka (Iago)
Koichi Otaka has appeared in almost all of Ku Na’uka Theatre Company’s productions since he entered the troupe in 1995, including “Tenshu Monogatari”, “A Streetcar named Desire”, “Medea” and “Tristan and Iseult”. He has also given guest appearances with other companies.

Kim Mi-Sook (pilgrim)
One of the leading actors of Lee Youn-Taek’s Street Theatre Troupe. She has appeared in “Ogu- a death ritual”, “Hamlet”, and “Mother Courage and her Children” among others. For the latter she received the award for the best actress at the East Asian Theatre Awards.

Lee Seung-Heon (man)
A leading actor from Lee Youn-Taek’s Street Theatre Troupe. He has appeared in “Ogu- a death ritual”, “Hamlet”, “Kokoro to Katachi”, “Papokakushi”, “Mother Courage and Her Children” and “Genten Monogatari” among others. In 2002 he received the acting award at the East Asian Theatre Awards, and in 2006 he received the Seoul Theatre Festival award for best actor.