The Hanyang University Drama Association Alumni Association (President: Yoon Sung-il, Class of ’90) and the current Hanyang Theater Society (President: Hong Chae-yoon, Class of ’21) will co-host a commemorative performance celebrating the 50th anniversary of the society’s founding. The performance, Yeolhailgi Manbo (Artistic Director: Kwon Tae-geon, Class of ’96), will be held August 26–30 at the Hanyang Arts Theater, featuring a large cast of more than 60 alumni and current students.

Founded in 1975, the Hanyang Theater Society marks its 50th year in 2025. Han Dong-seop, dean of the College of Social Sciences and an alumnus of the society, noted, “The 50-year history of the Hanyang Theater Society reflects the evolution of postmodern university theater in Korea.” The society’s extensive archive of more than 160 productions includes works representing nearly every major theatrical tradition—from the Renaissance to realism, romanticism, expressionism, absurdism, epic theater, Korean national drama, and musicals.

Since its founding, the society has hosted an alumni performance every ten years: Othello (1985, directed by Ahn Tae-woong), Antigone (1995, directed by Park Kwang-ok), Mother Courage and Her Children (2005, directed by Yoon Han-sol), and The Dresser (2015, directed by Yoon Byung-chul). This year’s performance will be the fifth such reunion production.

Led by professional alumni active in the theater scene, the production includes Kwon Tae-geon (Class of ’96) as artistic director, with appearances by alumni Kim Jung-sun (’94), Lee Hye-rim (’02), and Shin Jung-eun (’04). The alumni association launched the performance planning committee in December 2023, and full-scale rehearsals began in April 2025.

Participants range from freshmen who entered the 3x3 토토사이트 in 2025 to alumni who were founding members in 1974, creating a rehearsal space where five decades of theater experience converge. It is not uncommon to see alumni in their 50s offering acting tips to students in their 20s.

Many alumni are balancing careers with rehearsals. Shim Byung-jun (Class of ’00), a working professional of 17 years, commented, “When alumni come together on stage, each carrying the weight of their own lives, it allows for an honest and powerful interpretation. That’s the magic of theater.”

Artistic director Kwon Tae-geon, currently active with the National Theater Company of Korea and recently appearing in Red Leaves, added, “University theater has a certain raw energy unique to individuals. Its amateur spirit can offer fresh, bold interpretations.”

The experience is also valuable for current students, who are learning literature, history, and art through hands-on collaboration with professional actors. Society president Hong Chae-yoon said, “Watching the alumni devote themselves to rehearsal taught me a lot. It showed me that theater can remain a meaningful part of life at any age.”

The featured production, Yeolhailgi Manbo, is an allegorical play by playwright Bae Sam-sik inspired by The Jehol Diary by 18th-century scholar Park Ji-won (pen name Yeonam). The story humorously follows a depressed horse who suddenly begins to speak.

In the play, villagers shun Yeonam as an eccentric, but he proclaims: “You suffer because you’re bound to this land, tethered to this earth.”

His words strike a chord with the audience, challenging them to question whether they have become complacent in life. And those delivering the lines are ordinary workers rehearsing after hours and university students navigating an uncertain future—making the message all the more poignant.

For ticketing and inquiries regarding the Hanyang Theater Society’s production of Yeolhailgi Manbo, visit their Instagram page at @hy_deulkkot1975.