It’s been more than a century since Anton Chekhov (1860-1904) died, but his works dominate the life of Russian theater director Lev Dodin. “I don’t think of Chekhov as a dead man,” said the Russian director at a press conference on Tuesday, promoting Chekhov’s “Three Sisters” he brought to Seoul. “I always talk to Chekhov. His works are what give me the joy of creating art. I feel like he is still very much present in the contemporary world.”This is Dodin’s second time staging Chekhov’s work in

Books April 11, 2013

World-acclaimed poet Ko Un has been appointed an honorary fellow at Ca’Foscari University of Venice, the Italian university announced on Thursday.The school, founded in 1868, has been offering courses in Korean studies since 1997, and launched the King Sejong Institute ― Korea’s state-run language institute operating overseas ― on campus last year.The Buddhist monk-turned-poet is the third person to be appointed an honorary fellow for the university, and the first Asian to receive the honor. The

People April 11, 2013

The “space of otherness” is what iconoclastic choreographer William Forsythe is bringing to Korea this week with the Korean stage debut of his 2006 work “Heterotopia.”A site-specific dance which requires the audience to move between two rooms on stage, “Heterotopia” explores the theme of language and its interpretation, as well as the meaning of theater as a space. The title of Forsythe’s work is derived from French philosopher Michel Foucalt’s essay “Des Espaces Autres,” which uses the term “He

Performance April 10, 2013

Seoul’s Gangdong Arts Center, one of the major venues for dance, is holding its annual festival featuring a total of 19 works of diverse genres ― including ballet, modern, and traditional Korean dance.The festival celebrates its second edition this year, featuring the works of more than 45 local dance companies. The participating troupes include the Universal Ballet Company, Kook Soo-ho’s Didim Dance Company and the Seoul Ballet Theatre.Three performances open this year’s edition. One of the thr

Performance April 8, 2013

The annual Seoul Theater Festival unveiled its line-up for this year’s edition, featuring a number of works delving into socially-conscious subject matters including bullying, poverty, and the experiences of migrant women. First established in 1979, the performing arts bash celebrates its 34th anniversary this year. A total of eight works have been included in its official line-up this year, while 36 works have been featured in four different unofficial sections.Among the eight works in the offi

Performance April 7, 2013

Relentless, pitiless, bloody and intense ― that’s the remake of Sam Raimi’s “The Evil Dead.”But is this “Evil Dead” (they dropped the “The” in the title) any good? Yes and no. It has several genuinely hair-raising moments and presents, for your edification and enjoyment, some of the most graphic horror violence ever presented on the screen.But Fede Alvarez’s homage to the original “Cabin in the Woods” tale lacks the offhanded goofiness, the brittle jokes ― visual and otherwise ― of young people,

Film April 5, 2013

AngelopolisBy Danielle Trussoni(Viking)John Milton, the 17th-century writer and poet, is perhaps most responsible for giving Satan and his rebel angels celebrity status. In “Paradise Lost,” Milton imagines the fallen angels as “all monstrous, all prodigious things,” presenting them as the heroes of his epic work explaining humanity’s fall from grace and justifying “the ways of God to man.” From the novels in Phillip Pullman’s His Dark Materials series to films like “The Matrix,” Milton’s masterp

Books April 4, 2013

In the official estimation of government economists, the Great Recession ended in 2009. But in Barbara Garson’s new book, it lives on. And for the people whose stories she tells, the Great Recession may never die.“They didn’t retire, and they didn’t find jobs,” Garson writes, describing the four New York professionals whose stories open “Down the Up Escalator: How the 99% Live in the Great Recession.” They call themselves “The Pink Slip Club.” It’s a group that never loses any members, because n

Books April 4, 2013

Atlanta poet Collin Kelley was at a London gallery in 2010, taking in a retrospective of photographer Sally Mann, when he was gobsmacked by something in the Virginia-born artist’s otherworldly, black-and-white images. He saw eerie parallels to his own work ― the poetry he’d set aside years earlier to focus on writing fiction.He had a collection of poems that had been “kind of floating around” since 2008, enough for a book. He’d given it a couple of titles, combined different poems, changed the s

Books April 4, 2013

Ballet dancer Lee Eun-won achieved a lot of things early in her life. Undoubtedly one of the most stellar dancers in the local ballet scene, Lee was only 18 when she joined the Korean National Ballet as an apprentice in 2010. She made her lead debut as Marie in the “Nutcracker” in the same year, and was promoted to prima ballerina in 2012 ― just two years after her debut. In spite of her principal dancer title, the 21-year-old is still the youngest member of the company. Her talent was obvious t

Performance April 4, 2013

A webtoon about a young woman and her domestic helper has won the top prize at the first Herald Webtoon Contest, organized by the Herald Corporation. The winner, Seung Jeong-yeon, will receive 15 million won ($13,000) in prize money.Titled “Your House Helper,” Seung’s piece tells the story of Mi-rae, who lives in her boyfriend’s house while he’s on a long-term business trip to New York. She is insecure about their relationship and is afraid that he’ll leave her for his attractive ex. The story d

Performance April 3, 2013

Aspiring webtoon artists should be conscious of future smart devices and how they work, famed cartoonist Lee Doo-ho said. The artist, best known for his 1984 iconic work “Taoist Mutul,” was the chief judge of the first Herald Webtoon Contest, organized by the Herald Corporation. He selected a total of 14 winners among the 160 contestants.“I’ve been working with hard copies and books for most of my life,” Lee said in an interview with The Korea Herald. “But those who are working in today’s cartoo

Performance April 3, 2013