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공연예술전문잡지 ‘월간 객석’이 창간 29년만에 유럽판을 창간한다. 외환위기 이후 극심한 운영난에 시달리던 1997년 연극배우 윤석화 (56) 가 인수한지 16년만이다.
창간 행사를 위해 잠시 런던에서 귀국한 윤석화를 동숭동 월간 객석 사무실에서 만났다. 몇년 전부터 영국 웨스트엔드에서 공연제작자로 활동하고 있는 그는 검은색 드레스 차림에 담배 한갑과 분홍색 립글로스를 손에 들고 나타났다.
“아시다시피 이 책이 적자를 면하기가 참 어려운 책이에요. 사실 저의 가장 큰 짐이라는 생각을 할 때가 많습니다. 매달 돈 걱정을 했죠. 지금 돌아서 생각해보니 여기까지 온 게 기적 같아요. ”
관객에게 받은 사랑을 돌려주고 싶은 마음에서 잡지를 인수했지만, 운영이 쉽지만은 않았다. 그만두고 싶다는 생각도 여러번 했다고 한다.
“처음 인수할 때 제 생각은 ‘아무리 힘들어도 5년은 버텨라, 아무리 좋아도 5년후엔 떠나라’였어요. 본분은 연극배우고 발행인의 꿈이 있었던 사람도 아니었으니까요. 살려만 놓자 했는데 제가 부족해선지 잘 안 살려지더군요. 그래서 여기까지 왔네요.”
객석 유럽판은 약 1년 전부터 계획했다. 객석의 런던 통신원으로 10년 넘게 활동해온 데스몬드 추윈씨가 편집장직을 맡았고, 독일 베를린에 사무실을 꾸렸다.
“사실 추윈이 런던에 살고 있었고 지부는 베를린으로 정한 상태였기 때문에 고민을 좀 했어요. 어쨌든 만났는데 자리에 앉자마자 하는 얘기가 베를린으로 이사하기로 했다는 거였어요. 영국에서 알만한 건 다 알았기 때문이라고 하더군요. 운명의 계시 같았어요. 객석 유럽판 이야기를 꺼냈고 결국엔 잘 진행이 됐죠.”
외국에 나가면 ‘애국자’가 된다는 윤석화는 추윈에게 모든 것을 일임하는 대신 단 한가지 조건을 달았다. 매달 필수적으로 한국 예술가나 공연에 관한 기사를 2꼭지씩 실어달라는 것. “우리나라 클래식 음악 인재들이 많잖아요. 그 친구들한테 객석이란 책이 있는 것과 없는 것은 분명히 차이가 있다고 생각해요. 객석이 실질적으로 우리 예술가들을 알리는 매개 역할을 했으면 좋겠어요.”
2011년 윤석화는 영국인 공연제작자 리 멘지스와 함께 <여정의 끝>을 공동 제작하며 웨스트엔드 최초의 한국인 공연제작자가 됐다. 작년에는 뮤지컬 <톱햇>과 <지상에서 영원으로>를 연이어 올렸다.
“웨스트엔드는 공연의 역사가 굉장히 길다보니 모든 면에서 훈련이 잘 돼 있어요. 적재적소에 프로페셔널한 인프라가 쌓여있죠. 회의를 나가면 제가 영어를 못해서 아무말도 안하고 있다고 남들이 착각을 할 만큼 티케팅, 홍보, 마케팅, 기술팀 모두 철저하게 준비를 잘 해 왔어요. 제작자인 제가 딱히 추가적으로 지시를 할 일이 없을 만큼요. 행정적인 부분들도 훌륭해요. 공연 매출이 좋지 않다고 배우에게 개런티를 주지 않는다거나 하는 일은 웨스트엔드에서는 있을 수 없는 일이에요.”
객석 유럽판, 웨스트엔드 공연 제작을 넘어 올해엔 무대로 돌아올 계획도 가지고 있다. 지난 92년 그가 서울에서 세계 초연한 영국 극작가 아놀드 웨스커의 1인극 <딸에게 보내는 편지>를 영국에서 공연하는 것. 극이 올라가면 윤석화는 최초로 웨스트엔드에서 공연한 한국 배우가 된다. 같은 공연을 서울 명동극장에서도 선보일 예정이다.
“한국 최고의 배우인데 당연히 (웨스트엔드에서 공연할) 자격이 있죠. ‘살아있을 땐 힘껏 살아있자, 죽을때까진 미리 죽지 말자,’가 제 모토예요.”
코리아헤럴드 이다영 기자 (dyc@heraldcorp.com)
창간 행사를 위해 잠시 런던에서 귀국한 윤석화를 동숭동 월간 객석 사무실에서 만났다. 몇년 전부터 영국 웨스트엔드에서 공연제작자로 활동하고 있는 그는 검은색 드레스 차림에 담배 한갑과 분홍색 립글로스를 손에 들고 나타났다.
“아시다시피 이 책이 적자를 면하기가 참 어려운 책이에요. 사실 저의 가장 큰 짐이라는 생각을 할 때가 많습니다. 매달 돈 걱정을 했죠. 지금 돌아서 생각해보니 여기까지 온 게 기적 같아요. ”
관객에게 받은 사랑을 돌려주고 싶은 마음에서 잡지를 인수했지만, 운영이 쉽지만은 않았다. 그만두고 싶다는 생각도 여러번 했다고 한다.
“처음 인수할 때 제 생각은 ‘아무리 힘들어도 5년은 버텨라, 아무리 좋아도 5년후엔 떠나라’였어요. 본분은 연극배우고 발행인의 꿈이 있었던 사람도 아니었으니까요. 살려만 놓자 했는데 제가 부족해선지 잘 안 살려지더군요. 그래서 여기까지 왔네요.”
객석 유럽판은 약 1년 전부터 계획했다. 객석의 런던 통신원으로 10년 넘게 활동해온 데스몬드 추윈씨가 편집장직을 맡았고, 독일 베를린에 사무실을 꾸렸다.
“사실 추윈이 런던에 살고 있었고 지부는 베를린으로 정한 상태였기 때문에 고민을 좀 했어요. 어쨌든 만났는데 자리에 앉자마자 하는 얘기가 베를린으로 이사하기로 했다는 거였어요. 영국에서 알만한 건 다 알았기 때문이라고 하더군요. 운명의 계시 같았어요. 객석 유럽판 이야기를 꺼냈고 결국엔 잘 진행이 됐죠.”
외국에 나가면 ‘애국자’가 된다는 윤석화는 추윈에게 모든 것을 일임하는 대신 단 한가지 조건을 달았다. 매달 필수적으로 한국 예술가나 공연에 관한 기사를 2꼭지씩 실어달라는 것. “우리나라 클래식 음악 인재들이 많잖아요. 그 친구들한테 객석이란 책이 있는 것과 없는 것은 분명히 차이가 있다고 생각해요. 객석이 실질적으로 우리 예술가들을 알리는 매개 역할을 했으면 좋겠어요.”
2011년 윤석화는 영국인 공연제작자 리 멘지스와 함께 <여정의 끝>을 공동 제작하며 웨스트엔드 최초의 한국인 공연제작자가 됐다. 작년에는 뮤지컬 <톱햇>과 <지상에서 영원으로>를 연이어 올렸다.
“웨스트엔드는 공연의 역사가 굉장히 길다보니 모든 면에서 훈련이 잘 돼 있어요. 적재적소에 프로페셔널한 인프라가 쌓여있죠. 회의를 나가면 제가 영어를 못해서 아무말도 안하고 있다고 남들이 착각을 할 만큼 티케팅, 홍보, 마케팅, 기술팀 모두 철저하게 준비를 잘 해 왔어요. 제작자인 제가 딱히 추가적으로 지시를 할 일이 없을 만큼요. 행정적인 부분들도 훌륭해요. 공연 매출이 좋지 않다고 배우에게 개런티를 주지 않는다거나 하는 일은 웨스트엔드에서는 있을 수 없는 일이에요.”
객석 유럽판, 웨스트엔드 공연 제작을 넘어 올해엔 무대로 돌아올 계획도 가지고 있다. 지난 92년 그가 서울에서 세계 초연한 영국 극작가 아놀드 웨스커의 1인극 <딸에게 보내는 편지>를 영국에서 공연하는 것. 극이 올라가면 윤석화는 최초로 웨스트엔드에서 공연한 한국 배우가 된다. 같은 공연을 서울 명동극장에서도 선보일 예정이다.
“한국 최고의 배우인데 당연히 (웨스트엔드에서 공연할) 자격이 있죠. ‘살아있을 땐 힘껏 살아있자, 죽을때까진 미리 죽지 말자,’가 제 모토예요.”
코리아헤럴드 이다영 기자 (dyc@heraldcorp.com)
<관련영문기사>
Actress and publisher Yoon Suk-hwa launches European edition of performing arts magazine Gaeksuk
By Claire Lee
Carrying a pack of Dunhill and pink lip gloss, actress, producer and publisher Yoon Suk-hwa steps into her Seoul office. “Do you mind if I smoke?” she asks, her voice and gesture almost theatrical.
The iconic stage actress, who just launched the first European edition of her monthly performing arts magazine, Gaeksuk, has been living in London for the last few years. She is the first Korean to break into the West End, co-producing “Top Hat,” “Wonderful Town” and “Journey’s End.” She does not hide her pride. “Of course I deserve this,” she says, talking about her upcoming acting debut in England. “I’m the best Korean actress there is.”
The 57-year-old arrived in Seoul last week to celebrate the 29th anniversary of Gaeksuk, the oldest performing arts magazine in the country.
She took over the failing monthly in 1997, when it was about to close down following the Asian financial crisis that gripped the country that year. It’s been a remarkable 15-year journey, surviving constant financial difficulties and deficits. Having launched its first European edition recently, Yoon says the last 15 years were more like a miracle.
“I was so adored by the audience and I wanted to take over the magazine so I could do something in return,” she says. “I thought Gaeksuk did not deserve to be discontinued. The performing arts are like trees’ roots. Their values cannot be seen but it does not mean they are not important. Running the magazine has been so hard. I thought about quitting countless times. But I tried to think of the hardships as my bliss.”
Gaeksuk’s European bureau is located in Berlin, with Desmond Chewyn -- who has been working as the monthly’s London correspondent for more than a decade -- as its editor-in-chief. The magazine is distributed to England, Germany, Dubai, the U.S., Denmark and Belgium. It took almost a year for Chewyn and Yoon to publish the first edition.
“Whenever I talked about Gaeksuk and what it does overseas, I’d always get compliments,” says Yoon. “Many told me they’d never heard anything like Gaeksuk. So I thought this magazine actually has a chance in foreign countries.”
Since her stage debut in 1975 in “A Taste of Honey,” she has performed as lead actress in more than 45 plays and musicals. Her acting works include “Agnes of God” (1983, 1999, 2008), “Guys and Dolls” (1987, 1994), “Saturday Night Fever” (2003, 2004), and “The Merchant of Venice” (2009). She also directed and produced a number of musicals and plays in Korea, including “Wit” (2005) and “I’m You!” (2010).
Throughout her career, she’s been devoted to the stage; Yoon only starred in films twice. Her latest film was last year’s low-budget tearjerker “Spring, Snow,” where she played a caring, dying mother with cancer.
“I love being a stage actress because every moment of a live performance is unrepeatable and precious,” she says. “But sometimes you want to make a record of your work. That was one of the reasons why I decided to star in ‘Spring, Snow’ last year.”
Yoon said she is scheduled to perform British playwright Arnold Wesker’s “Letter To A Daughter” in England sometime this year. The actress in fact performed in the play’s world premiere in Seoul in 1992, which was delivered in the Korean language. Upon the opening of the London show, Yoon will become the first Korean actress to perform in the West End.
“I have not yet decided to perform in English or in Korean for the show,” Yoon says.
“I initially wanted to perfect my British accent and act entirely in English. I am still working on it, and it’ll happen if I’m satisfied with my English. If not, performing in Korean is the plan B.”
Yoon says working overseas has made her a “patriot.” In the preparatory phase of the European edition of Gaeksuk, she made it mandatory for every issue to include up to two stories on Korean artists or performances.
“We have so many young talented musicians in Korea,” she says. “And I hope to do something so they can have more international.“
In 1984, long before Yoon became the publisher of the magazine, the actress in fact worked as its New York correspondent while studying there. It was the best job for her: She got to see all kinds of concerts, plays and dance as much as she wanted. She still fondly remembers interviewing Russian-born American actor Yul Brynner, just a year before he died in 1985.
“Not everyone in the world can attend every concert and play, and speak to the artists,” she says. “But my goal is to provide an opportunity for many to somehow experience the performances at least by reading. That’s what I have always wanted to and will do with Gaeksuk.”
(dyc@heraldcorp.com)
Actress and publisher Yoon Suk-hwa launches European edition of performing arts magazine Gaeksuk
By Claire Lee
Carrying a pack of Dunhill and pink lip gloss, actress, producer and publisher Yoon Suk-hwa steps into her Seoul office. “Do you mind if I smoke?” she asks, her voice and gesture almost theatrical.
The iconic stage actress, who just launched the first European edition of her monthly performing arts magazine, Gaeksuk, has been living in London for the last few years. She is the first Korean to break into the West End, co-producing “Top Hat,” “Wonderful Town” and “Journey’s End.” She does not hide her pride. “Of course I deserve this,” she says, talking about her upcoming acting debut in England. “I’m the best Korean actress there is.”
The 57-year-old arrived in Seoul last week to celebrate the 29th anniversary of Gaeksuk, the oldest performing arts magazine in the country.
She took over the failing monthly in 1997, when it was about to close down following the Asian financial crisis that gripped the country that year. It’s been a remarkable 15-year journey, surviving constant financial difficulties and deficits. Having launched its first European edition recently, Yoon says the last 15 years were more like a miracle.
“I was so adored by the audience and I wanted to take over the magazine so I could do something in return,” she says. “I thought Gaeksuk did not deserve to be discontinued. The performing arts are like trees’ roots. Their values cannot be seen but it does not mean they are not important. Running the magazine has been so hard. I thought about quitting countless times. But I tried to think of the hardships as my bliss.”
Gaeksuk’s European bureau is located in Berlin, with Desmond Chewyn -- who has been working as the monthly’s London correspondent for more than a decade -- as its editor-in-chief. The magazine is distributed to England, Germany, Dubai, the U.S., Denmark and Belgium. It took almost a year for Chewyn and Yoon to publish the first edition.
“Whenever I talked about Gaeksuk and what it does overseas, I’d always get compliments,” says Yoon. “Many told me they’d never heard anything like Gaeksuk. So I thought this magazine actually has a chance in foreign countries.”
Since her stage debut in 1975 in “A Taste of Honey,” she has performed as lead actress in more than 45 plays and musicals. Her acting works include “Agnes of God” (1983, 1999, 2008), “Guys and Dolls” (1987, 1994), “Saturday Night Fever” (2003, 2004), and “The Merchant of Venice” (2009). She also directed and produced a number of musicals and plays in Korea, including “Wit” (2005) and “I’m You!” (2010).
Throughout her career, she’s been devoted to the stage; Yoon only starred in films twice. Her latest film was last year’s low-budget tearjerker “Spring, Snow,” where she played a caring, dying mother with cancer.
“I love being a stage actress because every moment of a live performance is unrepeatable and precious,” she says. “But sometimes you want to make a record of your work. That was one of the reasons why I decided to star in ‘Spring, Snow’ last year.”
Yoon said she is scheduled to perform British playwright Arnold Wesker’s “Letter To A Daughter” in England sometime this year. The actress in fact performed in the play’s world premiere in Seoul in 1992, which was delivered in the Korean language. Upon the opening of the London show, Yoon will become the first Korean actress to perform in the West End.
“I have not yet decided to perform in English or in Korean for the show,” Yoon says.
“I initially wanted to perfect my British accent and act entirely in English. I am still working on it, and it’ll happen if I’m satisfied with my English. If not, performing in Korean is the plan B.”
Yoon says working overseas has made her a “patriot.” In the preparatory phase of the European edition of Gaeksuk, she made it mandatory for every issue to include up to two stories on Korean artists or performances.
“We have so many young talented musicians in Korea,” she says. “And I hope to do something so they can have more international.“
In 1984, long before Yoon became the publisher of the magazine, the actress in fact worked as its New York correspondent while studying there. It was the best job for her: She got to see all kinds of concerts, plays and dance as much as she wanted. She still fondly remembers interviewing Russian-born American actor Yul Brynner, just a year before he died in 1985.
“Not everyone in the world can attend every concert and play, and speak to the artists,” she says. “But my goal is to provide an opportunity for many to somehow experience the performances at least by reading. That’s what I have always wanted to and will do with Gaeksuk.”
(dyc@heraldcorp.com)
