Haehwadang 1st Announces 9th Generation Resident Artists for New Theatrical Experiments

A Three-Decade Legacy of Experimental Performance

Founded in 1993 with its first generation of resident artists before opening its physical doors a year later, Hyehwadong 1Gukji has operated for over 30 years as a collaborative creative community in Daehangno. Successive generations of resident artists manage the theater collectively while developing individual works designed to challenge traditional conventions of theater and intimate performance spaces.

Diverse Backgrounds of the 9th-Generation Cohort

The new members bring varied methodologies to the theater space:

• Kim Yum-ji: Describing herself as a queer feminist theater maker from Busan, Kim writes, directs, and performs on stage. She noted the initial burden of the residency appointment, viewing it as encouragement to persist in her theatrical practice.
• Bibil Unduk: Comprising producer Na Su-gyeong and playwright Na Su-min, the group focuses on unfamiliar and unusual moments generated by the intersection of time and space inside a theater. Na Su-min stated that she moved past initial doubts to embrace the collaborative environment.
• Park Seo-hyun (Yagan Theater): Exploring what can and cannot constitute theater, Park’s first theatrical experience was attending a Hyehwadong 1Gukji resident production, a memory she credits with inspiring her desire to expand theatrical space and time.
• Yoon Ye-eun (Masterpieces): A performance group combining rhythmic language with acrobatic and hand-to-hand circus techniques to transform streets and public spaces into stages, Yoon aims to test concepts previously considered impossible.
• Jeon Seo-a (Project Haza): Known for exploring the individuality of minorities, private sensibilities, and unresolved questions through public performance, Jeon looks to the residency as a grounding opportunity amidst pressures of self-proof and output.

Transition Timeline and Future Programming

The incoming 9th-generation artists enter their residency as the previous 8th-generation artists prepare to conclude their tenure.