Jessica Kwen, right, stars as Emma and Seungsoo Chris Ha plays George Knightley in Get in the Van Productions' staging of Jane Austen's "Emma." Courtesy of Get in the Van Productions
Emma Woodhouse is an enduring heroine.
The main character of Jane Austen's 1815 novel "Emma," which is being brought to the stage in Seoul by Get in the Van Productions, has enthralled audiences for centuries.
"She's quintessentially relatable to MZ women," said the play's director, Holly Lana Wright, "in a way that feels ancestral."
Jessica Kwen, the actor who will be playing the titular character, praises Emma for being witty, but admitting her mistakes.
Kwen attributes the character's interfering nature to the limited role of women in her society. "She is not allowed to have an occupation and is restless from not being able to achieve her fullest potential," she said.
The stage show is based on a 2022 script by Kate Hamill, an American playwright known for her contemporary theater adaptations of classic novels. Wright describes the script as "utterly unruly, fourth wall breaking with a flair for the melodramatic."
Kwen says the writer encouraged anachronisms. "Since I am Korean American ... my version of Emma incorporates movements and expressions that are inspired by my upbringing," she said.
She adds that audiences in Seoul will recognize some of the local culture in her portrayal.
Wright also speaks on the deliberate anachronisms. "Our play ... exists in a time that is both regency era and right now," she said.
Source: Korea Times News
