“Inching Towards Yeolha,” the final production of the 2024-25 season of the Michigan State University Department of Theatre, offers a thought-provoking look at how one individual’s seemingly small rebellion can unveil the complexities of an entire community’s way of life. It is a symbolic exploration of freedom, identity, and the cost of challenging deeply rooted customs.
This dark, absurd comedy, with performances schedule for April 11-19 at the Pasant Theatre in the Wharton Center for Performing Arts, was written by Korean playwright Sam-Shik Pai and translated into English by Walter Byibgsok Chon. It is inspired by the diary of 18th-century Korean philosopher Park Ji Won, who adopted the pseudonym Yeon-Ahm, also the name of the main character in the play, and who sought to modernize Korean society by championing new ideas from foreign ideological systems.
“Yeon-Ahm believed that embracing change – not just in how we live, but in how we think – was essential for progress,” said Ji Won Jeon, Research Associate in MSU’s Department of Theatre and Director of the play. “In the past few years, we too have faced profound shifts that have challenged long-standing social and cultural norms. The collective experience of the global pandemic reshaped our way of life, imposing new social standards. The ever-changing political landscape has left many feeling as though the world has turned upside down, which feels familiar yet unfamiliar and even surreal. In many ways, our present moment feels chaotic, as if history is echoing some of its most troubling patterns.”
“‘Inching Towards Yeolha’ ultimately explores the fears and resistance that arise when a community steeped in rigid customs is forced to confront unfamiliar practices and aspirations from the outside world.”
Kara (Ah Hyun) Hwang, Dramaturg
“Inching Towards Yeolha” follows Yeon-Ahm, a quiet and introspective narrator, and is set in the secluded village of Yeolha in the distant past of Central Asia, where the inhabitants live in extreme isolation and cling tightly to ancestral traditions.
Yeon-Ahm’s life takes a surreal turn when they develop an unbearable itch that spreads across their body. As the itching intensifies, Yeon-Ahm scratches incessantly until their skin bleeds and they are transformed into a giant talking horse. This fantastical metamorphosis allows them to view their village from a new and detached perspective where they begin to question the village’s ancient customs and way of life, bringing into focus the bizarre and archaic nature of its traditions.
“Yeon-Ahm ultimately functions as both the mysterious ‘four-legged-beast’ of the play and a depiction of the real-life journey of Park Ji Won,” said Kara (Ah Hyun) Hwang, Dramaturg and History and Social Studies Education major in the College of Social Sciences. “They are therefore an allegorical figure representing new perspectives that challenge the village’s desolate lifestyle.”
Yeon-Ahm’s transformative arrival disrupts the stagnant lifestyle of Yeolha as the four-legged-beast encourages progress by connecting to a more innovative outside world, which causes turmoil and anxiety among the villagers who grapple with the tension between their old ways and the potential for change. The audience will witness how the villagers respond to these disruptions brought by an outsider only to find themselves instinctively and immediately restoring balance in their own way.
“This play invites us to reflect on our own attitudes toward change, both in the world of the play and in the one we live today.”
Ji Won Jeon, Director
“‘Inching Towards Yeolha’ultimately explores the fears and resistance that arise when a community steeped in rigid customs is forced to confront unfamiliar practices and aspirations from the outside world,” Hwang said.
The play, which is steeped in lyrical metaphors and absurd musings, explores the clash between individual desire and deeply ingrained traditions. It unfolds as an allegory of personal transformation, highlighting the struggle between self-expression and conformity. Yeon-Ahm’s physical transformation mirrors their internal journey toward self-awareness and rebellion against the suffocating traditions of Yeolha. The surreal, almost dreamlike tone of the narrative captures the tension between reality and imagination, tradition and change, and the human and the animal.
“This play invites us to reflect on our own attitudes toward change, both in the world of the play and in the one we live today,” Jeon said. “As the audience leaves the theatre, I hope they question what, if any, has changed. And I hope they recognize the frustration and hope in the infinite possibilities that emerge from uncertainty. By experiencing how the villagers of Yeolha confront upheaval, may we find the courage to meet our own moments of crisis with composure and compassion. And rather than resist the chaos, may we stay within it just long enough to see the opportunities it holds – to dream and shape a better world for tomorrow.”
Performance Dates and Times
- Friday, April 11, 8 p.m.
- Saturday, April 12, 8 p.m.
- Sunday, April 13, 2 p.m.
- Wednesday, April 16, 7:30 p.m.
- Thursday, April 17, 7:30 p.m.
- Friday, April 18, 8 p.m.
- Saturday, April 19, 2 p.m.
Tickets:
Tickets for “Inching Towards Yeolha” can be purchased online through the Wharton Center website, in person at the Wharton Center Ticket Office, or by calling (517) 432-2000 or 1-800-WHARTON.
Pricing:
- General Admission: $20
- Seniors (60+): $15
- MSU Faculty and Staff: $15
- MSU Students: $10 or free with MSU student ID at the Wharton Center Ticket Office
For more information, see the MSU Department of Theatre page on the Wharton Center for Performing Arts website.
By Kim Popiolek and Buu-Tran Duong
