Actress Lee Young-ae revealed that she has lost 4 kg while preparing for the play 'Hedda Gabler.'
On the afternoon of the 13th, Lee Young-ae conducted an interview related to the play 'Hedda Gabler' at the LG Arts Center in Gangseo-gu, Seoul, and shared her thoughts about the work.
Returning to the stage after 32 years since the play 'Jajangmyeon' in 1993, Lee Young-ae said, "I was surprised to hear it has been 32 years, but my commercial theater debut was at 24 at the Arts Center's free theater. That memory remains strong. I wanted to study more, and I found the process of studying at school enjoyable, and when I was in my doctoral program, my professor continually showed me plays. I had received offers for plays during that time, but the timing was never right."
She added, "The reason the decision took so long was that I doubted whether I could perform well after such a long time, and I couldn't compare myself to those actors who have been performing for a long time, so I was deeply concerned. Fortunately, I have a microphone, so I've been practicing with it, and it's fun. It's challenging, but beyond that, there is greater enjoyment. I feel my perspective has expanded. I gained confidence and hope that I can do better when I take on other works."
'Hedda Gabler' features a total of seven actors, including Lee Young-ae, Kim Jeong-ho, Ji Hyun-jun, Lee Seung-joo, Baek Ji-won, Lee Jeong-mi, and Cho Ji-eun, who will perform highly immersive acting without leaving the stage for 2 hours and 30 minutes on a transformed set of 'Hedda's' home.
In particular, this play utilizes a minimalist stage and a large screen to transcend the limitations of a grand theater, allowing the audience to feel the characters' psychology more closely.
Regarding this, Lee Young-ae said, "I mentioned that it was great. Since I have done media acting, the stage has its deficiencies, but I can cover them. I thought it was very good, and I could express my opinions more since I have done camera work for so long. However, the downside, which is also a strength of theater, is that theater is a one-time performance, so I cannot monitor it. Video captures less than half of what is seen live, so I don't know how I appear on the screen. The camera work I have done for a long time has greatly helped my stage acting," she revealed, adding, "It is physically demanding. I lost about 4 kg. I'm trying to regain my strength, and since I chose this because I like it, I think of it as a happy diet."
As it has been a while since she performed in a play, Lee mentioned that she felt a lot of pressure. She explained, "I had dreams about forgetting my lines, dreams about audiences leaving the theater, and dreams about 'Young-ae, you can't do that.' I thought it was real, and I was sweating profusely, hoping it was just a dream and even cried a bit, but fortunately, it was indeed a dream," she laughed.
She also talked about the vocal training for the play, saying, "At first, I was taken aback. The vocal styles are very different from those of the other actors. I called a friend who acts to ask for help, and I learned the necessary vocal techniques and skills for the stage. The fellow actors I worked with are all very capable, and they taught me well and helped me. They boosted my confidence and I learned step by step. That being said, I can't change my voice completely. When acting in the play, I'm trying to be more like Hedda by adjusting the rhythm, speed, and tone according to my partner."
[Photo] LG Arts Center
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