Actor Kang Ha-kyung successfully completed the first performance of the musical "Sisyphus: The Myth" and drew favorable reviews from the audience.
Kang Ha-kyung appeared on stage as Unknown, the one who practices anguish, in the musical "Sisyphus: The Myth," which opened on the 16th at YES24 Stage Theater 2 in Seoul, and led the work's narrative with fierce energy and deep immersion, leaving a strong impression from the first performance.
The musical "Sisyphus: The Myth" combines Albert Camus's novel The Stranger with the Greek myth of Sisyphus, conveying a message that four actors in a ruined world where hope has vanished strive to live passionately in the present despite repeated life hardships, capturing both philosophical depth and wit. The work intuitively unravels Meursault's numbness and the longing for life that erupts at life's edge from Camus's original while completing the musical's unique character with its distinctive wit and original narrative.
In the play, Unknown, whom Kang Ha-kyung portrayed, is a being who constantly broods over and practices anguish about an absurd world. Based on stable vocal ability and delicate emotional expression, Kang Ha-kyung densely portrayed Unknown's inner self and overwhelmed the stage from the first performance.
Returning to the stage after seven years, Kang Ha-kyung drew praise for seasoned control of tempo and graceful emotional lines, described as a "stage not like a first performance," and the audience also responded warmly to her comeback with comments such as "completely immersed in Kyung Unknown," "the intensity felt like Sisyphus and was impressive," "the Unknown possessed by the sun was intense," "it felt like the baby count has returned as a young man," and "I got chills throughout Kang Ha-kyung's acting."
After the first performance, Kang Ha-kyung said, "I was really relieved that it finished safely, and it felt like a dream," and added, "It had been such a long time since I was on stage that I felt this moment might disappear, so I resolved to make it an even more valuable time." She went on to show deep affection for the character, saying, "Unknown is a connecting figure who tries to allow the four actors to become one," and "always standing in the middle, I tried more desperately to hold on to the ties of connection with the other actors."
Meanwhile, the musical "Sisyphus: The Myth," in which Kang Ha-kyung appears, runs at YES24 Stage Theater 2 until Mar. 8, 2026.<
[Photo] Orchard Musical Company
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