Actor Kim Taeri this time takes on the role of an after-school drama teacher. In her first regular variety show since her debut, she joins Choi Hyun-wook, Kangnam and Code Kunst to complete a healing, dopamine-filled play.
The cable channel tvN's new variety program "After-school Teacher Taeri" held its press conference online on the morning of the 20th. Actor Kim Taeri, Choi Hyun-wook, singer Kangnam and Code Kunst, as well as PDs Park Ji-ye and Hwang Seul-woo, attended and talked about the work.
"After-school Teacher Taeri," which premieres on the 22nd at 7:40 p.m., is a new reality variety show that follows the only after-school drama class in the world, established at an elementary school in a small rural town.
PD Park Ji-ye said about planning the program, "When we were planning the program, there were many articles about the 'era of regional extinction' and many articles about small schools being closed. Seeing those articles, I thought that even though this is a variety show, we might be able to create a meaningful program that could in some small way help that reality."
Regarding recruiting Kim Taeri, who is trying a regular variety show for the first time since her debut, "When preparing the program, I thought the most important thing was that the person joining this program would take it to heart. With that in mind, Kim Taeri came to mind. I had heard many rumors that she approaches everything with passion and sincerity, so when I cautiously made the offer, she gladly agreed to join, which made this program possible," she said.
Kim Taeri said about taking on her first regular variety show, "When I first received the proposal, there was no title 'Teacher Taeri.' It was just 'after-school drama class.' The theme of theater, elementary students and the keyword of a small rural school really resonated with me. I felt a small excitement and joy and wondered what I could see, feel and do there in a fun way. So I chose it," she explained her reason for appearing.
She also expressed her burden about the title becoming "Teacher Taeri," saying, "While working hard, the title changed midway. I trembled and said I couldn't do it. It is a personal burden, and I don't think I could have endured it without the other teachers. The idea of being called 'Teacher Taeri' was a bit much, and with that, I developed a great sense of burden, nervousness and trembling hands and feet," she said, voicing her anxiety.
Through "After-school Teacher Taeri," Kim Taeri appears on a regular variety show for the first time since her debut. Having shown a wide spectrum across romance, science fiction and historical dramas and even national theater, she now challenges herself as an elementary school drama teacher. Since Kim Taeri actually started acting in a university drama club, she is expected to show a different side from her work on screen.
Kim Taeri said, "We really worked hard during filming. Even when combining all the dramas and films and every project I've appeared in, I wondered if it could have been this hard. We really concentrated and filmed hard for this program. I'm curious how it turned out myself."
Kim Taeri said about memorable moments, "We handed out something called a theater note at the end of class and asked the kids to write one question. I took those and wrote answers in the dorm. At first I wrote answers alone, but later everyone wrote together and it was so fun. I think the children probably looked forward to that time, too."
Kim Taeri experienced the stage through a university drama club. She recalled, "When you do theater at university, you start from really knowing nothing. You don't know if you're doing well or not; if you mispronounce something, people laugh at it to this day. Certain lines stick in your memory. The children I met while doing this program reminded me of the first reading, where they were laughing among themselves. Their way of interacting was so funny because a friend would overact and that was entertaining. I think I wondered how to bring those sparkling moments out onto the stage."
Choi Hyun-wook and Kangnam appear as assistant teachers who will lead the drama class with Kim Taeri. Choi Hyun-wook is a drama class counselor who listens even to children's small voices and sometimes provokes laughter with an unusual clumsy charm, showing perfect chemistry with the kids.
Choi Hyun-wook said, "I thought about my childhood and realized there were limits to my concentration, so I tried to think about how to get kids to focus on theater by asking what they like so their concentration could improve."
Kangnam disarms everyone with his unique affability and shines as the undisputed mood maker of the drama class.
Kangnam said, "I've done a lot of variety shows, but this is the first one that caused me such emotional strain," adding, "I didn't expect it to be this intense. I was very surprised." He added, "You have to be very aware of others. I had to be very attentive. This was the variety show that caused me the most emotional strain. I felt like I cried two or three times, but each time my emotional state was different," he said of his filming impressions.
Code Kunst was in charge of the music used in the play. He said, "I was the music director. 'After-school Teacher Taeri' is one of the best things I did last year. I'm proud because it was done very well," he said of his impressions.
Code Kunst said, "There weren't any difficult points, but the main focus was that, perhaps because of habits I've picked up knowingly or unknowingly, I tend toward style, whereas I needed to go pure; I found myself dressing it up musically. Without those techniques or musical flourishes, we had to deliver the children's pure emotions as they were, and that part seemed the hardest. When I usually work, I only think about 'how can it be cool,' but thinking 'how can it be uncool' changed my approach. Because adults should also be moved when they hear the children's music, that aspect was what I prioritized most," explaining the working process.
Code Kunst also said, "When I was young, my mother was an art teacher and I remember she took children to museums. I think I tried not to treat them like young children and instead treated the young children like adults. I focused on the idea that you are an individual with wonderfully thoughtful ideas," he said, drawing attention.
Expectations are high for the chemistry among Kim Taeri, Choi Hyun-wook, Kangnam and Code Kunst. Kim Taeri said, "Choi Hyun-wook kept revealing twist after twist. I thought I knew Hyun-wook well, but there were many things I didn't know; there were also aspects that went beyond that, so I saw many sides of him. I saw multiple facets of Hyun-wook. The times they joined were different, but Hyun-wook came in first, right after my first class. Being together continuously, I think I saw various sides of him," she explained.
She continued, "Kangnam came to provide mental care. I was so glad and relied on him a lot. At first he pretended not to understand Korean. But the twist is he's extremely perceptive. He helped a lot as a keen observer during class," she said appreciatively.
About Code Kunst she said, "Code Kunst's way of looking at the children felt very special. It seemed exceptional. It made me think about how to view children not just with understanding, and it was a time of great learning. Thinking back, he arrived the latest," she said.
Choi Hyun-wook also said, "The Kim Taeri I saw was full of twists and surprises. I wanted to emulate her sense of responsibility. Because of that, she seemed to have little leisure time. It was a learning time to see up close how someone approaches a project."
PD Hwang Seul-woo asked for anticipation, saying, "You might expect 'After-school Teacher Taeri' to be healing, and from a distance it is healing, but up close it's a program with various dopamines. It's a show with twisty charms."
[Photo] Provided by tvN.
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