89-year-old actor Shingu and 85-year-old actor Park Geun-hyung are taking the stage together again, prompting renewed longing for the late Lee Soon-jae.
At a rehearsal open house and press conference for the "Play Tomorrow Project" held on the morning of the 7th, the two actors directly revealed that they will appear in Park Company's production of director Oh Kyung-taek's play 'The Merchant of Venice', attracting attention.
At the conference that day, Park Geun-hyung said, "I thought about how I could return the love we received during the 139 performances of 'Waiting for Godot' that I did with teacher Shingu. From that feeling, I started this donation project," he said. He added, "I hope this sharing does not end as a one-time thing," and said, "If 'The Merchant of Venice', which opens in July, also receives much love, we promised to do a benefit performance again."
Shingu and Park Geun-hyung watched rehearsal scenes of the actors participating in the "Play Tomorrow Project" that day and expressed deep satisfaction. Shingu expressed his excitement by saying, "It feels like I have returned to my 60s," and left the remark, "Above all, sincerity is important." Park Geun-hyung also told the participants, "Welcome to this world," and encouraged them, "Let's do well together."
Also at the event, organizers revealed plans to hold a separate audition for 30 people selected from among the participants in the "Play Tomorrow Project." Actors selected through that audition will appear on the stage of the play 'The Merchant of Venice' and perform alongside Shingu and Park Geun-hyung.
The play 'The Merchant of Venice' will run from Jul. 8 to Aug. 9 at the National Theater's Haeoreum Theater, and the remaining casting will be announced later.
Meanwhile, Shingu, who was born in 1936, revealed on a 2024 broadcast that he had been diagnosed with heart failure and is wearing a pacemaker, raising concern among many. At the time there were rumors of health problems such as fluid in his lungs, but he expressed his conviction about acting, saying, "I must keep my commitments to the stage." Since then he has continued to be active and healthy, appearing in the film 'High Five' and on stage in the play 'Waiting for Godot.'
Last December, Park Geun-hyung, who was also the eternal youngest of the 'Flower Grandpa' group, appeared on SBS's My Little Old Boy and recalled his close friendships with Shingu and the late Lee Soon-jae, who were well-known close friends in the entertainment industry and beloved as 'Grandpas Over Flowers.' He said, "Senior Lee Soon-jae liked to show consideration for others and enjoyed talking," and added, "After him comes teacher Shingu, and then me. The three of us often gathered to do theater," suggesting the strong bonds among the masters.
He also mentioned the news of Lee Soon-jae, who passed away in November last year, saying, "My heart hurts so much because we were like companions through decades of hardship. All juniors remember and miss what senior did for us," he said. He said the deceased once visited Park Geun-hyung's theater during his lifetime and left him a weighty request, saying, "You must take charge of the theater from now on. Please do your best," according to what had been revealed.
[Photo] Arts Council Korea (ARKO), broadcast capture
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