SOUTH KOREAN musical and drama director Kim Dong-yeon is putting young Chinese actors through their paces for the play “Shakespeare’s R&J,” which is scheduled to open in Shanghai from Aug.6 to 15.

Kim, in his early 40s, is one of South Korea’s most popular and prolific stage directors. He’s also director of the recently ended musical “Maybe Happy Ending.” It is a small-theater production about the intimate relationship of two obsolete helper-robots.

Kim made his debut in Shanghai in 2018 with the Chinese version of the musical “Midnight Diner.” The Chinese version of “Shakespeare’s R&J” is his third work in Shanghai.

“Shakespeare’s R&J” was created by American playwright Joe Calarco, who spun the classic “Romeo and Juliet” story into a modern tale of gay teenage awakening. The play was adapted into a South Korean version in 2018, directed by Kim.

Production company Shanghai Blue Culture invited him to Shanghai to take charge of the Chinese version of the play.

The story centers on four boarding school students who are tired of tedious school routines and their structured lives.

One evening, they come across a copy of “Romeo and Juliet” and take turns reading the parts. They are thrilled by the experience, seeing parallels between their lives and the lives of the characters. After nights of reading, the boys start to challenge old-fashioned strictures that bind their lives and seek freedom and love.

Kim has been a fan of Shakespeare since college. He majored in acting but found himself better suited to directing.

(Shanghai Daily)