Theater actor Kim Seonho has personally expressed his heart about his meaningful experience as Joe in Touching The Void (2022).
Three days before his last stage performance for the stage play, Kim Seonho shared his thoughts in an interview conducted by his agency. Salt Entertainment posted the 7-minute video on their official Youtube channel on the afternoon of September 25th with the title, “A Moment I Want To Cherish For The Rest Of My Life”.
Kim Seonho is seated on the stage wearing the mountain print shirt from Touching The Void, looking buff and glowing. When asked about how he feels leaving the show, he answered, “I think it’s the happiest and most healing performance I’ve ever done in my life.” He added that he became a lot healthier being surrounded by good people. He is happy to be in the show, at the same time, sad, that it had to end.
He shared that the most memorable moments he had in the play are the times when he and his co-actors made mistakes while performing on stage, such as almost falling down from the climb, a dropped knife, and others. What made it meaningful for him is that they faced the bloopers together, carried on with the show, and turned them into a fun experience.
He also talked about meeting the audience while performing. According to him, there were times that he couldn’t see the faces clearly and other times when he could spot some at first glance, meeting their eyes, “When I see them laughing or crying along, I feel really thankful because it means they are immersed with the story and our performances.” He added that he is touched by the thought of being together with the audience.
Since Touching The Void is a three-month mountaineering show with scheduled performances twice to thrice a week, he revealed that it was hard to maintain physical strength but felt more tired without body movement, “I exercise every morning and during my rest days to gain strength, endurance, and muscles.”
When asked about his favorite scene or line from the play, he shared two things. At first, he specifically liked the line, “Why do you go to the mountains? Because the mountains are there” but the line “We will make it!” became more meaningful to him towards the end because of its energetic vibe that boosts confidence. He thought, “When did I ever shout with such confidence that I can do this or that? I wish to have this mindset from now on.”
Looking at his learning experience from the play or playing the character of Joe, he said that it taught him many valuable points such as the different perspectives in life, on how we look at it and how we live. He also wants the audience to remember the play as a meaningful message they could apply in life, “There are times in life when we ask ourselves, ‘Why is my life like this? Why is this happening to me? Why do I have to do this?’ Instead of getting shrouded with doubts, we can see change in our situation by thinking, ‘What should I do to make things better?’ A small shift in perspective somehow makes a huge difference for life change. Such simple thoughts will slowly transform things positively.”
According to him, he considers playing the character of Joe Simpson in Touching The Void an unexpected present, “It’s a masterpiece. It’s a great role. It’s a huge gift. It changed my perspective and the way I think, helping me become healthier.” He also wished the audience to have the same impact while watching the show for its relatable message.
Lastly, he thanked everyone who came to watch the play amid the rainy weather and COVID-19 concerns. He further said, “I am touched. Thank you so much. It’s such an honor to perform with you. I will cherish these moments forever.” He also mentioned that performances are never made by one person alone, whether in a movie or drama. He acknowledged the hard work of co-actors, production crew, and even the audience, “Because you came to visit us, it has been a great performance for me. I am happy. I will keep these moments that are really special to me. I hope you stay happy and healthy. Thank you.”
Kim Seonho played the role of Joe Simpson in Touching The Void (2022), a true story about mountaineering and survival written by Joe Simpson himself. The stage play was held at Art One Theater Hall 2, Daehak-ro in South Korea from July 8 to September 18, 2022.
by KORB Blog
Cover image: Salt Entertainment
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