[Official Report] Korean actresses Song Ok-suk and Lee Il-hwa perform in Japan! The play ”Dressing Room - What passes away will soon become nostalgic” opens at Hakuhinkan Theater in Tokyo

An official report has arrived about the Korean cast's visit to Japan for the play "Dressing Room - Things that pass by will soon become nostalgic," which opened on Tuesday, June 24, 2025.
A masterpiece play that any actor, regardless of gender, would want to try at least once is Kunio Shimizu's masterpiece "'Gakuya' ~ What passes away will eventually become nostalgic ~". The Korean version of the play is coming to Japan.
The performance kicked off on June 24th at the Hakuhinkan Theater in Tokyo (running until the 29th). The "dressing room" is where the actors wait and also where they can take a moment to rest.
As the dictionary also describes it as "inside the theater," it is also a place where the actors' true feelings and realities are revealed.
The story unfolds in a theater dressing room. Four actresses appear in the dressing room, and talk endlessly about their insatiable longing and obsession to be on stage, as well as the anxiety and disappointment that come with it.
However, by talking about it with the words of classic masterpieces such as Shakespeare and Chekhov, it is possible to understand not only the individual actors and the world of theatrical expression, but also the meaning of life itself.
It becomes a metaphor itself, and reaches the hearts of the audience as their own problem. The Korean version of this work has been given a new twist, resulting in a sincere performance that has deep resonance for the modern age.
The success of this Korean licensed production is undoubtedly due to the performances of the four actresses.
The cast includes actors who are active in the entertainment industry and well-known for their acting. The roles of "Actress A" and "Actress B," who are always on the sidelines and have only worked as a teleprompter, are played by Song Ok-suk and Seo Yeon.
Song Ok-suk, who played Bae Yeon-jun's mother in the TV series Winter Sonata, plays Actress A, who used to play male roles, with a lively performance, with short hair and a mannish appearance.
Seo Young-hee plays the cute, somewhat playful and kind "Actress B" with ease. The two also play the role of narrators in the story, creating a comedy that is like a stand-up comedy.
While making full use of her talent, she also exudes the joys and sorrows of an aspiring actor who has never been on stage before. "Actress C" is Lee Il-hwa. She is famous in Korea as a mother actress, but at her own request,
Actress C appears in the prologue as the lead actress of the play The Seagull, which is currently being performed at this theater, and delivers Nina's monologue.
This immediately draws the audience into the story. Actress C also feels the joy of living in the world of theater, but also the sadness of what she has lost in exchange for it. This conflict, which is also connected to Nina's suffering, is expressed through the story.
・Ilhwa shows the deep expression that only a veteran can have. "Actress D" is a double cast, and on the first day, Kim Juyeon, who is said to be a rising star in Korea, played the role. "Actress D"
Kim Ju-yeon portrays a young actor who is innocent in his nightgown, clutching a pillow, but at the same time asserts his strong ego as an actor. She exudes an imbalance and sickness with her natural acting.
"Actress D" also has a monologue by Nina from "The Seagull," but Kim Juyeon's monologue overlaps with "Actress D's" dream of performing on stage, which makes it even more poignant.
Another highlight will be seeing how Ham Eun Jung, who will appear as a double cast member in the latter half of the show, plays the role of "Actress D."
Finally, let's briefly touch on the final scene of this Korean licensed performance. It was changed with the permission of Kunio Shimizu.
The final scene, which is said to be a FLIP from the end of The Seagull to another play by the same Chekhov, is like a faint light shining through the lines spoken there. It is the current state of the world in 2025.
It seemed like a prayer to the truth through the expression of theater. <Performance summary> Synopsis "Yes, we are actresses." In the dressing room of a certain theater. On the stage, Chekhov's masterpiece "The Seagull" is being performed.
Actresses A and B are busy getting ready at their dressing tables. Actress C returns to her dressing room during the intermission, practices Nina's lines, and heads back to the stage.
A and B, who don't like C, spend their time acting out roles from classic works that they really wanted to play.
Their time together is interrupted by the appearance of actress D. D, who had been hospitalized due to mental illness, believes that Nina, played by C, is her own character.
After the performance, C returns to the dressing room and is taken aback by D's request to give back the role of Nina.
Before long, the clash between the two leads to an unexpected tragedy... Cast: Song Ok-suk (A)
Seo Young-hee (B) Lee Il-hwa (C) Ham Eun Jung (D "Double Cast") Kim Juyeon (D "Double Cast") Performance Schedule
June 24th (Tue) to June 29th (Sun), 2025, 6 performances total Venue: Hakuhinkan Theater (8-8-11 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-8132)
General sale (first come, first served): Saturday, April 12, 2025, 10:00 ~ Pia: https://w.pia.jp/t/gakuya/
Eplus: https://eplus.jp/gakuya/ Lawson: https://l-tike.com/gakuya/
Organized by: Sunrise Promotion Tokyo/NHK Enterprises Planning and production: T2N Media Original story: Kunio Shimizu Adaptation: Yoon Seohyun
Directed by: Yoon Seohyun/Shin Kyungsoo Official Website: https://gakuya.srptokyo.com/
OfficialX: https://x.com/gakuya2025
Official Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gakuya_2025/