| Date: |
December 24, 2008 |
| |
A collection of Christmas readings |
| Venue: |
The Orange Tree, Haebangcheon |
Press article: Seoul Players to Warm Christmas Eve
By John Redmond, Contributing
Writer
THE
KOREA TIMES
17 December, 2008
With Christmas being just around the corner, celebrating the festive spirit
in Korea is a little unsettling as there is not the build up, and subsequent
wind down of work, one associates with countries in the west. Thus Christmas Eve
in Seoul for an ex-pat can bring about feelings of homesickness being so far
away from loved ones.
Local theater company Seoul Players is staging a piece, titled ``Twas The
Night Before Christmas," a collection of short Christmas stories, on Dec. 24 at
the Orange Tree in Haebangcheon beginning at 8 p.m.
Rather than shell out for a ticket home, this is a chance for ex-pats and
locals to partake in this popular event and gain a sense of community.
``To keep in the spirit of Christmas, Seoul Players will be accepting
pre-wrapped children's' gifts which they will donate to Bethlehem Children's
Care on Christmas Day. If you are looking for something to do on Christmas Eve,
this is the place to be,'' said Stephanie Glover in an e-mail to The Korea
Times. Tickets cost 10,000 won.
To get to the Orange Tree, leave Noksapyeong station and head down the hill.
Follow the kimchi pots and the Orange Tree is up the hill on the right.
Press article: A new read on the Christmas spirit
By Moon Gwang-lip, Staff Reporter
JOONANG DAILY
24 December, 2008
Novels, poems and short stories take center stage for the holidays
December 24, 2008
 |
| Tracy Boulter, left,
and Mike Flanigan are actors in "'Twas the Night Before Christmas,"
which will be performed tonight at The Orange Tree in Haebangchon.
Provided by the organizer |
Mike Flanigan's most memorable Christmas came in 1991. His mom thrilled the
then 11-year-old boy with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II, a very popular
Nintendo video game at the time. But as excited as he was about the present, for
Flanigan, the most memorable thing about the holiday was a sense of unity and
coziness among family members, he said.
"Everyone would just be hanging around in their pajamas, randomly snacking,
watching movies, playing with their presents," Flanigan, a Canadian English
teacher in Seoul, recalled in a recent interview.
His mom added to the Christmas spirit by reading holiday stories to him and
his siblings, he said. He remembers hearing "A Christmas Carol," the story of
Scrooge, on the days leading up to Christmas, and being amazed at the sense of
warmness and oneness hearing the story created among family members.
That magical feature of reading is the concept behind a one-time Christmas
show that Flanigan is putting on stage tonight. "'Twas the Night Before
Christmas," a collection of Christmas readings from novels, poems and short
stories, will be performed at 8 p.m. at The Orange Tree, a bar in Haebangchon,
near Itaewon, Seoul.
The production is supported by Seoul Players, an expat theater group in
Seoul.
"I think, in general, people don't read to each other past a certain age,
which is a shame because the act of reading to someone and the experience of
being read to is something quite special," Flanigan said. "This show is my way
passing that on to others."
Flanigan, who came to Korea three years ago, is not actually a member of
Seoul Players, but he approached the group this summer and suggested the idea.
Seoul Players, open to creative and experimental theater, agreed to work
together for the project. Flanigan said he directed a similar show at the
University of King's College in Canada, where he studied English literature.
During the show, the cast ? Flanigan and five other actors ? will read works
including Christmas classics like "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" and the
Christmas story from the Gospel of Luke. Modern literature such as David
Sedaris's "Santaland Diaries" will also be featured.
He said having people read on stage allows the substance of the story to come
across to listeners. The effect of feeling Christmas togetherness results as
well, he said. "Christmas is a time for gathering together and spending time
with friends and family," he said. "Hopefully, this show will be a time of
gathering and friendship, in keeping with the spirit of Christmas."
Proceeds from the tickets, priced at 10,000 won ($7.50), will be delivered
tomorrow on Christmas Day to the Bethlehem Children's Centre, a child care
center in northern Seoul, the organizers said.
"I think it's a wonderful way to feel a part of the community and to help
children in Seoul, who are not so fortunate," said Stephanie Glover, one of the
organizers. "I believe that the children will get positive reinforcement knowing
that someone out there was thinking about them on Christmas Day. After all, that
is what the Christmas spirit is all about."
The organizers are encouraging the audience to bring pre-wrapped gifts for
the children at the center.
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