Chapter 29: Re-audition

༺ Re-audition ༻

Of course, it was possible to challenge the role of Jekyll and Hyde while practicing other roles.

However, doing so would lead to confusion every time the role changes, making it impossible to fully focus on practicing the Jekyll and Hyde role. That’s why Yoomyeong chose the role of an extra, a role that anyone could do.

Seo Ryu Shin smiled at Yoomyeong’s remark.

‘Of course, that’s right. You’re from my class, too.’

Ryu Shin knew the reason why Seon Yu-ri had cast him.

If he had been in such a situation, he would have chosen the side with less gap if he were directing. However, it didn’t mean that he acted better. If he had to compare, it would be a tie.

Even if he didn’t get the part, he would have made the same choice as Yoomyeong.

‘I’ll be working on the Hyde role as well. I won’t give up the lead role easily.’

Ryu Shin recalled Yoomyeong’s portrayal of Hyde.

He hadn’t imagined that he would act that way. He couldn’t remain like this either. He had to produce a Hyde more convincing than the one Shin Yoomyeong portrayed.

A tense atmosphere flowed between Seo Ryu Shin and Shin Yoomyeong.

Seeing this, Min Juran thought:

‘That guy seems to be a good actor, but the atmosphere around him is too gloomy. Whether it’s his experience, appearance, or acting style, Seo Ryu Shin definitely has star quality. If this play with a lead actor guaranteed to rise as a professional goes ahead, it would be flawless for my portfolio.’

She decided to accept the request for an adaptation.

*

Playwriting class.

Today, the professor introduced two scripts at the beginning of the class.

“These two scripts, <A Thousand and One Nights> and <Lies>, are the same work. But if you read them, you’ll find that the atmosphere is so different that you can’t think they were written by the same author in a short period of time.”

The students looked up, glancing at the scripts in the professor’s hand.

“As I told you in the first class, while I might not be able to help with other things, I’m always available to critique your work. But someone took that very seriously. Only three weeks into the semester, a student has submitted as many as seven plays. Haha.”

There was a murmur among the students.

— What? Seven plays?

— Is he aspiring to be a writer?

“What’s interesting is the rate of growth in the works they sent over the past three weeks. At first, the dialogue and scene composition was quite poor, and I thought, ‘This guy has just started,’ but with each piece, the quality improved significantly. The conclusion I’ve reached is that this person had been writing for a very long time and had the ‘muscle’ for playwriting, and maybe they’re now experiencing structured training for the first time.

Especially this play titled <Lies> that was sent yesterday. It’s a revision of the initially submitted <A Thousand and One Nights>, and it’s really interesting. The original idea was fresh, and now, the dialogue and scene transitions are so smooth that you can hardly call him a beginner. Is it because of my class?”

The professor smirked.

“This student has kindly allowed me to share the script with all of you so that you might benefit from it as well. Despite being an auditing student, their passion and talent are no less than those in the Theater and Film Department.”

There was a brief pause.

“Business major student, Woo Jun-ho. Can you raise your hand?”

From a corner, a hand hesitantly went up.

As all eyes focused on him, his face turned beet red.

“Thank you. It’s been a while since I’ve encountered such passion, and it made my heart race like when I first studied playwriting. I always welcome critiques on your works, and you should seriously consider this path. You have talent.”

Jun-ho’s face was glowing with pride.

He nudged the arm of his friend who was sitting next to him.

It was thanks to this guy. These days, during their lunch together, they often discussed drama and playwriting. The endless knowledge and advice from Yoomyeong, which flowed like a fountain, rapidly improved Jun-ho’s script.

Yoomyeong also smiled with pride.

“See? I told you, you have talent.”

Yoomyeong sincerely whispered.

Although there were undoubtedly rough patches in Jun-ho’s work due to a lack of proper training, for a playwright, creativity mattered more than form. Looking at his scripts, there was a continuous flow of raw ideas. All Yoomyeong did was guide him on how to refine them.

“Just imagine. If it’s not just me reading them, but your characters being portrayed by real actors… How would that feel?”

“…”

Jun-ho swallowed hard.

*

The rehearsal room of Oedipus as they prepared for the autumn performance.

One—

Two—

Physical training before the main rehearsal: Body balance.

Actors stood in two lines, facing mirrors, and lifted one knee. They arched their backs, then extended the lifted knee. Given the acrobatic intensity of the body balance training, sweat glistened on their bodies.

‘Wow… that’s impressive.’

Despite their different physiques, the angles of their raised arms and legs matched perfectly.

While constantly being aware of their surroundings and using their bodies, they harmonized their positions and speed with their fellow actors. Body balance training was not just physical exercise but also a practice of syncing with their peers.

‘Because they’re majors, their level of expertise is different.’

The training level was naturally higher than that of the theater troupe Yoomyeong had been a part of in his previous life for 15 years.

Even among professionals, there was a wide range of capabilities. The theater group Yoomyeong belonged to wasn’t one of the well-known groups like <Comet> or <July>. Instead, it was a smaller theater troupe struggling with deficits.

Compared to the theater members, some of whom had left their jobs to join, those who had chosen the path of acting from a young age had a much deeper understanding of their bodies.

Yet, Yoomyeong maintained a top-tier class even among them.

The reason didn’t need to be stated.

‘My body feels lighter.’

In his previous life, whenever he practiced and performed with other actors, his body always felt heavy. It was as if he was struggling against the gravity of two or three times its normal force.

Yoomyeong, who had once believed this heaviness was due to a lack of stamina, had obsessively trained his body.

Now that pressure was gone, his body felt unbelievably light. He could freely control even the subtle contractions and relaxations of small muscles with ease.

“Physical training is over! We’ll start the main rehearsal in 10 minutes.”

The assistant director announced and came forward with a thick stack of A4-sized papers.

“These are the newly adapted scripts. Take a copy, everyone!”

Cheers erupted as everyone reached out to get a copy. Yoomyeong also took one.

<Jekyll and Hyde>

Original by: R.L.B. Stevenson

Adaptation by: Min Juran.

He briefly glanced at the cover that was printed in bold Gothic type and turned to the next page.

[Uttersen: My name is Dr. Uttersen. Today, I wish to share with you a peculiar tale. I had a friend, Henry Jekyll. Ah, my pitiable friend. He was a true noble, gentle, and kind-hearted until he succumbed to that temptation.]

Ah—

What a relief.

The adapted script contained dialogues that were much more natural than before. While it hadn’t entirely lost the feel of ‘theatrical dialogue,’ it had significantly improved.

“We’ll start the rehearsal with the scenes where Jekyll and Utterson are present~”

There was hardly any practice for the character of ‘Extra 1.’

There hadn’t been any the day before that, nor the day before that. There likely wouldn’t be any today, either. Thus, there was plenty of time for practice.

Yoomyeong began memorizing the lines of Jekyll and Hyde from the new script.

*

“I’d like to request a re-audition for the role of Jekyll and Hyde.”

Two weeks after the main rehearsal had begun, Yoomyeong stepped forward. The physical training had just ended, and they were about to dive into scene practices. His unexpected appearance made everyone cheer with surprise.

Of course, there was one person who couldn’t smile.

‘Has he already mastered his new Jekyll?’

Ryu Shin, who had dedicated almost all his time to practicing fervently, had not yet perfected his new Hyde. He felt uneasy. Although he had improved a lot, he knew that Yoomyeong wouldn’t challenge the role without proper preparation.

“Understood. You know that if the performances are similar, we’ll stick with the original actor, right?”

“Of course.”

If an actor is replaced, the harmony that had been built up with fellow actors so far, as well as the director’s guidance, would all need to be adjusted. Naturally, there would have to be a significant advantage to justify the effort of changing the casting.

“Do you have a specific scene prepared?”

“Any scene is fine.”

“In that case, let’s go with Act 1, Scene 2.”

Act 1, Scene 2. It was the scene where Jekyll presented his scholarly argument from the academic podium.

At this moment, he had to come across as both aristocratic and refined, yet at the same time, he needed to embody the aspect of a scholar fascinated by a new theory.

After a brief preparation time was given, Yoomyeong stood within a circle surrounded by other actors.

They all represented the audience of the academic conference.

“Ladies and gentlemen. The debate on whether humans are fundamentally good or evil has long been a topic of contention in both religious and philosophical history. After extensive research, I have come to realize that these two traits can physically be separated and that both these qualities coexist within the human body.”

Seon Yu-ri flinched.

This wasn’t the character she had envisioned. The tone of his voice was much more stringent.

“What happens when they are separated, you ask? Of course, it is still a hypothesis, but we might be able to separate the individual closer to light from the one closer to darkness. Let’s conceptualize these as Human Type L (Light) and Type D (Dark).

If the two types are separated, what about their memories? Naturally, they share them. Memories are merely information without the concept of good or evil. However, the value judgments and reactions to those memories could be extremely polarized between the two types.”

The typical perception of Henry Jekyll was of someone who seemed almost too good for this world.

Someone bright, warm, and drew the attention of those around him; a person with no traits to dislike. Much like Ryu Shin’s Jekyll.

However, Yoomyeong’s Jekyll felt, perhaps, like a scholar with obsessive-compulsive tendencies.

“Although I cannot reveal it yet, I am in the process of developing a formula and a corresponding drug that can separate these two traits. If we can confine human nature into distinct entities, we won’t have to endure anything anymore.

Good individuals will only perform good deeds, and evil individuals will only perform evil deeds. And if we can control only the evil entities, we might be able to realize utopia in reality.”

— We would no longer need to endure anything.

There was a hint of emphasis in that statement.

What had he endured so intensely?

That line, juxtaposed with the character’s pristine and pure demeanor, subtly created an imbalance, instilling a sense of foreboding in the viewers.

‘He’s… convincing.’

Yu-ri nodded in agreement.

The originally warm and bright nature of Jekyll did serve to create a stark contrast with Hyde, captivating the audience. However, there were doubts about his persuasiveness.

‘Why would someone, who seems to have everything, develop such a drug and drink it himself?’

However, Yoomyeong’s portrayal of Jekyll right now had a more human touch. A man with a moral obsession for absolute perfection. A light. Not the kind of light that gives off a bright sensation, but the kind of light that gives a feeling of purity.

Because of this, the effort to not get tainted stood out even more, and the impulse towards the filthy and evil felt all the more convincing.

‘More than anything, it complements ‘Hyde’.’

The ‘Hyde’ that Yoomyeong had acted previously was like a personification of evil.

There was no sense of incongruity with that Hyde anymore. The stark contrast between the pale purity of light and the deep darkness of the shadow floated in Director Seon Yu-ri’s mind, making her nod in agreement.

“Then, after a brief meeting with the directing team

—

“

“Wait a moment.”

Yoomyeong interrupted Yu-ri’s words.

“I think I should show you my ‘Hyde’ again.”

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