Im Soo-hyang, left, and Jang Seung-jo are seen in this promotional poster for the play "The Lives of Others," which is returning for a revival after its premiere in November 2024. Courtesy of Project Group Ilda
"The Lives of Others" is returning to the stage, offering a profound look at how human empathy can break through totalitarian control.
Running from July 1 to Sept. 13 at the LG Arts Center Seoul U+ Stage, this co-production by Project Group Ilda and Library Company adapts Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck’s acclaimed film, "Das Leben der Anderen." Under Son Sang-kyu’s direction, the play revisits the journey of a state spy who is irrevocably transformed by the very suffering he is ordered to watch.
Set in East Germany before the fall of the Berlin Wall, the story delves into the psychological shift in the mind of Gerd Wiesler (Yoon Na-moo), a secret police officer with what seems to be an unshakeable faith in the socialist regime.
Assigned to wiretap East Germany’s top playwright Georg Dreyman (Jang Seung-jo) and his partner, the popular actress Christa-Maria Sieland (Im Soo-hyang), Wiesler finds himself drawn into their private lives.
