Play cancelled on account of suicide threat

By Han Yoon-Ji

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A nude play has been forced to cancel its performance on July 14 by a male member of the public.

The man threatened to commit suicide if "The Professor and the Female Student 2" goes on stage on that date. He claimed that star actress Um Da-hae, 30, who plays the female student, is "his woman".

The threat stems from the fact that Um's role in the production requires her to be nude onstage for 20 minutes. The scene in concern is of a professor using a student to recover from a sexual disorder.

"Um Da-hae is a talented actress. The emotions she brings into her acting, and in particular in the nude scene, is the highlight of the entire play", said Cham, the play's producer.

However, the man in question seems to disagree. He claimed that he "could not stand to see his first love strip in front of so many people" and made a similar threat to ticket office VIP in a similar message.

The man stated that July 14 was the day he first met Um, and that if there was a performance on that date, he would kill himself in the middle of the show.

"Um does not even know who the man is", said Cham, but has agreed to cancel the July 14 production nonetheless. The producer went on to say that if the suicide threats continue, the police will be called in.

"The Professor and the Female Student 2" is playing at the Venus Theatre in Jongno, central Seoul, everyday. The other cast members include Julia, the alternate actress to play the female student, Jang Shin-ae, Han Dong-hui and Choi Jin-woo.

The writer is a Korea Times intern. yoonjh@student.cis.edu.hk