"When the original playwright first heard our proposal to direct the lead roles — a middle-aged gangster and a pair of orphaned siblings — with gender-free casting, he opposed it. But he eventually agreed. Gender doesn't matter in a story about marginalized people embracing and encouraging one another."
Director Kim Tae-hyung made the remarks at a recent press call for the play "Orphans." Written by American playwright Lyle Kessler, the work is set in northern Philadelphia in the 1980s and depicts what unfolds when a secretive gangster named Harold ends up living with two orphaned siblings by chance. Overseas, the play drew attention with Al Pacino and Alec Baldwin taking on the role of Harold, and the work is regarded as a masterpiece combining artistic merit and popular appeal. In Korea, the play premiered in 2017 and has earned acclaim since its 2019 revival for introducing gender-blind casting that removes gender distinctions from the roles.
"This is a story about human beings, so I thought distinguishing between men and women was meaningless," Kim said. "I explained the bold approach to the playwright, and although he opposed it at first, he ultimately gave his approval." The practice of casting women in what were originally three male roles has been adopted only in Korea.
