LIFE IS said to be an irreversible drama with an unknown ending. In order to make it an exciting adventure, we need to let out our boldness, from deep inside our hearts, out to the world. Here, a brave young man from Japan came to Korea to stage plays at Yonsei. Let’s meet the leader of the Theater Art Association, Daisuke Suzuki (Sr., Dept. of Korean Language & Lit.).

Why I chose Korea
   During the last year of my high school, the Korean Wave which started with BoA was the threshold for my special interests for Korea. My ties with Yonsei started from KLI(Korean Language Institute), where I took a language learning course in 2004. Since I was in a theatrical *dongahree* in Japan, I naturally joined YTARC (Yonsei Theater Art Recreation Club) at Yonsei. During the six months I spent with them, I was absolutely overwhelmed by Yonseians’ style of working and passion for the play. After I left for Japan, I still had a strong desire to return to YTARC and in 2005, I finally transferred to Yonsei University.

Overcoming the language barrier
When I directed my first play *Our Town*, there was an insurmountable gap between what I thought in my mind and how the staff understood it. They misconceived the nuance of my speech and this sparked misunderstandings among the members. Through these hardships, however, I discovered a universal feeling that everybody on this planet can understand, such as the code of laughter and code of sadness. I’m constantly searching for these common codes.

Play captivates me
When I am performing on stage, I feel that I’m alive and breathing; there is the whole new “I” on the stage, who is not me. In the whole process of making a play, I can devote all the passion I have, which I like most about it. A play is a form of art in which the audience has to see the performance at the actual spot where it takes place. For this reason, the message it presents may vary greatly from audience to audience.

Students at Yonsei
When I first came to Yonsei, I came across numerous drinking parties with the start of a new semester. In Japan, I seldom had a chance to drink but I was shocked at how often Korean students drank. I find Yonseians to be passionate and optimistic at every circumstance. They’re also kind to me and to the many other foreign students here at Yonsei. I owe a great deal to Yonseians since I could develop my Korean skills through them.
Advice for Yonseians
To me, most plays portray people’s lives in one way or another. I wish Yonseians could realize this and think more profoundly when appreciating plays. I think seeing the same play over again would be the key to acquiring a full understanding of the work. Unlike recorded movies or TV soap operas, the performances in a play vary from time to time. It is always performed live and every moment conveys different feelings to various audiences. Even the same play could appeal differently to the audience depending on who plays the roles and with whom you see the play.

On the day of the interview, he looked exhausted from the overnight practice of the previous day. But even in those tired eyes, I could catch his keen passion and deep love for play. I’m looking forward to his active role here at Yonsei!