The play <Dead Poets Society>, which sold out for two consecutive years in Paris, France, attracting 350,000 audience members and nominated for major categories at the Molière Awards, has been staged as an official licensed premiere on the domestic stage. The production is drawing passionate responses from Korean audiences, recording a 99% seat occupancy rate in its opening week and a 9.9 rating on ticketing platforms.

"Carpe Diem"… The Contemplation of True Education Beyond Entrance Exam Competition Directed by Cho Gwang-hwa and based on the screenplay of the same name by Tom Schulman, the play is set in 1959 at 'Welton Academy,' a prestigious boarding school in New England, USA. It is also widely known as a film starring Robin Williams, which won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. The play depicts the process of newly appointed teacher John Keating inspiring students with new perspectives through poetry, breaking away from the existing exam-oriented education. Rather than presenting clear-cut answers, it brings to the stage issues that today's youth and society face—such as entrance exam competition, academic stress, and anxiety about the future—prompting the audience to reflect together on the meaning of 'true education.' In particular, given the reality of last year recording the highest number of youth suicides ever and suicide prevention being established as a top national priority, the production raises important questions: criticisms of authoritarianism and uniform education, and reflections on humanity.

Cha In-pyo, Yeon Jung-hoon, and Oh Man-seok: Three Charms of 'Teacher Keating' Three actors—Cha In-pyo, Yeon Jung-hoon, and Oh Man-seok—are drawing attention by each portraying Teacher Keating with their own distinct charms. In the performance on the 2nd, Oh Man-seok excellently delivered the role with a comic yet gentle charisma. The casting, which harmonizes rising stars and veterans, also catches the eye. Kim Rak-hyun, Lee Jae-hwan, and Chani (SF9) play the role of Neil Perry, while Kim Tae-gyun and Moon Sung-hyun take on Todd Anderson, each expressing the characters with their own individuality. On this day's stage, Lee Jae-hwan convincingly portrayed Neil's emotional arc, and Lee Tak-soo as Charlie Dalton also delivered an impressive performance. The music by music director Lee Dong-jun, who created OSTs for films such as <Taegukgi> and <Shiri>, combined with a stage design that compresses and showcases diverse spaces, enhanced the overall completeness of the production.

Stage Reproduction of the Original Work's Era-Specific Limitations However, some point out that by faithfully following the original screenplay, the era-specific limitations are also fully revealed. The focus on male freedom and growth excludes the presence of women, and the poems recited by the 'Dead Poets Society' are limited only to white male writers such as Shakespeare, Walt Whitman, and Henry David Thoreau. The sense of agency, confined to the deviance and liberation of middle-class elite white boys, may feel alienating to contemporary audiences even when considering the historical backdrop of 1959, just before social movements resisting racism and sexism began in earnest. Furthermore, the slogan 'Carpe Diem' is used as a device to justify the one-sided courtship of the male student Knox. The depiction of Knox persistently approaching Chris, who already has a partner, as romantic, and the ending in which Chris ultimately accepts this, can only feel unfamiliar through the lens of the present day, where the Stalking Punishment Act has been enacted and social awareness of dating violence has heightened.

The play <Dead Poets Society>, which continues amidst enthusiastic responses, runs through September 13 at the Woori Card Hall of NOL Theater Daehangno in Seoul.