By Honorary Reporter Volga Serin Suleymanoglu from Turkiye (Turkey)

The classic Russian play "The Cherry Orchard" arrived this year in Korea thanks to the Apple Theater Company. 

One of the cast members is Elmas Halici, a Turkish translator and interpreter who has lived in Korea for 11 years. Majoring in Korean at Ankara University and earning a master's in economics from the Academy of Korean Studies in Seongnam, Gyeonggi-do Province, she also gained in Korea the opportunity to live her childhood dream of acting.

 
The following are excerpts from a Zoom interview with Halici from June 6 to July 30. 

Elmas Halici (left) appears in a costume fitting for the play and (right) holds the script book of "The Cherry Orchard" on the day she was selected for the cast. (Apple Theater Company)

How did you prepare for the play? What were rehearsals like?

Since I work as a translator at a game company, I can't attend rehearsals and performances during the week but only on weekends. I try to keep up on weekdays by reading the messages and rehearsal summaries written in the discussion group.

 
I also learn from more experienced actors during individual rehearsals. Everyone on the team answers my questions, and even when I ask a lot, they are understanding.

How do audiences differ in Korea and Turkiye?

Turkish audiences openly express their emotions during funny or emotional scenes, while Koreans are more reserved, often concerned that laughter or noise might disrupt the performance. For a cast in Korea, the lack of visible reactions during emotional scenes might make them question if they’ve conveyed the emotion effectively. But Korean audiences have grown more expressive in recent years.

How has your bachelor's in Korean influenced your acting career?

My degree sparked my journey to Korea and launched my acting career here. The phonetics lessons were particularly helpful, improving my Korean pronunciation to the point where I often receive compliments on my diction—sometimes even more so than in my native Turkish.

Have you done interpretation related to acting?
Yes, I provided interpretation to the cast of the 2017 film "Ayla: The Daughter of War" during its premiere in Korea and screenings across Turkiye. One memorable moment was interpreting for the real-life inspiration for Ayla, Kim Eun-Ja, who tearfully answered questions and made me tear up, too.

Another unforgettable experience was at a cultural event in Seoul, where I voiced the cartoon character Pororo in a performance of the traditional Turkish shadow play "Karagoz and Hacivat." 

Elmas Halici (left) holds dolls of the characters Pororo, Karagoz and Hacivat at the Turkiye Culture Festival, while Turkish puppet master Emin Senyer (right) explains the play "Karagoz and Hacivat" to Korean children. (Elmas Halici)

What are your plans in theater and art?
One of my biggest aspirations is to translate a Turkish play into Korean and stage it in Korea with a Korean cast. I've started researching the process and contacting Korean actors interested in this project. I believe that this will increase Korean interest in Turkish theater and lead to more requests for translations of Turkish works.

A scene from the Korean production of the classic Russian play "The Cherry Orchard" (Apple Theater Company)

What advice do you have for those wishing to pursue acting in Korea?
As with any job, you need to work very hard. When portraying a character in a foreign language, the most crucial thing is that the lines you speak are understandable to the audience. So you need to do daily voice exercises and pronunciation drills. Despite your best efforts, you might not produce a particular sound on a given day. The key is to not let it affect your morale.

Lastly, never limit yourself. Don't simply aim to act in Korea or another country. Improve your acting skills and learn Korean, and opportunities to combine these two will come your way.

msjeon22@korea.kr

*This article is written by a Korea.net Honorary Reporter. Our group of Honorary Reporters are from all around the world, and they share with Korea.net their love and passion for all things Korean.