The acclaimed Korean theater collective Yangson Project has launched their ambitious three-year Henrik Ibsen trilogy with a powerful reimagining of "Ghosts," the Norwegian playwright's controversial 1881 masterpiece. The production, which explores the lingering forces of the past and invisible pressures shaping the present, sold out its entire run in less than an hour after tickets went on sale.

According to director Park Ji-hye, the production examines how conflicts extend far beyond individuals. "When we fight with someone, it's never just with that person," Park explained during a group interview with the press on Tuesday. "Behind the person stand their parents, their upbringing, their entire lineage – not just their bodies, but the choices and values passed down through the generations, all chained together in one being. It's one world colliding with another."

Formed in 2011, the Yangson Project consists of four members: director Park Ji-hye and actors Son Sang-kyu, Yang Jo-ah, and Yang Jong-wook. Working as a true collective, they share responsibility for selecting, adapting, directing, and performing each work. Over the past decade, the group has developed a distinctive theatrical language that is minimal in form yet rich in textual nuance, earning both critical acclaim and a devoted following.

The production marks the opening chapter of the group's planned three-year Ibsen Trilogy, with one new adaptation of the Norwegian playwright's drama to be staged each year. "We realized that working through multiple works by the same playwright allows you to explore their world from different angles," Park said. "We had never tackled Ibsen before, but everyone had a certain curiosity and affection for his work. So we decided to study his works together."

Son Sang-kyu emphasized the alignment between Ibsen's style and the collective's artistic vision. "Ibsen has this sharp, unflinching way of saying exactly what he wants to say. That aligns with the direction we've always pursued as a team," he added.

True to their collaborative approach, all four members translated, analyzed, and reworked Ibsen's text together, line by line – an intensive process that took two months. "We rewrote the dialogue so it would sound like something truly spoken between people," Park explained. The greater challenge was making the 19th-century play resonate with contemporary audiences.

"When I first read 'Ghosts,' I thought, 'This must have been shocking in its time, but perhaps not anymore.' So the question was, how can we make it feel urgent and real for today's viewers?" Son reflected. The Norwegian title "Gengangere" literally means "those who return," and in the play, these ghosts are not just spirits of the dead but the lingering forces of convention, religion, and social hypocrisy that continue to haunt the living.

The story unfolds on the eve of the opening of an orphanage built by Mrs. Alving to honor her late husband. When her son Osvald returns home for the ceremony, buried family secrets begin to surface, and what once seemed a respectable household begins to crumble under the weight of long-suppressed truths. The original play sparked strong controversy for its portrayal of taboo subjects such as venereal disease, incest, and euthanasia.

In this adaptation, Yang Jo-ah embodies Mrs. Alving, while Son and Yang Jong-wook take on multiple roles, shifting fluidly among characters. Even when not inhabiting a specific role, they remain on stage as ghostly presences, whispering fragments of memory, echoing societal norms, and embodying the invisible pressures that suffocate Mrs. Alving.

"The ghosts may mean something different to each person," Park noted. "For me, they represent social pressures, the fear of judgment and shame that governed Ibsen's time but still persist today." Throughout the performance, actors not only deliver dialogue but also recite stage directions and descriptions aloud – a signature technique that Yangson Project developed during earlier stage adaptations of novels. This approach creates what the group calls a "dual experience," where audiences both read and watch the play unfold.

After 15 years together, the Yangson Project's chemistry remains remarkably intact. "In this team, everyone speaks freely. Nothing gets bottled up," Son said. Park added, "We've shared everything from lighthearted stories to serious debates. That honesty is what's kept us close."

"Ghosts" runs through October 26 at LG Arts Center Seoul, setting the stage for the collective's continued exploration of Ibsen's complex theatrical universe over the next two years.