Learning new lessons through acting

Sofia Gomez, standing, and Mike Floyd in “Sleeping Beauty.”

To some thespians, acting is about enlightening an audience.

But to Americans Mike Floyd and Hayli Henderson, both of whom have been performing on stage since their high school years, acting is another venue for them to learn something new.

Floyd, Henderson and other members of the Beth Morrison Projects, a New-York based experimental theater production company, were in Korea last week.

At the weekend, they showcased “Sleeping Beauty” by Elfriede Jelinek during the 2008 Seoul Performing Arts Festival.

Hayli Henderson, left, and Mike Floyd. Henderson played the title role in their Korean performance. Photos by the organizer, Moon Gwang-lip

The festival, the biggest of its kind in Korea, wrapped up its one-month run on Sunday.

“As an actor in the theater, you have the chance, through rehearsal, to experience the whole journey of the story you’re telling over and over,” said Henderson after their Saturday performance.

“And hopefully as you rehearse, you learn more and more about the story you’re telling and the story continues to grow.”

At the Saturday performance held at Sogang University, Seoul, Henderson played the title role.

As in the traditional fairy tale, Sleeping Beauty is awakened from a long sleep by a prince, played by Floyd.

But this tale goes on to challenge the male view of the world. The princess, who is actually ugly and old, questions the notion that she ever needed a man to kiss her to be alive.

The prince is also a multidimensional character, gradually becoming a megalomaniac who believes he is God. A power game with the princess fortifies his egotistic side.

“I feel that the show gives me a chance to look back on my relationships - with my family, friends, etc.,” said Floyd.

“And those relationships add meaning to what I do on the stage.”

Floyd, 29, graduated from the department of drama studies at Yale University.

He said being an actor helps him better understand drama. But he added that actually working in the theater is sometimes more helpful to that end.

Floyd started his theater career as a costume designer. “I enjoy designing costumes in the theater because it gives me the opportunity to view multiple roles within the play, whereas acting looks at one role within the whole,” he said.

Yana Ross, another Yale drama graduate, directed the play.

By Moon Gwang-lip Staff Reporter [joe@joongang.co.kr]