Special hall for special troupe

Ever heard of a theater hall with no stage or seats? Welcome to De La Guarda Hall. Here, actors have just enough space to fly around.

Built behind the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, this hall is the first of its kind in the world, custom-made for the musical performance show De La Guarda. This singular performance art has been renowned for its acrobatic stunts, including actors who hang from a high ceiling, and for its spectacular sound effects of native Latin American music.

The hall is 17 meters tall and 825 square meters in area, with enough space for aerial theatrics, wall climbers and such special effects as rain falling. The hall can accommodate up to 750 people, all of whom stand during a show.

In the past, De La Guarda has usually been performed in remodeled or reconstructed theaters such as those in Broadway and in the West End.

A De La Guarda audience is encouraged to participate in dancing ?or swinging ?with the 8-member troupe, who are trained actors as well as acrobats. In the middle of the musical, performers, dangling from high ceilings, randomly grasp members of the audience. No accident has yet been reported.

De La Guarda shows originated in Argentina from an underground dance group, La Organizacion Negra, and later were morphed into experimental performance art. The overall theme of the performance centers on overcoming hardships and striving to achieve one's dreams. Their full name is Angel de la Guarda, or ?uardian Angel?in Spanish.
Performances begin Wednesday and will last 70 to 80 minutes. This is an open run whereby the closing date has not been determined. Tuesdays to Thursdays at 8 p.m. Fridays at 8 and 10:30 p.m. Saturdays at 7 and 10 p.m. Sundays at 7 p.m. From the opening night to Aug. 2, there will be only the 8 p.m. performance, and on Aug. 3, there will be 4 and 7 p.m. performances. For more information, visit www.delaguarda.co.kr or call 02) 501-7888.

by Choi Jie-ho