Theatrical play 'Bea' draws attention to euthanasia

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Theatrical play 'Bea' draws attention to euthanasia

Published: 18 Mar. 2024, 07:00

The theatrical play “Bea” held a talk concert earlier this month at COEX, Samseong-dong Southern Seoul. The actors and audience shared their thoughts on physician-assisted suicide, which is the theme of the play. [CREATIVE TABLE SUK YOUNG]

The theatrical play “Bea” held a talk concert earlier this month at COEX in Samseong-dong, southern Seoul. The event, a rare occasion for plays, garnered attention from the public and media for its facilitation of a casual discussion between the actors and the audience on the theme of the play — physician-assisted suicide.

About a hundred people showed up for the event to exchange their thoughts on the sensitive issue with the actors and the director. Some in the audience said they had watched the play more than five times, while one ardent fan said she watched it 11 times.

“Bea” revolves around the life of a girl named Beatrice who is bedridden for eight years with cerebral palsy, portraying her decision to release herself from years of suffering through physician-assisted euthanasia.

Beatrice, also known as Bea, wishes to terminate her meaningless life, but her conservative mother Katherine is an obstacle she must overcome. Bea meets a caregiver named Ray who takes her side and persuades Katherine. Eventually, Bea’s soul dances joyfully after her body is liberated from pain.

Despite its heavy topic, the play keeps its tone hopeful and bright, making the story even more heart-wrenching in the end. Upon premiering in Korea in 2016, one audience member fainted after sobbing violently, compelling theater staff to call emergency services.

All the actors from the play including Pang Eun-jin were present at the talk concert and shared their thoughts on physician-assisted suicide with the audience. At one point, Pang and some of the audience shed tears as they talked about recently losing loved ones.

After the play's premiere in London in 2010, producer Seok Jae-won attempted in vain to bring “Bea” to Korea in 2011.

The theatrical play “Bea” revolves around a young lady with cerebral palsy who wishes to terminate her life through assisted suicide. The play asks the audience whether they could root for the decision of the girl or not. [CREATIVE TABLE SUK YOUNG]

“[The Korean] production of the play was canceled in 2011 due to the perception that it was premature for our society to address the issue of physician-assisted death, but the world has changed in the past few years,” said Seok at the talk concert. “Some even go to Switzerland [for physician-assisted suicide], so it’s not a stage where we debate the pros and cons of this issue. I wanted to ask the question of whether we could root for those who make such decisions or not.

"The playwright tells us that we can be comforted by death,” he added.

The average life expectancy has increased significantly, and the belief is growing that the world has come to an era in which people are expected to live to the age of 100. How to die well has become an important issue. Discussions on euthanasia, considered a taboo in the past, have reignited.

Lee Myung-shik, whose lower body is paralyzed due to acute myelitis, filed a petition with the Constitutional Court in December of last year to review the constitutionality of the laws that prohibit any form of assisted suicide.

The euthanasia death of Dries van Agt, the former prime minister of the Netherlands, along with his wife in February caused a stir in society.

Euthanasia was first legalized in the Netherlands in 2002. After that, some countries such as Belgium, Luxembourg, Canada, Columbia, and some parts of the United States and Australia followed in its footsteps.

There are several types of assisted dying options designed for patients who enter into irrecoverable phases of death. Two of them are euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide. For euthanasia, a physician injects fatal doses of drugs into a patient, while for assisted suicide, drugs are prescribed to a patient by a physician with the consent of the patient or their family. In the latter, patients take the drugs by themselves, which is often dubbed Switzerland euthanasia.

Euthanasia and assisted suicide are spreading rapidly in European countries. In the Netherlands, euthanasia accounted for 5 percent of all deaths in 2022. The country recently allowed euthanasia for children under 12 with unbearable suffering.

A still from the film “Picnic” featuring Kim Young-ok, left, and Na Moon-hee [ROCKET FILM]

A still from the Japanese film “Plan 75” featuring Chieko Baisho [CHALLAN]

Meanwhile, the concept of "death with dignity," referring to the withdrawal of pointless, life-prolonging treatments, was legitimized in Korea in 2018.

It’s been reported that more than 10 Koreans have ended their own lives in Switzerland, which allows foreigners to commit suicide with the aid of physicians.

A Korean politician from the Democratic Party proposed a bill in June 2022 to legalize physician-assisted suicide, but no progress has been made due to backlash from religious and medical circles. According to multiple polls, however, more than 80 percent of Koreans agree with physician-assisted suicide, with about 2 million believed to have completed forms in advance to refuse any life-prolonging treatment when they get older.

Domestic films began to put this sensitive issue at the forefront. The independent film “Picnic,” released on Feb. 7, is a story of two women in their 80s. The two find their memories fading and even having difficulties cleaning themselves after using the bathroom. They eventually hit the road to visit their old neighborhood and childhood friends. After the picnic, the film ends by implying the two friends killed themselves. The film attracted 320,000 moviegoers.

In another movie, “My Name is Loh Kiwan,” starring Song Joong-ki, there is a character named Marie who is traumatized by the death of her mother who was euthanized.

The Japanese picture “Plan 75” is also themed on the euthanasia of seniors. The story is based on the premise that the Japanese government encourages euthanasia for people who are over 75 by launching a program called Plan 75 to tackle the issue of a rapidly aging society. In the film, corpses are burned in incinerators, not in crematoriums.

Advocates say assisted suicide would ease the excruciating pain of patients with incurable diseases but others say it could marginalize the vulnerable. A homeless Canadian man reportedly applied for euthanasia in 2022 because he had no place to live.

BY YOO JU-HYUN [kjdculture@joongang.co.kr]