# Yi Sang-woo

Yi Sang-woo (Korean: 이상우; born 10 October 1951) is a South Korean film director, screenwriter and actor. Yi earned his degree in the Department of Aesthetics at Seoul National University. In 1977, he played a significant role in the establishment of the Yeonwoo Stage theater company and, in 1995, he founded the Chaimu Theater Company. Currently, he is the artistic director of Chaimu and holds a professorship at the Theater Department of Korea National University of Arts, where he was previously the director.
Since 1978, Yi has directed a wide range of plays, including The Sculptor and the Detective, Unification Express, The Tale of a Thief, Pig Hunt, No Words, The Tale of Tail Cotton, Mae of Cape Jangsan, Chilsu and Mansu and Balsam Flower Water. He also worked on adaptations such as Changes, Korea Fantasy and There, as well as directed translations of plays like The Pitmen Painters, Almost, Maine, Love, Love, Love and The Cosmonaut's Last Message to the Woman He Once Loved in the Former Soviet Union. In addition to his theater work, he has written screenplays and directed films, including A Little Pond.

## Career
### Theater troupe Yeonwoo

In 1977, three alumni of the Seoul National University theater club, Yi (class of '70), Jung Han-ryong (class of '64) and Kim Kwang-rim (class of '71), worked together at the same company, OriCom after graduation. They decided to establish a theater company together and named it "Yeongwoo" (演友), which signifies "friends who love theater". The parents of the four founders were from Hamgyeong Province. Later, dental surgeon Oh Jong-woo, Lee Young-hoon, the director of the Gyeongju National Museum and Cho Woo-hyun, a professor at Inha University, joined the group. They were also alumni of the Seoul National University theater club.
In 1978, He made his directorial debut with the play The Sculptor and the Detective. He has directed a wide range of plays, including The Tale of a Thief, Mae of Cape Jangsan, Chilsu and Mansu and Balsam Flower Water.
In 1987, he directed the play Chilsu and Mansu. He won a Directing Award from The 23rd Dong-A Theater Awards and The 23rd Baeksang Arts Awards.

### Theater troupe Chaimu

In 1995, the Chaimu theater group was founded by Yi with founding members including Kim Gwang-rim, Kim Seok-man and Jung Han-ryong. The group includes notable actors such as Moon Sung-keun, Yoo Oh-sung and Song Kang-ho. The troupe's name, "Chaimu", "means "dimensional movement stage".
Their inaugural production, Playland, was held from September 8 to October 8 at Hakjeon Blue Theater. It is based on Adol Hugard's altered worldview, aiming to resolve racial tensions between black and white races and to heal the shattered human soul through genuine confessions between the two. Moon Sung-keun, who had been mostly active in movies and TV, took the role of Gide and returned to the theater stage after three years. Ryu Tae-ho, a young theater actor concurrently filming the movie Porn Man, portrayed the character Marty.
The strength of this group lies in the talented actors like Kang Shin-il, Lee Dae-yeon, Lee Sung-min, Choi Duk-moon and Jeon Hye-jin, who have made their mark in various fields including film and drama, showcasing their solid acting skills. They also excel in creating stage adaptations that reflect reality in a delightful manner. As a result, they have received great love and have a wide repertoire that has sustained its popularity.
The five representative works of Chaimu exemplify its distinctive features. Some of these works have been performed for 25 years since their premiere, yet they continue to resonate with audiences through their diverse narratives.

### Film Director debut

In 2009, Yi Sang-woo's first film as director, A Little Pond, was released. It is a historical film that exposes the massacre of civilians in Nogeun-ri during the Korean War, when American soldiers killed South Koreans who were seeking refuge. Yi Sang-woo initially planned the project as a documentary but later changed it into a feature film due to insufficient investment. The film was completed after an extensive production period of eight years, including four years of on-site research. Its most significant achievement lies in its realistic portrayal of the long-suppressed Nogeun-ri incident.
Unlike typical war films, A Little Pond treats all characters as main characters without a specific protagonist. Notably, theater actors such as Moon Seong-geun, Kang Shin-il, Lee Dae-yeon and Park Gwang-jeong participated in the film out of their commitment to its significance, appearing without any guarantee. It received high praise for its authentic depiction of a hidden historical event, but it also faced criticism for its perceived lack of cinematic quality.

## Filmography
### Film

Film credit :
| Year | Title | Title | Credited as | Credited as | Ref. |
| Year | English | Korean | Scriptwriter | Director | Ref. |
| 1988 | Chil-su and Man-su | 칠수와 만수 | Yi Sang-woo | Park Kwang-soo | |
| 1994 | Out to the World | 세상 밖으로 | Yi Sang-woo | Yeo Kyun-Dong | |
| 1995 | Sunset Into the Neon Lights | 네온 속으로 노을지다 | Yi Sang-woo | Lee Hyun-seung | |
| 1998 | Film-making | 죽이는 이야기 | Yi Sang-woo | Yeo Kyun-Dong | |
| 2000 | La Belle | 미인 | Yi Sang-woo | Yeo Kyun-Dong | |
| 2010 | A Little Pond | 작은 연못 | Yi Sang-woo | Yi Sang-woo | |

## Theater
### Musical and Opera

Musical works of Yi :
| Year | Title | Title | Credited as | Credited as | Credited as | Credited as | Ref. |
| Year | English | Korean | Translation | Adaptation | Playwright | Director | Ref. |
| 1995 | Musical: "I Will Become a Star," | 뮤지컬 '스타가 될꺼야' | — | — | Yi Sang-woo | Yi Sang-woo | |
| 1979 | Opera: Marriage | 결혼 | — | — | Yi Sang-woo | Yi Sang-woo | |

### Theater

Theater works of Yi :
| Year | Title | Title | Credited as | Credited as | Credited as | Credited as | Ref. |
| Year | English | Korean | Translation | Adaptation | Playwright | Director | Ref. |
| 1978 | The Sculptor and the Detective | 조각가와 탐정 | — | — | Oh Jong-woo | Yi Sang-woo | |
| 1979 | Our Afterlife | 우리들의 저승 | — | — | Kim Kwang-rim | Yi Sang-woo | |
| 1980 | Ma at Jangsan Pass | 장산곶 매 | — | Yi Sang-woo | — | Yi Sang-woo | |
| 1981 | Children of Darkness | 어둠의 자식들 | — | Yi Sang-woo | — | Yi Sang-woo | |
| 1986 | Chilsu and Mansu | 칠수와 만수 | — | Yi Sang-woo, Oh Jong-Woo | — | Yi Sang-woo | |
| 1989 | The Story of an Old Thief | 늙은 도둑 이야기 | — | — | Yi Sang-woo | Yi Sang-woo | |
| 1990 | Bosunga Flower Water | 봉숭이 꽃물 | — | Yi Sang-woo | — | Yi Sang-woo | |
| 1992 | Cooney Country - Wonderland | 쿠니 나라 - 이상한 나라 | — | Yi Sang-woo | Bertolt Brecht | Yi Sang-woo | |
| 1994 | April 9 | 4월9일 | — | — | Yi Sang-woo | Yi Sang-woo | |
| 1994 | Apartment's Leucistrate - Let's unify men and women | 아파트의 류씨스트라테 - 남녀통일합시다 | Yi Sang-Woo | — | Aristophanes | Yi Sang-woo | |
| 1995 | Playland | 플레이랜드 | Yi Sang-woo | — | Athol Fugard | Yi Sang-woo | |
| 1996 | The Dwarf Shoots a Small Ball | 난장이가 쏘아올린 작은 공 | — | Yi Sang-woo | Jo Se-hee | Yi Sang-woo | |
| 1996 | Be Unspoken | 비언소 | — | — | Yi Sang-woo | Yi Sang-woo, Park Gwang-jeong | |
| 1997 | Peace | 평화 씨 | Yi Sang-Woo | — | Aristophanes | Yi Sang-woo | |
| 1997 | Fish Man | 물고기 남자 | — | — | Lee Kang-baek | Yi Sang-woo | |
| 1998 | Moral thief | 도덕적 도둑 | — | — | Yi Sang-Woo | Yi Sang-woo | |
| 1999 | Unification Express | 통일 익스프레스 | — | — | Oh Tae-young | Yi Sang-woo | |
| 2000 | Korea Fantasy | 마르고 닳도록 | — | — | Lee Kang-baek | Yi Sang-woo | |
| 2003 | Pig Hunting | 돼지 사냥 | — | — | Yi Sang-woo | Min Bok-ki | |
| 2007 | Change | 변 | — | — | Hwang Ji-woo, Yi Sang-woo | Yi Sang-woo | |
| 2010 | The Pitmen Painters | 광부화가들 | Yi Sang-Woo | — | Lee Hall | Yi Sang-woo | |
| 2010–2011 | Almost, Maine | 올모스트 메인 | Yi Sang-Woo | — | John Cariani | Yi Sang-woo | |
| 2013 | Love, Love, Love | 러브 러브 러브 | Yi Sang-Woo | — | Mike Bartlett | Yi Sang-woo | |
| 2014 | The Cosmonaut's Last Message to the Woman He Once Loved in the Former Soviet Union | 한때 사랑했던 여자에게 보내는 구소련 우주비행사의 마지막 메시지 | — | — | David Greig | Yi Sang-woo | |
| 2016 | Twenty Twenty Chaimu - Tail Cotton Story | 스물스물 차이무 - 꼬리솜 이야기 | — | — | Yi Sang-Woo | Yi Sang-Woo | |
| 2016 | That place - 2016 Series theatre full (滿員) - Seongnam | 거기-2016 시리즈 연극 만원(滿員) - 성남 | Seong Su-jeong | Yi Sang-woo | Conor McPherson | Yi Sang-woo | |

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result |
| 1987 | 23rd Dong-A Theatre Awards | Best Director | Chilsu and Mansu | Won |
| 1987 | 23rd Baeksang Arts Awards | Best Director — Theater | Chilsu and Mansu | Won |
| 1995 | The 1st Korea Musical Awards | Play of the Year Award | I Will Become a Star | Won |
| 1998 | Korea Theater Association Award | Best Director — Theater | Moral Thief | Won |
| 1999 | Korean Theater Association | Play of the Year Award | Unification Express | Top 5 |
| 2000 | Korean Theater Association Award | Best Director | Korea Fantasy | Won |
| 2002 | 3rd Kim Sang-ryeol Theater Award | Theater Award | Yi Sang-Woo | Won |
| 2002 | Korea Theater Critics Association | Play of the Year Award | There | Top 3 |
| 2002 | Korean Theater Association Award | Play of the Year Award | There | Top 7 |