HELP

About the show

HELP is an original Korean theatre production conceived and directed by Boreum Kang, recipient of the 15th Doosan Yonkang Arts Award in 2024. Co-produced by DOOSAN Art Center and Project Readymade, the play is presented at Space111 in Seoul from November 25 to December 13, 2026. Inspired by the concept of the "magic helper" in Erich Fromm's Escape from Freedom, the production explores the human desire to depend on others for salvation in moments of loneliness, insecurity, and helplessness. It questions why individuals seek someone to rescue them, why the responsibility for care so often falls on family members, particularly daughters, and how meaningful systems of mutual support might be established beyond personal sacrifice. Blending autobiographical elements with experimental theatrical forms, HELP brings together director Boreum Kang, her mother Hyosoon Jin, and four fellow performers. Through songs, conversations, and physical movement, the production transforms the conventions of a funeral into a variety show that examines care, independence, emotional dependence, and the complexities of family relationships.