먹고 먹히고 잊고 잊히는 조리실…제 몸을 소모하는 사람들

At a small kitchen, Pioyoung, who has a face covered in both sighs and anger, hands Mother Geonok a bank account containing ₩13 million. This money was earned by her grandfather, Chuntae, during the factory accident and industrial disaster litigation. Pioyoung opened this kitchen as a startup, but the debt repayment pressure makes the ₩13 million feel like mere rain.

Despite this, Pioyoung cannot help but vent her anger. "Mom, if I fail here, I won't be able to become another young entrepreneur." The one-act play 'Gangga' which opened at Seoul's Dusan Art Center Space 111 on the 20th, tells the story of how the human body has been consumed throughout Korean society's relentless pursuit of consumption.

The play does not address the responsibility of the government, society, or companies. Rather, it features an elderly man named Chontae, who has lost a limb, a mother named Geonok who is willing to take responsibility for her father and daughter, a colleague named Monggo from the baby boom generation, a barista named Pioyoung who silently does his part for the salary, and a 20-year-old delivery person named Dolse.

The play portrays the generational conflicts and uncomfortable realities that each individual experiences in an unstable reality. While they may appear to care for each other, no one fully understands the realities faced by others. The characters, while seemingly supportive, often force their own best intentions onto others, repeatedly demanding "why can't you appreciate my kindness and sincerity."

The play highlights Pioyoung's complex character. She despises his grumpy grandfather, who became a burden on her life and caused conflicts, both openly and privately. At the same time, she dislikes the early signs of senility she experiences, constantly thinking about how to survive on industrial compensation. Heavily influenced by his experience of being born, laboring, retiring, falling ill, and dying—events that cannot be avoided—Gangga symbolizes the struggle to live each stage of life with our own bodies, in our own way, to live in a society that is not beautiful in its entirety.