Have you ever imagined of people living in the subway? When the empty night of subway line 2 arrives, the lives of people residing there begin. Here is the play, which contains the comfort and empathy of people living in subway line 2. Created by the stunning acting of the actors, this emotional and pleasant play makes us look back on our lives and reflect on the concerns people embrace in hectic living, such as having a job, forming relationships, and dealing with family issues. Also, the harmony created by people from different places makes the audience laugh, and the circumstances of each character gathering in the subway bring tears to your eyes. Then, let's dive right into the play <Subway line 2> with CAH!

1. Characters[1]

City Hall: A passionate protagonist whose real name is Lee Ho-seon(이호선)[2]. With the leap of faith that of being the full-time employee, he accepts the hiring condition and struggles to kick the residents out of the subway line 2.

Seong-nae: A blunt and honest woman in her 20s who can’t leave subway line 2 due to a traumatic reason with her boyfriend. At first, she complains and expresses resentful feelings to City Hall but gradually opens her mind toward him.

Bang-bae: A warmhearted and animated woman who is in charge of the tenants. Her personality showing hatred toward alcohol and violence has the hidden reason.

Yeok-sam: A man who is preparing for the public service exam. He likes Bang-bae so he can’t leave the station easily.

Gu-ui: An old man who has a symptom of Alzheimer’s disease. Even though he seems weak, he shows a reliable support to the tenants.

Station manager: A man who operates the station. He gives City Hall the mission to evict the tenants from the subway on the condition of transferring him from temporary employee to full-time employee. He also bullies the tenants in his own way.

2. Synopsis

Lee Ho-seon (City Hall), who dreamed of being an engine driver, tried dozens of times to make his dream come true but eventually failed and got a job as a temporary intern. While he was delighted to get a job, her girlfriend broke up with him. The day he was broken-hearted and drunk in the station garage due to the loss of love, Lee Ho-seon witnesses the unbelievable scene in which people were secretly living in the subway station. Offered the chance to turn his internship into a full-time position by the station manager, he tries to chase the tenants of subway Line 2 away from that day on.

3. Fulfillment from the Warmth of Each Other

Before watching the play, audience members could come up wth some questions to themselves. Why and how do these characters live together in subway line 2? Also, why do these characters call themselves not by their real names but by the subway station names? Above all, each character has a history from different background. They weren't acquaintances from the beginning; they came together on the subway for their reasons. However, most importantly, the perfect strangers eventually become complete as if they were a family. Subway line 2 is the 'home' for them in which each has their role, and everyone is indispensable. Through counseling and conversation, the characters share their background stories. At this very moment, audiences can feel their hearts touched and sympathize with the message of encouragement and consolation from the dialog. They all have a reason to live in subway line 2, which you can find out by watching the play. Listening to the characters' stories, you can remember the details mentioned on the stage and sympathize with their hidden stories.

4. Comic, Emotion, and Humanism

The noticeable point of the ‘Tenant of Subway Line 2’ is the emotion of the characters. As mentioned in the introduction of the play, this play is a fantasy which contains elements of humor, emotion, and humanism. The actors who lead the play continuously exchange jokes with the audience and the composing comfort which the characters share in the play blurs the eyes of the audiences. Particularly, when the protagonist Lee Ho-seon listens to the characters’ stories and begins to empathize with them, you can feel as if you were directly receiving advice and solace. In the play, Seong-nae has a traumatic memory from the past and cannot go forward to the future. Lee Ho-seon says “If you realize something from the past, isn’t it worthy?” Instead of burdensome forcing to let go off the past, he recommends covering a new positive frame to her past covered with hatred. Not only the advice from Ho-seon, Gu-ui also speaks to Seong-nae to live the moment, and to Bang-bae that good things such as her warm heart will definitely come to her. These heartwarming words seem like the message to all the people in modern society who carry the same worries. In this way, the play embodies the attachment through the bonds of characters who we can meet in the real life and shows compassion to people who are living in reality.

“All trains on Line 2 are closed. Leave all the bad memories, scars, and burdens of the day on this train. You’ve been through a lot today. Goodbye.” The play comes to an end with this announcement at the terminal station. While traveling with the <Tenants of Subway Line 2>, you can feel the freedom from the desertion and the shades of gray are filled with colors of forgotten humanism. After watching the play, you will also be full of warmth through the bond of people. September, when the sun is still hot, how about watching the <Tenants of Subway Line 2> and spend the pure day of an afterglow?

Dates: 2022.1.14~ Open Run (September tickets are opened at August 16th)

Running time: 90 minutes

Place: Batangol Small Theater

[1] Characters call each other names of the last station where they got on the subway line 2.

[2] Lee Ho seon means ‘Subway Line 2’ in Korean, which shows the character’s passion of subway by the name itself.