Aura of a Genius Actor

༺ Internal Dialogue ༻

Assigned acting.

Two scenes had been given in advance from the script.

Ah— ah—

From the side, Kwon Sunghan was clearing his throat.

Since it was a competition, it was decided that it would be held in front of everyone so both outcomes could be fully understood and accepted.

Meanwhile, a person who looked like the film company’s employee came in and adjusted the seating.

The person performing was in the middle of the space, and the watching actors were at the back. Chairs were placed for the directors on the side, and an employee sat next to Seryeon and ‘Uncle’.

The attendee didn’t seem to have influence over the competition results; he looked more like a figure present to facilitate the proceedings.

“Scene 8, the encounter between Yoon Hwaran and Phantom, and Scene 75, the scene where Phantom fiercely scolds Hwaran. We’ll go through both scenes one after another. I’ll read Hwaran’s lines.”

A female staff member with her hair tightly tied up proceeded skillfully.

Yoomyeong spent the majority of his preparation time with Director Ki for these two scenes.

These scenes showcased the two personalities of Phantom — the pure and gentle nature that the protagonist, Yoon Hwaran, mistakes for an angel of ballet, and the wild temperament he exuded when she seemed to be drifting away from ballet. It also echoed the two sides of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde that had caught Director Ki’s interest.

“I’ll go first!”

Kwon Sunghan volunteered first as if aiming for points, and Seryeon nodded impassively.

He came to the center, cracked his neck, and got ready. Scene 8 goes as follows:

[In a dark practice room, Hwaran, who had practiced late into the night and had fallen asleep, wakes up and rushes out of the practice room and into the darkness. The exit is locked, and in her disoriented state, she searches for another exit but gets lost. Soon, she finds herself in the ballet theater connected to the practice building.

The tutus and props were eerily illuminated in the darkness, and she panicked, screaming. At that moment, a ray of moonlight shines from the ceiling window, and a man wearing a mask appears.]

“Child, are you lost?”

“Who… are you?”

“Ah, you’re one of the children performing the Swan Dance. What was your name again?”

“…It’s Yoon Hwaran.”

“Well, since we’ve met like this because of fate, I’ll tell you something.”

“Yes?”

“After Swan Lake, the next performance will be Giselle.”

“…What?! How do you know that?”

“Haha… I have my ways.”

[Yoon Hwaran first thought that he might be someone high up in the theater company. Wearing a mask was a strange taste, but how would he know that the next performance was ‘Giselle’ if he wasn’t affiliated with the company?

Knowing in advance, she felt like she should practice for ‘Giselle’. Maybe she could even be considered for a role. She thought so, clasping her hands tightly together.]

[However, at 12 o’clock sharp, white moonlight from the ceiling shone down like a spotlight, creating a brightly lit stage. As if the air itself is playing, soft music starts to fill the atmosphere. And then, the man begins to dance. Watching his dance, Yoon Hwaran was convinced that the man is an angel of ballet. His ballet was so beautiful that it seemed impossible for a human to achieve.

As the fleeting solo (dance) finishes, she asks as if spellbound.]

“Are you… the angel of ballet?”

“Hmm…? If that’s what you believe, then maybe. Would you like to dance with me?”

It was an unusual scenario.

The script described the female protagonist’s emotions in a manner almost akin to directing. The writer who looked after the corrections knew that Yoon Seryeon would be acting anyway, so they hadn’t touched upon that aspect. Hence, it was a screenplay that considerably immersed one into the perspective of the female protagonist.

But the Phantom…

From the Phantom’s perspective, how did she appear?

Yoomyeong lost himself in this thought. The performance being carried out by Kwon Sunghan at the moment was not of his concern. What was more pressing was the performance he himself had to deliver shortly.

Kwon Sunghan’s acting for Scene 8 and Scene 75 were all done.

Clap clap clap—

Along with the customary applause, Seryeon half-heartedly scribbled on the score sheet.

‘I didn’t expect the Phantom I imagined to pop out, but…’

It felt crude.

At the beginning of the script, the Phantom’s tone is like a superior looking down on a child.

The concern that it might come across as too sentimental had become a reality. Suddenly, Seryeon’s enthusiasm waned sharply. Although she was passionate when she wrote it, she never intended to produce the script.

The reason she ended up producing it was… because of her father’s strong persuasion, who was trying to get her to do something and anything after seeing that she hadn’t shown any enthusiasm about anything for two years.

“Ugh… This is annoying.”

Then, the actor who had previously frowned at her appeared.

The staff member read the start of the script once more.

“At that moment, a ray of moonlight falls from the ceiling window, and a masked man appears.”

And then,

“Child, are you lost?”

An angel appeared.

*

Initially, Director Ki Do-han ordered Yoomyeong to play ‘Jekyll.’

If he could display the angelic Jekyll that was showcased in the Saturday afternoon performance, Director Ki believed that there was a good chance of success.

However, Yoomyeong said,

“Director, in my opinion… the Phantom in Scene 8 should be pure, but with sporadic hints of malevolence.”

“That would be great, but is it possible? If it’s not subtle, he might rather come off as a villain. In this scene, the Phantom needs to convincingly portray his goodness to both the lead actress and the audience. Only then will the twist later…”

“That’s why I’m thinking of subtly mixing tones only on specific words. Like this…”

Yoomyeong extended his hand downward, mimicking the action of helping up a fallen Hwaran, and recited his line.

“Ah, you’re one of the children performing the Swan Dance. What was your nameagain?”

Do-han felt an eerie sensation.

It was extremely subtle. The tone was undeniably bright and warm.

But, what was this subtle undertone?

“Is it in the ‘What was your’?”

“Yes, you noticed it right away.”

“Hmm… The overall tone of the sentence is bright, so one won’t be fully suspicious, but when something is mixed in sneakily with just one word, it feels a bit off-putting. It’s a unique concept. I didn’t know you could express it that way…”

A certain mood was created using just a specific word.

Even though he had experience in numerous works, this was a concept Do-han had never heard before. Intrigued, he continued to ask questions.

“Why did you specifically put it in ‘What was?’”

“The Phantom already knew Hwaran’s name.”

“…?!”

“In the story, this encounter is portrayed as a chance meeting with no further explanation, but I think he already knew. He is a character that hides among the ballet troupe, obsessively observing everything about ballet. It wouldn’t be strange if he had memorized the names of all the ballet members. Maybe this encounter wasn’t unintentional.”

“…That’s quite possible. Hmm…”

Ki Do-han seemed to have an epiphany and quickly jotted down a note on the script.

“But how do you act out this hint of malevolence in just one word? It seems incredibly challenging.”

“Oh, I adapted the technique of internal dialogue.”

“Internal dialogue?”

Internal dialogue.

It was typically used in reactions, where actors think of lines in their minds even when there were no actual lines. It was used to make reactions more lively.

For example, if an unpleasant person was endlessly boasting about themselves, thinking to yourself, ‘Here they go bragging again. Aren’t they tired?’ can naturally result in a bored expression.

But how was it used here…?

“Yes. I maintained the angelic mode, but during the ‘What was your name again—’ part, I internally recited the line ‘Hello, Yoon Hwaran.'”

Do-han’s mouth dropped open. It was a method he had never heard of.

He had thought that Yoomyeong was a prodigy who acted intuitively given his short time in acting, but what was this explanation that was grounded in such a rich theoretical base?

Suddenly, he felt scared that he might have picked up a tremendous monster.

“Um… Shall we hear the other lines?”

“Child, are you lost?”

“Ah, you’re one of the children performing the Swan Dance. What was your name again?”

“Well, since we’ve met like this because of fate, I’ll tell you something.”

“After Swan Lake, the next performance will be Giselle.”

In each sentence, only one word carried that tone.

He could tell because he was an expert, but the audience wouldn’t notice until later, when they would think, ‘Ah… it was a hint.’

Watching that performance, Ki Do-han realized that he was blessedfor his casting choice.

And now,

Looking at the voice and acting, Yoon Seryeon felt dizzy.

It was as if an angel had descended from the heavens.

An angel that seemed strong, warm, and benevolent, likely the kind of angel Hwaran would have hoped to be chosen for in ballet.

That was also the god of ballet that Yoon Seryeon herself had imagined.

However, soon after, the tone changed dramatically.

In Scene 75.

*

“What, dating?”

“Yes, with Soobin, who plays the role of Albrecht.”

“What kind of timing is this…?!”

“Why? Giselle loves Albrecht, doesn’t she? It’ll help with the emotional lines.”

“How foolish…!”

The Phantom was restless and paced back and forth.

He grabbed Hwaran’s shoulders and shook her.

“Hwaran, I don’t even remember since when… but as far back as my memory goes, I’ve lived in this ballet theater. I’ve seen countless ballerinas, and while most only performed corps de ballet (a group of background dancers) and disappeared, a few showed shining talent. What held most of them back from taking a leap as artists were love, dating, and marriage.”

His words were laden with criticism and pleading.

“Your Giselle is now in the final stages. Love with Albrecht? Fine. Isn’t unrequited love the very completion of Giselle? Stop right there. Don’t let me down.”

Seryeon jolted upright.

Indeed, it was him.

That desperate obsession with ballet. The image of a mentor and absolute authority persuading the protagonist, Hwaran.

That was the Phantom that Seryeon had envisioned.

Her pen furiously scribbled across the evaluation sheet.

Over the name Shin Yoomyeong, multiple circles were drawn.

And Kwon Sunghan, who was watching the performance from the side, was stunned.

“I will do the free acting.”

When it was Sunghan’s turn for the free performance, he changed his costume.

A ballerino’s practice uniform.

“I will show Albrecht’s performance in Giselle.”

After witnessing Yoomyeong’s performance, Sunghan felt that it would be impossible to compete through acting alone.

But maybe showing a free performance could give him a chance. He had received a supporting role in the previous movie because it involved dancing, so it might work.

“Begin.”

Though Seryeon’s attention was already gravitating towards Yoomyeong, learning that he had prepared as Albrecht piqued her interest a bit.

The main theme of ballet in this script was ‘Giselle’, and the fact that Phantom could encompass ballet performance was a clear advantage.

She rested her chin on her hand and focused intently on his ballet performance.

La~ La-la~

The music flowed.

It was the regretful Albrecht from Act 2.

His movements might have looked convincing to ordinary people, Yoomyeong, and the directors. However…

‘What a mess. Starting from the ‘en dehors,’ (the basic ballet position where the foot is turned outward) everything had collapsed.’

To Seryeon, it was far below standard.

A dance performed by a major without proper practice looked displeasing to someone of the same major.

Of course, just knowing how to hold a position would help with the synthesis of doubles. But…

‘That person is out.’

Neither the acting nor the ballet which seemed neglected for years appealed to her in the slightest.

‘This actor… what will he do?’

She became very curious about the free acting of the actor who had showcased a stunning portrayal of Phantom earlier.

When his turn came, he brought forth an unexpected scene from the script.

“I will perform Scene 34.”

Scene 34.

Phantom was teaching Hwaran, who was pondering over her portrayal of Giselle.

This was a scene that most actors preferred to be performed by a stunt double because it required essential ballet skills and an understanding of the topic, especially since Phantom demonstrated how one should act.

Even the stunt double had doubts about how well a male dancer could portray ‘Giselle’.

“Yoon Hwaran. The portrayal of Giselle in Acts 1 and 2 must be completely different. Watch this.”

He raised one hand.

‘Ah, the right arm to position 3…’

The movement of the upper body expressed through ‘Port de Bras’ (arm movements in ballet) was…

It was Giselle.

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