K-Arts Musical Theatre Writing Program’s Production “The Tribe” Has Its Premiere at the Sejong Center

The musical, “The Tribe,” written from the K-Arts Musical Theatre Writing Program by the School of Drama in 2021 had its successful premiere at the Sejong Center in Seoul from April through May. The production came out after being included in an Arko Selection in 2022 and showcased in a reading workshop by the Seoul Metropolitan Musical Theatre in 2023.

“The Tribe” is the Seoul Metropolitan Musical Theatre’s first repertoire of the year. It is an outcome developed from graduation work by K-Arts students. Set in Paris, France, the story follows Joseph, a relic restorer, and Chloy, a screenwriter, who face the dancing tribes whenever the two characters tell lies.

“The Tribe,” which engaged the public attention with the Seoul Metropolitan Musical Theatre’s fresh attempts, captivated the audience with creative directing where ancient tribes in the contemporary setting appear with Afro rhythms. The show was embarked on with great success, having its first tickets sold out. In total, 12 of 20 shows sold all their tickets, making a record-breaking achievement for a creative premiere musical. The performance has attracted 3,996 audience out of 3,940 seats, accounting for 99% of audience share.

The K-Arts Musical Theatre Writing Program aims to develop original works of our own that are characterized by new future-oriented sensations distinguishable from those from Broadway in the United States or West End in the United Kingdom. Considering musical theatre education covers different genres, K-Arts built a curriculum in the Musical Writing Program in 2009 to enable teaching several genres collectively. The School of Drama has taken charge of supervising the curriculum since 2013.