Jeon Do-yeon and Park Hae-soo's "The Cherry Orchard" Finally Heads to the New York Stage... North American Premiere

[Financial News] Actors Jeon Do-yeon and Park Hae-soo will appear on a New York theater stage in the United States for the first time since their debuts.
According to LG Arts Center Seoul on the 1st, the play "The Cherry Orchard," produced by LG Arts Center Seoul and directed by world-renowned director Simon Stone, will run at Wade Thompson Drill Hall at Park Avenue Armory in New York from the 16th to the 26th.

This North American premiere, which will run for a total of 11 performances, marks the final chapter of the play's three-year journey. It began with its premiere at LG Arts Center Seoul in June 2024, then moved on to Busan, Hong Kong and Singapore in 2025, and will continue to Adelaide, Australia, in 2026.
It is also drawing attention because the global influence of K-content, which has expanded through film, television dramas and K-pop, is now extending to the performing arts, bringing Korean theater to a major stage in Manhattan, New York.
"The Cherry Orchard" is Simon Stone's reinterpretation of Anton Pavlovich Chekhov's classic final play of the same name. Working with Korean actors and creators, he reimagined the work against the backdrop of 21st-century Seoul. At its 2024 premiere at LG Arts Center Seoul, it recorded a 95% occupancy rate and drew about 40,000 audience members, emerging as one of the most talked-about productions of the year.
The New York run has been officially invited to the 2026 season program of Park Avenue Armory, one of the leading performance venues in the United States. The production will be performed in Korean, and local audiences will watch it with English subtitles.
The invitation is especially meaningful because it was extended directly by Park Avenue Armory based on the artistic merit and achievement of the Korean production, rather than as part of a government-led cultural exchange project or an event for the Korean diaspora.
Michael Lonergan, Park Avenue Armory's chief producer, visited Korea in person to see the 2024 Seoul premiere and expressed his intention the next day to invite the production to the 2026 fall season at LG Arts Center Seoul.

Park Avenue Armory is one of New York's most prominent arts venues. Centered on the 55,000-square-foot Wade Thompson Drill Hall, which evokes a 19th-century European train station, it has presented works by world-renowned artists such as Pina Bausch, Robert Wilson and Sam Mendes, along with major exhibitions and fashion events.
This is the first time a Korean production will be staged at Park Avenue Armory.
The New York performances will feature Jeon Do-yeon, Park Hae-soo, Son Sang-kyu, Choi Hee-seo, Lee Ji-hye, Nam Yoon-ho, Yoo Byung-hoon, Lee Sae-jun, Lee Joo-won and Park Hee-jung, with nine cast members from the Seoul premiere and Park Hee-jung, who joined newly for the 2026 tour.
Rebecca Robertson, president and executive producer of Park Avenue Armory, said, "'The Cherry Orchard' will give New York audiences a chance to meet some of Korea's finest actors in person at a time when Korean culture is experiencing a global renaissance." She added, "We are thrilled to welcome Simon Stone back with the North American premiere of this innovative and timely adaptation, following his unforgettable 'Yerma' in 2018." Stone previously performed at Park Avenue Armory in 2018 with 'Yerma,' which received a special Obie Award, one of the most prestigious honors in Off-Broadway theater.

Deborah Warner, artistic director of Park Avenue Armory, said, "Simon Stone is one of the defining directors of the 21st century, with a remarkable ability to find fresh and surprising perspectives in classic texts and reflect the anxieties of modern life." She added, "His collaboration with outstanding Korean actors vividly captures the transformation of Seoul while also showing the universal power of storytelling that transcends national borders through humor and tragedy."
Director Simon Stone said, "'The Cherry Orchard' sharply contrasts pre-revolutionary Russian aristocratic society with contemporary Korean society through a family that refuses to adapt even as the world around them changes. Jeon Do-yeon and Park Hae-soo move effortlessly between comedy and tragedy, drawing the audience deeply into the story of a family in decline." He added, "I learned so much while working with the remarkable artists of Korea's theater and film industries, and it is an honor to return to Park Avenue Armory with such exceptional actors and creators."
Lee Hyun-jung, head of LG Arts Center Seoul, said, "'The Cherry Orchard' is a true global project in which collaboration among people with diverse backgrounds and talents shone through every stage of production, from Simon Stone's modern interpretation and the passionate performances of the Korean cast to the distinctive set based on Saul Kim's architectural work and the music by Jang Young-gyu." She added, "It is especially meaningful that 'The Cherry Orchard,' which began in Seoul, has traveled through Hong Kong, Singapore and Adelaide before reaching New York, one of the major stages of the global performing arts world. We hope this Korean story, created in Korean, will resonate deeply with New York audiences and serve as an opportunity to demonstrate the potential and competitiveness of Korean-produced theater."

[email protected] Shin Jin-a Reporter