The Age of Uncertainty — a phrase first introduced to illustrate the various causes of unforeseeable prospects in the field of economy — now seems to have expanded to many areas in our lives. Indeed, for the current generation, everything seems vulnerable to change, including individual beliefs on deciding what is right and wrong. The play Lungs delves into the true meaning of becoming good people and searches what good actions are towards not only one’s family but the entire world.

Written by the English playwright Duncan Macmillan, Lungs is a play that discusses the values of love, parenthood, and the environment. Macmillan, known for writing plays which reflect social issues and dilemmas, wrote Lungs as his debut play. It was first staged in Washington D.C. in the United States (U.S.) in 2011 and received acclaim for delivering a social message that was relatable for the current generation. After its premier production, the play was staged in countries worldwide, including the United Kingdom (UK), Canada, Switzerland, Belgium, and Hong Kong. Lungs is holding its debut in South Korea this year with Director Park So Young taking the lead.

Parenthood, Community, and the Earth

Lungs concentrates on a conversation of a young couple on stage. The two characters are not given any names and are simply featured as Man and Woman. The play begins with the two characters arguing about having a child. Undoubtedly, having a child calls for various, and perhaps difficult, decisions, including changing personal habits and attitude, creating a safe environment, and making morally better choices. At first, the characters seem to be confident in that they are living as good people. They comfort themselves by recollecting their memories of participating in charity events, purchasing fair trade products, recycling their garbage, and paying attention to their community. However, as their decision to have a child becomes more concrete, the couple’s confidence weakens — which is when they begin to contemplate on the notion of ideal parenthood by reviewing their moral values.

Throughout the play, the characters explicitly display the feelings of anxiety and uncertainty when trying to figure out whether they are good people. According to Macmillan, such an illustration reflects his own personal anxieties and is precisely what he intended to show the audience. In an interview with The Guardian, a British daily newspaper, he acknowledges his own uncertainties by stating, “I found myself worrying about these things and I didn’t know the solution.” By staging characters who continuously reveal their restless feelings and thoughts upon debatable social concerns, it seems that Macmillan wished to give the audience the opportunity to think about their own uncertainties as well.

The Meaning of Becoming Good People

Being good is such an ambiguous concept; the characters exchange various ideas to find a conclusion to the value of good. Even in the midst of blurting out words, they remind themselves of the need for a conversation so that they could rationally decide on making a family of their own.

In this process, they toss various ideas to the audience of what they believe are ideal choices. At one point, the Woman, a strong advocate of environmentalism, argues that giving birth to a child is the same as creating ten tons of carbon dioxide, which equates to the weight of the Eiffel Tower. She cries out, “I’d be giving birth to the Eiffel Tower,” then assumes the possibility of their baby having babies of his or her own, which would lead to a disaster for the Earth. The aggressive voice of the Woman is well-balanced with the calm character of the Man, alleviating the tension in their arguments.

The story of the play spans from the youthful times of the characters to their senescence. During their youth, the Man states that they are good people since they are questioning whether they are good. He describes that those who are not good directly declare themselves good and do not go through the process of contemplation. However, until the very end of the play, the question of being good or the values of the decisions made by the characters are left without a definite answer.

The Spotlight Solely on the Two Actors

Lungs displays distinctness in that it only focuses on the two actors and nothing else. The play unfolds on a white, empty stage, with no stage props, background decorations, or special equipment. The actors also do not wear any extravagant costumes or makeup, but rather wear simple and casual items. Furthermore, from the beginning to the end of the play, the two actors remain on stage without changing any of their attire.

This unique feature leads the audience to concentrate on the words of the actors, as the temporal and spatial setting of the play continuously shifts without any visual aids on stage. For instance, at the beginning of the play, the couple decide to visit a club to dance. However, when they enter the club, there are no changes in the stage, lights, or music. The actors simply start to dance and speak loudly as if they were actually there, which induces the audience to use their imagination to understand the situation.

Although the stage only stars two characters, the fast-paced conversation between the characters throughout the play draws the audience into the story. Furthermore, the rapid shifts of events lead the audience to focus their eyes on the stage from the beginning to end. Indeed, Lungs is a play that provides an opportunity for everyone to reflect on the meaning of life and on philosophical questions with no right or wrong answers.

Performance Information

Venue: Daehakro Art One Theater, Hall 2

Date: From 2020 May 9 to July 5

Running Time: 100 minutes

Ticket Price: R Seat: 55,000 won / S Seat: 40,000 won / Student discounts available.