Director of the musical "Green Card" - about immigrants on the way to the American dream

The director of the musical "Green Card" is Dimo ​​Kim. Photo: dimokim.com

On the small, like the first apartment of the newly-made New Yorker, a scene off of Broadway with decorations similar to the double bed from Ikea, which is very symbolic in the context of the story, the rehearsal of the new musical called Green Card.

ForumDaily talked to director Dimo ​​Kim about how the death of a neighbor influenced the creation of the musical, how the American dream actually differs from reality, and how Kim Jong-un could participate in the New York musical.

Dimo, what is the American dream?

We all know about the American dream. She lures, she seduces. It is here, in America, that you can achieve anything and become whomever you want.

This is the advertising product that all immigrants see, and which, of course, seduces everyone. The only problem is that, having left home for America in search of his dream, a person faces many restrictions and difficulties - here you are in the USA, but the American dream is still very far away. And here she no longer seems the same as she appeared in the beautiful picture.

By following your American dream, you really can be anyone and succeed. Just need to be part of the "union", "their", you need to accept you. And it turns out that often legal immigrants are forced to become illegal.

In my musical, I tried to show the irony of the life of immigrants and to demonstrate what they had to go through. This is not a story about a heavy lobe. This is a story with elements of comedy and, at times, absurdity, which do not even need to be invented. This happens regularly. All immigrants have gone through this.

Quite a few legal immigrants have become illegal because of the limitations in obtaining a green card.

It is on this that I tried to focus. To demonstrate how desperately we want to fulfill our dream. The dream of becoming what you want. Here is the main idea of ​​the show. Yet immigrants come here to do something, to create, and not just to be some kind of uninvited guests, from which only one trouble and trouble.

Who wrote the script?

I am a director and scriptwriter.

Is there a real prototype of the main character?

This is a true story. More precisely, the story is based on real events, I just added a little “theater”. This is the story of my former neighbor, also Asian. He was an actor - just like the hero of the musical. And he came here in the hope of acting, but he was never approved for any role. Even when he reached the final qualifying stage at the auditions, he was told: “If you don’t have a green card, then it won’t be possible to pay for the work.” He kept trying for three years. Last year he committed suicide. Before committing suicide, he decided to take a desperate step: to enter into a fictitious marriage, marrying an American. As soon as she received the money, she immediately disappeared. For three weeks after that he was terribly depressed. I found his body in our living room last July. After that I thought, “I definitely have to tell this story.”

What was the biggest disappointment or surprise when you first moved to the USA?

I came here 5 years ago. First, as an Asian, it took me 4 of the year to prove that I really understand something in theater and directing.

Alex (Alexander Notkin, musical actor - Author) is wonderful. He is from Russia and plays according to Stanislavsky. Everyone believes him immediately, instantly (smiles - Author).

There is a stereotype that Asian can not engage in theater art for the reason that supposedly nothing in this sense. Aloud about this, of course, do not speak. But the reaction is visible when I say that I am a certified theater director. By the way, I studied this case in the USA. I am by no means saying that this is racism or something like that. It just took one Asian guy 4 of the year in New York to make his first production. I admit, it was not easy.

Is this your first show?

The second. My first show, Comfort Station, came out last year. It is also based on real events. The story of a Japanese girl who was kidnapped and held in sexual slavery during the Second World War.

And representatives of how many nationalities take part in the musical?

Oh, you can’t say that right away. A lot of. More than ten countries for sure: Chile, Korea, China, Japan, Mexico, Russia... And if you add the rest of those involved in the musical - not only on stage - then even more. Frankly speaking, I didn’t think so.

Are the entire cast immigrants? And was this one of the criteria for approval for the role, or perhaps a kind of plus for getting the role?

Many of the actors have gone through the process of obtaining a green card, or they just have to, and while they live and work on an artistic visa. They all, of course, have a story to tell. Each has its own story. But the main selection criterion is acting talent.

The director of the musical "Green Card" is Dimo ​​Kim. Photo: dimokim.com

Russian actor Alexander Notkin. Photo: Angie Kremer