Cha In-pyo makes his stage debut in Korea's first licensed 'Dead Poets Society' production

Cha In-pyo is heading to the stage for the first time. The actor has held star status for over 30 years since his 1993 MBC debut in Three Families Under One Roof. Now he's taking on John Charles Keating in Dead Poets Society — his first theater production.

The play opens July 18 at NOL Theater Daehak-ro Woori Card Hall in Seoul and runs through September 13. It's Korea's first official licensed production based on Tom Schulman's original screenplay, which won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay in 1989. Set in 1959 at Welton Academy, a prestigious American boarding school, the story follows Keating as he delivers the message "Carpe Diem" to students who have been pushed toward nothing but exams and achievement.

Cha In-pyo shares the Keating role with O Man-seok and Yeon Jeong-hun. (The part is best known internationally from the 1990 film, where Robin Williams, 1951–2014, played it.) Kim Rak-hyun, Lee Jae-hwan, and Chan-hee of SF9 are cast as Neil Perry. Kim Tae-gyun and Moon Sung-hyun play Todd Anderson. Director Jo Gwang-hwa, music director Lee Dong-jun, and costume designer Ko Tae-yong round out the creative team.

The production carries international weight. The Paris run sold out for two consecutive years, drew a cumulative audience of 350,000, and received nominations at the 35th Molière Awards.

At the production's first cast meeting, Cha In-pyo said: "I came with the determination to change my representative work." He appears on KBS Cool FM's Park Myung-soo's Radio Show on the 2nd at 11:00 AM to discuss behind-the-scenes content from the play.