I Acted Once, and Now They Call Me a Genius - Chapter 264

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 264
90,000 viewers.
That was the number of viewers who had flooded in when Cheongseong’s stage began.
It was an overwhelming figure compared to other theater companies. From the waiting screen onward, Cheongseong’s chat box had been scrolling frantically.
It hardly seemed like a theater live broadcast.
No matter how much buzz the Theater Festival had generated, had there ever been a time when this many people converged simultaneously to watch a single theater company’s performance?
‘……But there’s nothing strange about it.’
Im Yeong-do observed the situation calmly.
Kim Seon-woo.
Cha Do-young.
Na Min-hee.
The others had made names for themselves to some degree, but these three could certainly be called stars outright.
Actors whose names alone could guarantee a certain level of box office appeal.
So of course this many people would gather when such performers came together for a theatrical production.
‘If anything, it’s fewer than expected.’
If this had been anything other than theater, easily twice as many people would have crowded in.
But theater remained—or rather, had become even more unfamiliar as a cultural form compared to the past. No matter how much people adored a celebrity, when they heard that celebrity was doing theater…… it was hard to muster genuine interest.
He didn’t want to admit it, but this was theater’s current state.
A culture that was losing its vitality—even when stars performed it, people might watch, or might not.
Would today’s live broadcast change that trend somewhat?
Im Yeong-do couldn’t answer that question. All he could offer were hopes and prayers. That a miracle would occur.
That the actors’ sincerity would convince the masses, that people would grow interested in theater once more.
Yet the chat reactions were somehow not what he had anticipated.
Here for Seon-woo: Kim Seon-woo is coming? Is this the right stream?
Do-young’s mom: Cha Do-young in a play, how long has it been
ㅇㅇ: But is theater live even fun? Never watched one before
ticketbox: Which should I watch, National Theater or Cheongseong?
bluehour: Cheongseong’s actors have such strong brand names that I’m watching here first
theaterkid: Theater needs some buildup in the beginning. Don’t expect it to explode right away
Starlight cat: When does Cha Do-young appear?
Stage newbie: Is this just a fixed stage shot? The camera doesn’t move?
Two meals of rice: Cheongseong’s viewer count, what is it ㅋㅋ
The anticipation was fevered.
But that anticipation didn’t immediately translate into immersion.
And there was another problem besides.
It was shortly after the curtain rose.
The junior PD spoke up with a grave expression.
“PD. Cheongseong’s viewer count is starting to drop slightly.”
“……What about overall viewer count?”
“Overall viewers are actually increasing, but…… it seems like viewers are circulating within the platforms rather than settling on any one channel.”
In other words, the stage wasn’t capturing the audience’s complete attention just yet.
It was an anticipated phenomenon.
Among the newly arrived viewers, quite a few probably had no intention of watching theater in the first place.
Especially for a theater company like Cheongseong, which had drawn viewers solely through topic appeal, there were bound to be even more false numbers.
Im Yeong-do monitored the chat responses across all the livestreams.
“What about National?”
“They’re holding steady. Maintaining around 43,000 to 42,000.”
“Noeul?”
“Between 27,000 and 26,000 range. Holding steady.”
“Haemu?”
“Haemu is maintaining around 7,000. The numbers are small, but the loyalty is high. They’re constantly promoting in the chat box.”
The current situation was respectable.
For now, Cheongseong itself was raising the stakes with its topic appeal. From here on, whichever troupe puts on a more compelling stage would become the center of attention.
And currently, the National Theater Company was the most likely contender for that position.
jinbean: The acting is insane
Forklift: Who is that old man
healthytogether: I’ve seen him in dramas, but he never felt like this before
ycg104: It’s suffocating, honestly…….
ㅇㅇ: The material is about dementia so I knew it’d be heavy, but it’s already breathtaking
White curtain: What’s up with Yu Si-hun’s eyes. Is this young Yeong-taek?
After work theater: I came from Cheongseong but wow, that feels like a drama while this feels like an actual theater
oldstage: Those who came late, watch from the beginning of the play. Don’t skip around with this one
From the start, Han Gi-ju and the National Theater Company overwhelmed the audience with breathtaking acting ability.
It was indeed acting worthy of the National Theater Company and worthy of Han Gi-ju.
As a result, the National Theater Company held its viewers without attrition, steadily expanding its viewer weight class.
It wasn’t the kind of approach that threw strong stimulation from the outset, but there was a force that kept people engaged once they tuned in.
Weighty material.
Unwavering rhythm from the actors.
Of course, the other theater companies weren’t lacking in such qualities.
After all, even Noeul alone was a troupe full of veteran actors with considerable depth. But the reception for Noeul was far more lackluster than they had anticipated…….
“PD. Noeul’s viewer count…… is dropping in real-time.”
“……Hmm.”
Given that it was a troupe packed with veteran actors, they too were armed with overwhelming acting ability. The problem was they had chosen a stage that leaned too heavily toward artistic merit.
The acting was good.
The material was good.
But there was no fun.
Naturally, viewers had no reason to stay. For modern people accustomed to dopamine hits from short-form content, there was nothing harder than making them endure and sit through tedious, obscure plays.
As a result, Noeul was showing quite poor numbers, contrary to the early expectations it had drawn.
And watching Noeul falter, Im Yeong-do came to a realization anew.
‘……Perhaps theater’s decline came about because such productions kept happening.’
Theater is an art form with little commercial value.
It wasn’t that theater actors had uniquely tried to seem like artists. Theater could preserve its artistic character precisely because theater itself doesn’t make money.
Theater is a form of culture that’s difficult for audiences to truly enjoy unless they’re seated fairly close to the stage.
Naturally, theatrical stages couldn’t accommodate many seats, which led to decreased profitability. Those chasing money had no reason to take interest in theater, and that actually helped the theater world preserve its artistry.
A depressing reality.
In the end, regardless of individual effort, theater was structurally destined to grow increasingly distant from the masses.
Its limitations were inherent.
Noeul was presenting the most orthodox stage among these companies. And the fact that this stage was being rejected by the public gave Im Yeong-do a new sense of conviction.
Theater cannot continue as it is.
To survive, it must change. And it must draw people in.
And that’s why he was more curious about where this competition would head.
What stage would the masses be most interested in?
What direction should theater take?
Manwol’s stage was providing one possible answer to that question.
Suyeon’s: Why is a funeral scene funny ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
blackcoffee: The actors’ timing is good. Nice exchange in dialogue
Kim Min-seok: Manwol is more fun than expected
theaterkid: As a black comedy, Manwol gets right to it
fireboy: No ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ these aren’t actors, they’re just comedians doing sketches
Between black comedy and sitcom, “We Were Late to the Funeral” was unfolding the story playfully and capturing the audience.
The power of comedy was indeed formidable.
Viewers could laugh immediately without having to wait long, as comedic situations kept appearing.
Yu Ri-seong was clever in his own way too.
Not a Yu Ri-seong representative: Excuse me. Yu Ri-seong’s “Why Does Our Home Wi-Fi Keep Disconnecting?” We still have seats available. If you’d like to not think about anything, need some white noise, anyone at all—please come visit us. We will serve you with utmost sincerity.
ㅇㅇ: They’re doing their sales pitch again ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
router404: Even the title is funny
Twitter ghost: Why is Yu Ri-seong’s chat so weird. Already strange before the performance even starts
It was a clever strategy, more intelligent than it seemed.
The way they constantly trolled various chat rooms, it even seemed like they were trying to make the theater troupe itself into a meme.
Of course, it was a strategy that could divide opinion, but in any case, the tactic seemed to be working.
Viewers kept accumulating as they came out of curiosity to see what this crazy theater group was about.
And as for Haemu…… local Jeju fans were steadily staying put.
Meanwhile viewers were quietly swelling, suggesting that perhaps doing one’s sincere best in a modest way was also a path to sustaining theater.
So then, what about Cheongseong?
Im Yeong-do looked at Cheongseong’s screen.
It was precisely the moment when In-hee was speaking in front of her friends.
—Can we break up even if we wanted to?
It was compelling acting.
Speaking of a breakup in an overly calm manner—yet precisely because of that, all the more strange and profound in its emotional resonance.
And at that moment,
“Cheongseong’s viewers are recovering! 88,000.”
Immediately, reactions began coming from the viewers.
The real story was beginning, finally capturing the audience’s attention.
It meant people were being drawn in by the stage itself, not by the actors’ names.
‘If Cheongseong just maintains this, it’s a good showing.’
That was Im Yeong-do’s assessment.
Among the viewers here, those who had come to watch Cheongseong’s acting were outnumbered by those who wanted to enjoy the Theater Festival itself as an event.
A substantial portion were viewers who hopped around from place to place, enjoying the chat reactions and such.
Of course, the other troupes faced the same situation, but Cheongseong inevitably bore it more heavily.
While other troupes had their identity as theater companies at the forefront, Cheongseong had topic appeal as celebrities more prominently displayed on the surface.
In fact, viewers watching Cheongseong might have even lower expectations for the theater itself.
But Cheongseong endured nonetheless.
It was a fun stage.
It unfolded bitter reality through wit and wry humor, and when scenes threatened to lose momentum, the actors’ star power pushed through somehow.
In a way, the most strategic stage.
Whatever else, it was clear that no one understood how to handle an audience better than Cheongseong’s actors.
And as Cheongseong’s numbers gradually crept back toward their starting point,
Cha Do-young and Kim Seon-woo clashed.
—You want to break up? No, you don’t.
—You don’t want to break up. You still love me. You can’t live without In-hee, you idiot.
—Say you don’t want to break up. Tell me you still love me.
—Why can’t you say that one simple thing? What’s all this nonsense about?
One of the staff members watching the monitor couldn’t help but speak.
“Wow…….”
Cha Do-young was certainly an actor who shone brighter on a live stage than on screen.
The energy and voice projection that sometimes felt excessive on video became weapons that maximized his stage presence when he was on stage, his piercing gaze enhancing rather than detracting.
What was unexpected…… was that Kim Seon-woo received it so naturally.
Kim Seon-woo doesn’t raise his voice.
His movements aren’t exaggerated.
He merely expresses Jun-seo’s unstable state through trembling fingertips, a slight tilt of the head, a quivering of the lips.
Yet somehow it all comes across.
How Jun-seo is feeling.
How terribly he’s enduring this moment.
—……Because I’ve only ever lived that way.
—You said I’m an idiot, and maybe I am.
—Maybe it’s pathetic. Can’t I be like that? Huh?
“Cheongseong has broken 100,000.”
“Actually, 110,000.”
“We’re seeing inflow from other channels.”
And then the chat box exploded.
Do-young’s mom: Cha Do-young is insane
Seon-woo addict: I was already dying from Kim Seon-woo just standing there in silence
Eye_eye: They said Cheongseong was exploding so I came, but what is this
ㅇㅇ: Shh just watch
Stage drawer: I can’t believe we get to see this pairing like this ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
‘……They really don’t stop shaking people, do they.’
Laughter.
Silence.
A sigh.
Rage.
Laughter again.
When he first heard they’d be performing “Can We Break Up Even If We Wanted To?” he had wondered if it might become a slightly dull stage……but it wasn’t.
The relentless way they kept shaking the audience, not even granting them a moment to get bored, much less a moment to collect themselves.
Which is why,
“130,000.”
“Over 140,000.”
“Cheongseong mentions are highest in real-time chat.”
“Cheongseong is being discussed even in other theater companies’ chat rooms!”
Im Yeong-do couldn’t help but let out a hollow laugh.
He’d said worrying about Cheongseong was pointless, but…… this exceeded what he’d anticipated.
He hadn’t expected them to do this well.
Soon the play rushes toward its end.
—You know, will we ever hit a honeymoon phase ending too?
—Maybe. But honestly, I’m not worried about something like that.
—How aren’t you?
—Because no matter what happens, we can work through everything with conversation.
—We’ll overcome it all.
Against the darkened stage backdrop, the unnecessarily cheerful voice of the lovers echoes out, and when the lights come up again…… the living room is empty.
There is no conclusion.
Whether they broke up, or whether they met again.
Only that empty space hints at an ambiguous ending.
“…….”
The monitoring room fell silent for a moment.
The audience seats, and the chat box as well.
But a few seconds later,
Applause and cheers erupted from Cheongseong’s audience.
And the junior PD spoke with a trembling voice.
“PD. Cheongseong…… has crossed 170,000.”
170,000.
Honestly, a number he hadn’t even dared to hope for.
Even with Cheongseong’s name value, he had thought theater was too weakened a culture to captivate so many people.
But Cheongseong had pulled it off somehow.
Im Yeong-do closed his eyes briefly.
It was too early to call it a miracle.
He couldn’t say that theater had returned to the center of popular culture because of this.
But at least today.
At least in this moment……
People who had never watched theater in their lives were all talking about theater.
That was enough.
‘……A day to be grateful for.’
Im Yeong-do smiled.
And he thought that probably all theater people everywhere were wearing expressions similar to his right now.
Because this moment was telling them something.
Theater is not over.
They can still make people laugh and cry.
This small, precious culture that they have kept alive somehow……
is still alive.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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