The Vegetarian" by Italian director Daria Deflorian, the closing play of the Busan International Performing Arts Festival (BIPAF), is a theatrical adaptation of the eponymous novel by Han Kang, who won the Nobel Prize in Literature last year. (BIPAF)

By Kim Hyelin

Busan will open this weekend a gala of performing arts from around the world.

From May 23 to June 1, Busan Metropolitan City and the organizing committee of the Busan International Performing Arts Festival (BIPAF) will host the event's 22nd edition at Busan Cinema Center and vicinity under the theme "Regeneration and Balance."

The opening ceremony will begin on May 23 at 7 p.m. at the center's Haneulyeon Theatre. Fifty-eight works from 14 countries will be performed at the small theater of Busan Citizens Hall, Adapter Theater, Dongseo University's Minseok Small Theater and Sohyang Experimental Theater, Baekyang Arts Center's concert hall, Millac The Market and the outdoor theater of Busan Cinema Center.

The opening play is the premiere in Korea of Sardegna Teatro of Italy's "Tragudia - The Song of Oedipus," an adaptation of the ancient Greek tragedy.

Closing BIPAF is "The Vegetarian" by Italian director Daria Deflorian, a powerful theatrical interpretation of the eponymous novel by Han Kang, who won the Nobel Prize in Literature last year.

In addition, outstanding invited works including Beit Lessin Theater's "Antigone" from Israel and Sitio's "Ascension" from France.

"K-Stage," a program that helps promising domestic productions go global, features six works including "Waiting at Whale Rock" by Haddangsae and "Binari" by Mac Theater Company.

The festival will also include outdoor performances such as "Dynamic Street" by street artists and "10-minute Theater Festival" by the public, "Master Class Workshop" by Japanese director Fujita Takahiro, "Global Forum" and "Artist Talk."

More information on the works and reservations is available on the festival's official website (https://eng.bipaf.org).

Official poster for Busan International Performing Arts Festival (Busan Metropolitan City)