Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to SOO YOUNG CHOI. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

SOO YOUNG, appreciate you joining us today. Can you share an important lesson you learned in a prior job that’s helped you in your career afterwards?

I learned that having a strong responsibility is the most important and hardest thing to keep. It applies to all types of relationships in our lives. And, especially in the professional world, everyone understands how difficult it is to work with someone who lacks responsibility/accountability. It is also surprising that everyone has different expectations and definitions of duty, which leads to conflict. Therefore, I believe it is critical to have a clear agreement on each person’s responsibility.

SOO YOUNG, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

During my college, I studied Communication Arts-Film, TV, Radio with the goal of working in the media industry. However, I had difficulty obtaining career opportunities in media firms. One day, I got an opportunity to work at a musical production company in South Korea, and I took that chance. I thought I was failing to find my dream job, but it turned out that life was directing me to another dream place.

I started as an intern in the production department and worked my way up to general manager/assistant producer after around 7 years. I could experience diverse genres of productions such as Las Vegas type shows, classic musicals like Les Misérables (Korean production), musical productions for kids, and classical music concerts. I was grateful that I could participate and develop myself with different types of productions over the years. But at the same time, I was concerned that I was becoming too accustomed to working in the same environment and system. So, I chose to leave the company in order to pursue a completely different project, and I got a chance to work as an assistant producer at the Art Lab Festival, the largest Art and Tech festival in Korea. It was an eye-opening experience since I have never experienced this type of event, which involves converging different genres, mediums, and technologies. It really inspired me and made me eager to create something new type of art that can entertain people. I felt like I needed to study more at a professional level, so I came to New York as a graduate student of the NYU Performing Arts Administration program.

Last October, I presented a staged reading with music performance with my colleagues called ‘MA, GO.’ It is a bilingual, fantastical new horror and mixed-genre performance about generational ways of celebrating life and death. The performance is centered around a Korean shamanistic ritual called ‘GUT’ (pronounced like ‘Good’), which is a shamanistic ritual blessing and sending the spirit to heaven. ‘MA, GO’ seeks to demonstrate how the intent and significance of ‘GUT’ resonates with the universal sentiment of blessing loved ones and the Western culture of Halloween.

Through this project, I enhanced my ability to make connections, develop work with creatives, pitch our work to people, and plan and execute the project. I learned how to think more like an entrepreneur and creatively.

I am very proud of this project because it was the first project that I initiated as an independent producer in New York City. Even though it was a non-profit free show, we were able to gather a meaningful number of audiences, including industry professionals. Also, we got really good feedback, which makes me confident about moving forward with this piece. My baby steps as an independent producer have only begun, and there will be many challenges and setbacks along the way as an immigrant artist. However, I believe that my vision to create performing arts productions through immersive theater and the convergence of various art forms will lead me to where I want to be. So, please look out for updates about MA, GO !! (Instagram @ma_go_nyc)

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

I think creating more opportunities to expose people to any type of art is essential. Educational institutions can play a crucial role. If people experience art in their younger years, there is a higher chance that they will be more interested in art even after they grow up. Also, creating more art-related events on any scale will help local artists show their work.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

As I said in previous questions, I got anxious about getting used to the system and environment around me. Since I worked for almost 7 years, I was comfortable and confident in my work because I knew how it worked. However, I felt like I might not push myself hard to develop more and go to the next level if I stay in the same company. Also, I really got interested in immersive entertainment and experimental works at that time. So, I realized that it was the moment I had to step out of my comfort zone and throw myself into a new environment.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: ma_go_nyc
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/1225soochoi