After the Agricultural Revolution, humans solidified their anthropocentric mindset by owning land and domesticating plants and animals. With the Industrial Revolution, the expansion of large-scale farms forced many farmers to migrate to cities. After liberation, rural areas were increasingly marginalized in the name of national development, and as the Saemaul Movement and the growth of manufacturing industries progressed, countless people left their rural communities for urban life. Agriculture evolved with a focus on productivity and efficiency, but in doing so, it led to the collapse of communities, social exclusion, and the spread of division and resentment. Now, as a result of humanity’s relentless pursuit of progress, we face the looming crisis of climate change.

Rising temperatures, droughts, floods, heatwaves, extreme cold, and carbon emissions are making our future increasingly unstable. The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the unpredictability of emerging diseases, raising questions about the safety of our spaces and consciousness. Can hope exist in a society plagued by hatred, discrimination, and violence? As the rapid progression of an aging society leads to a surge in severe illnesses such as dementia, we must urgently seek practical solutions to these multifaceted social challenges. This work explores sustainable living and coexistence with nature through the lens of agriculture, questioning the direction we must take and the alternatives available to us.

Soomda is a theater company that explores social issues such as classical reinterpretation, site-specific theater, welfare, women, disabilities, youth, and death. Since 2021, the company has been researching agriculture and integrating it into theatrical productions, merging farming and performance in innovative ways.

One of its representative works, <Farming Diary>, is set in a social farm and examines the meaning of care and community. The play portrays a farm where people with and without disabilities coexist, discovering the value of labor while envisioning a utopia. However, they face disillusionment within the realities of agricultural support systems. By depicting farming as more than just production—rather, as a way of living in harmony with nature—the play encourages audiences to reflect on sustainable life and the potential of community.

Soomda expands the scope of theater by using agriculture as a lens to explore social and philosophical questions. Through its work, the company invites audiences to deeply reflect on sustainability and coexistence with nature.