In South Korea, the German term arbeit, imported via Japan, is commonly used to denote “a part-time job.” Although its original meaning encompasses all forms of labor, arbeit has evolved into a word that specifically refers to a part-time or temporary job. These workers are often called albasaeng—a compound of alba (from arbeit) and the suffix -saeng (meaning “a student”)—a term that gatekeeps them from the realm of “professional” labor.

Federico García Lorca’s play The House of Bernarda Alba portrays how the women in the Alba family meet their tragedy under the oppressive social conventions of 1930s Spain. Drawing from a wordplay of the title, The House of Alba reimagines Lorca’s work to explore the excruciating reality of “alba” in contemporary Korea, while seeking to illuminate the enduring dignity of laborers.

From the very moment the audience enters the theatre, actors perform scenes of labor arduously. These alba workers embody fleeting moments of everyday life—solidarity, feelings of fulfillment, and unexpected laughter—on and off stage, as they move from one alba to another.

In this house of alba, a variety of part-time and temporary workers search for their own meanings in the bleak present that never seems to change. The House of Alba asks: how can we survive within a system that exploits us with the false promise of endless productivity?