Quad, Questions in Theater: “Why Are There Chili Peppers on the Rooftop Garden?”

An old, dilapidated multi-family home on the outskirts of Seoul. Neighbors, each with their own stories and struggles, live there. One summer day under the blazing sun, an incident occurs in the small rooftop garden of an elderly woman named “Gwangja,” who had been modestly growing chili peppers—all her chili peppers suddenly disappear. The culprit who took all the chili peppers is none other than “Hyun-ja,” a neighbor living in the same apartment building. The neighbors each have their own take on the matter, but to “Hyun-tae” of Apartment 301, this “chili theft incident” does not seem like a trivial matter. He believes it is connected to the world falling apart. While Hyun-tae’s words make not only his family but everyone in the apartment complex uncomfortable, there is one person—Dong-gyo from Apartment 303—who, for reasons unknown, begins to help Hyun-tae take action. The squabble between neighbors that started over a few chili peppers begins to escalate into a massive uproar throughout the entire apartment complex.