K-Content News
First commercial theatrical work of Korea reborn as immersive show
- October 12, 2021 | Immersive Content
First commercial theatrical work of Korea reborn as immersive show
Updated : 2021-10-04 16:46
By Park Ji-won
The National Jeongdong Theater has been at center of the establishment of public theater in Korea's modern history.
Marking the 40th anniversary of the enthronement of the self-proclaimed Emperor Gojong, his Korean Empire founded Hyopyulsa, the first modern indoor theater, near Gwanghwamun, central Seoul in 1902, where they formed a group of legendary singers and musicians who performed pansori and traditional shows. After it was closed in 1906, it opened again with a new name, Wongaksa, in 1908 where Changgeuk, Korean traditional operatic performances, were presented to audiences.
But amid the growing influence of then Imperial Japan, which annexed Korea in 1910, it was closed again in November 1909 and destroyed by a fire in 1914.
Aiming to continue the legacy of the two theaters, the National Jeongdong Theater was opened in 1995. Since its opening, the theater has been presenting various performances ranging from traditional to modern genres and showcasing shows targeting foreigner audiences since the mid-2000s, but has struggled to build a strong identity.
However, since this year when the company gained national theater status, it has set its goal to present folk arts, or yeonhee, in the theater and decided to show this identity through its upcoming show "Sochundaeyuhui: 100-year-old Clown." The show is inspired by "Sochundaeyuhui," the first commercial performance in Korea at Hyopyulsa in 1902.
There is little documented information about the performance, but it consisted of pansori, minyo (folk songs), talchum (a mask dance), jultagi (tightrope-walking) and dances by Kisaeng or trained entertainers, and is known to be the first show to have a paying audience at a public theater in Korea.
"Sochundaeyuhui: 100-year-old Clown is a variety set of traditional performing art forms … Through the show we hope that the traditional performing folk arts are seen as not outdated and something that should be preserved. We would like to show in the performance that the tradition can live in the present with concurrent audiences. I hope audiences can get enjoy and relate to the show through the messages from senior clowns to junior clowns," Ahn Kyung-mo, director of the performance said in a promotional video.
"We would like to show that the theater company can develop into an organization that can come up with excellent content by combining traditional and contemporary performing art forms," Kim Hee-chul, head of the theater told reporters during a press conference Tuesday.
The show revolves around the art troupes of the art company who have had no chance to perform during the COVID-19 pandemic. The members of the art troupes meet clowns and the god of the theater, the guardians of the theater and get some help from the guardians to overcome the difficulties of their pandemic-hit lives.
The theater said it showed the flow of the traditional performing art forms over the last 100 years by including various genres such as pansori, minyo, seungmu (monk's dance) and jultagi.
Not only showing a series of traditional performing arts, it also introduced an immersive performance environment by taking advantage of projection mapping, holograms and deep fake technologies so that it can create visualizations of legendary artists and shows such as singer Lee Dong-baek and the clowns' performances on stage.
The show will be staged from Oct. 22 to Nov. 7 at the theater.
The National Jeongdong Theater has been at center of the establishment of public theater in Korea's modern history.
Marking the 40th anniversary of the enthronement of the self-proclaimed Emperor Gojong, his Korean Empire founded Hyopyulsa, the first modern indoor theater, near Gwanghwamun, central Seoul in 1902, where they formed a group of legendary singers and musicians who performed pansori and traditional shows. After it was closed in 1906, it opened again with a new name, Wongaksa, in 1908 where Changgeuk, Korean traditional operatic performances, were presented to audiences.
But amid the growing influence of then Imperial Japan, which annexed Korea in 1910, it was closed again in November 1909 and destroyed by a fire in 1914.
Aiming to continue the legacy of the two theaters, the National Jeongdong Theater was opened in 1995. Since its opening, the theater has been presenting various performances ranging from traditional to modern genres and showcasing shows targeting foreigner audiences since the mid-2000s, but has struggled to build a strong identity.
However, since this year when the company gained national theater status, it has set its goal to present folk arts, or yeonhee, in the theater and decided to show this identity through its upcoming show "Sochundaeyuhui: 100-year-old Clown." The show is inspired by "Sochundaeyuhui," the first commercial performance in Korea at Hyopyulsa in 1902.
There is little documented information about the performance, but it consisted of pansori, minyo (folk songs), talchum (a mask dance), jultagi (tightrope-walking) and dances by Kisaeng or trained entertainers, and is known to be the first show to have a paying audience at a public theater in Korea.
"Sochundaeyuhui: 100-year-old Clown is a variety set of traditional performing art forms … Through the show we hope that the traditional performing folk arts are seen as not outdated and something that should be preserved. We would like to show in the performance that the tradition can live in the present with concurrent audiences. I hope audiences can get enjoy and relate to the show through the messages from senior clowns to junior clowns," Ahn Kyung-mo, director of the performance said in a promotional video.
"We would like to show that the theater company can develop into an organization that can come up with excellent content by combining traditional and contemporary performing art forms," Kim Hee-chul, head of the theater told reporters during a press conference Tuesday.
The show revolves around the art troupes of the art company who have had no chance to perform during the COVID-19 pandemic. The members of the art troupes meet clowns and the god of the theater, the guardians of the theater and get some help from the guardians to overcome the difficulties of their pandemic-hit lives.
The theater said it showed the flow of the traditional performing art forms over the last 100 years by including various genres such as pansori, minyo, seungmu (monk's dance) and jultagi.
Not only showing a series of traditional performing arts, it also introduced an immersive performance environment by taking advantage of projection mapping, holograms and deep fake technologies so that it can create visualizations of legendary artists and shows such as singer Lee Dong-baek and the clowns' performances on stage.
The show will be staged from Oct. 22 to Nov. 7 at the theater.
Reporter : jwpark@koreatimes.co.kr
