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Home : Program : Theatre |
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Romeo and Juliet - Korea
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| Time : |
Oct 14(Wed) 20:00
Oct 15(Thu) 20:00 |
| Venue : |
Daehangno Arts Theater |
| Ticket Price : |
General R :40,000 won S : 30,000 won
Y/S R : 30,000 won S : 20,000 won |
| Company : |
The National Changgeuk Company of Korea |
| Original Work : |
William Shakespeare |
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Shakespeare is reborn as a Changgeuk, appealing to global sensibility. A new Romeo and Juliet, a collaboration between the scriptwriter, Sunghwan Park, of Chung and the human cultural asset, the chang singer par excellence, An Suksun! |
A Romance in the Palryangchi Pass between Namwon, Chollanamdo and Hamyang, Gangwondo
In the area where the two regions of Woongbong, Namwon, and Hamyang, Gyungsangdo, meet lies the Palryangchi Pass bridging the Honam and the Youngnam districts of Korea, which have long displayed regional rivalry in Korean history. Choi Bul-Lip is an aristocrat who is one of the major landlords in Namwon. He is a rival of the Moon Tae-Gyu family who lives over the Pass, an enmity that goes back several generations.
Choi Bul-Lip is preparing to hold a Gut ceremony to wish for the well-being and peace of his family and the village. Young girls who are busy hanging around with young pubescent boys are having a good time. Romyo, the son of Moon Tae-Gyu, who has sneaked into the place, instantly falls in love with Juri, the daughter of Choi Bul-Lip, while crossing the bridge during the festivities.
They get married at the home of the moodang under the Gooryeong Falls without the two families' knowledge. Unfortunately, Romyo gets involved in a fight between the two families in the afternoon, killing J's cousin, Bongchu. Romyo is sent into exile to Gangjin and the two lovers part after spending their first night together singing a song of separation.
In the meanwhile, a prestigious family in Gaesung asks for the hand of Juri in marriage and a marriage date is set in three days time. While the marriage ceremony is being performed, Juri falls into a deep sleep induced by a drug given to her by the moodang. Romyo, who comes rushing to the scene, commits suicide with the drug believing Juri to be dead. After waking up, Juri finds the body of Romyo beside her. She weeps for him and then kills herself with a knife. The two families hold a ceremony to sooth the two spirits; yet remain broken-hearted over the deaths of the two youngsters.
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The Top Romance of 2009, Romeo and Juliet with Traditional Korean Music
'Young Changgeuk', set up in 2005, is part of The National Changgeuk Company of KOREA''''s efforts to develop a repertoire that meets the taste of the contemporary audience. The first piece for 2009 by The National Changgeuk Company of KOREA, Romeo and Juliet, is the first adoption of a foreign play, showing the possibility that Changgeuk can incorporate classical European plays.
The period and geographical location of the play has been changed to Korean. Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet of Verona have been changed to Romyo of Moon Tae-Gyu in Hamyang, Ggyeongsangdo and Juri of Choi Bul-Lip in Namwon, Chollado near the Palryangchi Pass linking the two districts of Gggyeongsangdo and Chollado. Park Sung-Hwan who was responsible for the script of Chung has produced lines, which have accommodated the techniques of Chang without losing the beautiful melody of Shakespeare. The lines are delivered by the renowned human cultural asset of Ahn Suk-Sun at her own initiative to create Korean music drama that is full of energy yet heart-breaking at times.
One other dynamic feature of the performance is the employment of traditional festivities. At the traditional festival where Romyo and Juri meet, a variety of traditional games including mask dance, juggling, and puppetry appeal to the audience.
It is a performance demonstrating the determination of The National Changgeuk Company of KOREA to reinvent itself as an art genre through the traditional games and festivities of Changgeuk. This first adopted foreign play of Romeo and Juliet by Young Changgeuk seeks to facilitate an understanding and appreciation of traditional music drama and Changgeuk.
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| Director |
Directed and written by Park Sung-Hwan
Park Sung-Hwan of The National Changgeuk Company of KOREA has dramatized one of the most widely read scripts of The Celebration at the Maengjinsa's, originally written by Oh Young-Jin, by maximizing the dramatic elements of Changgeuk. He has opened up a new chapter in the history of Changggeuk by alleviating fears 'whether a realistic drama can be transformed into a music drama' by creating The Wild Fire, one of the most realistic plays in Korea, into a Changgeuk.
In his previous piece, he was skillful in portraying the comic (The Day of Marriage) as well as the tragic (The Wild Fire) using the format of traditional music drama. In Romeo and Juliet, he has intended to illustrate the comic in addition to the tragic aspects of the love between two lovers who are sacrificed for the sake of a family feud. |
| Company |
The National Changgeuk Company of KOREA was established in 1962 for the purpose of developing and handing down traditional culture. The goal of formulating Changgeuk for globalization was subsequently added to that purpose. Since then, it has been introducing the sounds and delights of Changgeuk in Korea and abroad. The National Changgeuk Company of KOREA has been expanding its audience base with the five major Pansori (Shimchungga, Choonghyangga, Jeokbyeokgga, Sugungga and Heungbugga). In the attempt to popularize Changgeuk using traditional performances and its long tradition of performance, the theater is also active in endearing itself to younger audiences with the Complete Pansori for children.
Since 2005, Young Changgeuk has been involved in a special performance series of new repertoire created for the contemporary senses beyond the five major Pansori. Members of the theater have written the scripts and produced the pieces themselves. They have offered a new vision of Changgeuk to the audience with Janggijun (directed by Choo Ho-Jeong) in 2005, The Day of Marriage (Script by Park Sung-Hwan, directed by Choo Ho-Jeong) in 2006 and The Wild Fire (Script/Directed by Park Sung-Hwan). By exploring the possibility of 'Pansori music drama' they have gone on a nationwide tour with The Day of Marriage and a rerun of The Wild Fire in 2008, making them some of the most representative repertoire of Young Changgeuk.
www.ntok.go.kr |
| Staff |
Script by: Sunghwan Park |
Reviews
I am not hesitant in recommending this refined modern Changgeuk that has added the element of common appeal to the traditional art form.
– Seoul Daily, Shin Young-Sook
Pansori with its outpouring of local dialect and slang has vested charm to even the most tragic moments in the play enough to make them comical.
– Sports Donga, Byeon In-Sook
Others
Intentions behind directing 'Romeo and Juliet'
William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet is one of most well-known classical love stories in the world. It has been reborn into diverse genres with continued interest and is loved by the general public around the world. Turning this work to reflect the Korean sentiment and rhythms of traditional music was a process of transforming the language of Shakespeare into the rhythms and lyrics of traditional Pansori to make it into a veritable Korean music drama. It is understandable that the audience may find the first adaptation of a foreign work rather awkward. But I believe the well-structured plot and insightful language of Shakespeare are universally appreciated no matter what generation and location one may belong to.
Although a number of situations have been changed to reflect the Korean situation, the title of the piece still remains Romeo and Juliet. Some have raised views that the title be changed to either Love or Romyo and Juri, but I decided against the suggestion since by retaining the original title, we could show that Changgeuk can incorporate the Western classic and that it can strengthen its position as an independent art genre it its own right.
The music drama-Changgeuk of Romeo and Juliet can accommodate the depth and linguistic aesthetics of the original work by Shakespeare. Moreover, it can reflect the most common human sentiments and ring the hearts of the general audience, which is one of the most important goals behind this piece.
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