Pansori Brecht UKCHUK-GA
based on ‘Mother Courage and her children’ by Bertolt Brecht
Sorikkun(Singer): JaRam LEE Musicians: HyuckJoe JANG, HyangHa LEE, HongSik KIM
Director * InWoo NAM Writer/Composer * JaRam LEE Dramaturge * HyeJeong HAN Stage Director * JiMyeong KIM Stage Designer * YeoJeong WON Costume Designer * JungHwa KANG Lighting Designer * YuJin LEE Sound Designer * TaeSoon JANG Plannig Manager * SoonWoo NAM Production Manager * EunYoung SON
Pansori (A genre of Korean traditional narrative songs) Running Time: 140 min. (Intermission 15min. included) Grade: suitable for ages 6 + Group/Country: Pansori Project ZA / South Korea
SYNOPSIS
Born in Korea, Soon-jong got deserted by her strict family in law because of the rumor that she had loose and easy conduct. Kicked out of her family in law, she arrived in Yanbian with her baby and met her second husband who was obsessed with gambling, women, and drinking. So she left her second husband chocking down tears. Entering the Han, she met third husband, but this guy as well bullied and hit her. Finally, she ended up leaving her third husband and changed her name into Anna in the intention of changing her tough fate. Then she became a war merchandise to survive with her three kids who sold things scraped by at the battle ground. The first son left the cart secretly from Anna to fight in a war and second son, Jegal Jungjik also left Anna becoming an accounting soldier under the General Son Gyung. Then one day, the second son Jungjik appeared in front of Anna’s cart caught up by Dongtak’s soldiers and Anna lost her second son just before her eyes, and had to deny the identity of the dead body, saying it’s not her son’s, trying to keep her cart which was the means of her family’s living. Losing her son, Anna changed her name Anna to Ukchuck
Ukchuck and her last kid Choo Sun were pulling their cart and getting around when they reached a farm house to rest. Ukchuck entered a castle to buy something and Choo Sun was staying at the cart alone when Won sool’s soldiers dropped in the house to do the night attack. Choo Sun rose to the roof and started to hit the drum to alarm the people in the castle. The soldiers shot Choo Sun to stop her. The shot saved the people in the castle but Choo Sun faced the death. Left alone, Ukchuck’s singing started.
About UKCHUK-GA
Modernity of Tradition
Designated as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2003, pansori which originated in Korea in the 17th century is a genre of musical storytelling (musical drama) performed by only one vocalist(sorrikun) and a drummer. This popular tradition, characterized by heavily vibrato singing, dramatic narration, a repertory of narratives and gesture, embraces both elite and folk culture. It has the wit, the fun, and the poetic and dramatic elements in it because it was used for satire in the past. During performances lasting up to eight hours, a male or female singer, accompanied by a single barrel drum, improvises on texts that combine rural and erudite literary expressions. In the 19th century, Pansori reached a high level of professionalism and artistic maturity and became hugely popular.
The second experiment was a success, even greater than the first piece, Sacheon- ga. Standing ovations every night!
Pansori Project ZA’s second challenge of the Brecht’s epic drama, ‘Ukchuk-ga’, smashed Korean audiences last June, far more successful than expected. Inspired by Brecht ‘The Mother Courage and her children’, They molded it into a complete new version of Pansori. Ja Ram Lee wrote the script, composed the songs, and played more than 15 characters. All the tickets were sold out far before than the premier and the audiences gave her standing ovations five times almost everyday. The audiences in the auditorium seemed deeply touched by her excellent vocal and improved acting technique. Especially, she played all the characters in a story, more than 15 roles from a mom to three children and to all the different soldiers. According to the characters, she transformed completely, changing voice, nuance and gesture. Compared to the traditional Pansori, there are many rhythmic and percussion instrument used for building-up the tension.
The running time, 2 hours and 20 minutes, seems so quick to audiences with their active encouragement (Chuimsae). When the performance completed, audiences had tears on their eyes.
Ukchuk-ga was transformed into the Legendary Chinese wars in the Three Kingdoms era in the 2nd century from the Wars of Religion in the 17th century. The story follows how the innocent Korean woman, Sun-Jong Kim (meaning obedient) became a vicious business woman as three children’s mom. In turn, audiences laminate their own lives today in the end, fighting everyday for their survival.
Pansori Project ZA’s initiative experiment, the modernity of the traditional genre of Pansori, stands on a peak. Of course, their exquisite ability could make international audience enjoyable and touching.
14.12.2012 at 20:00 15.12.2012 at 17:00 29.12.2012 at 15:00
Info:
email: pansoriza@gmail.com, (+82) 10.9853.3555
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