This research project examines and analyzes <Sacheon-ga> and <Ukchuk-ga> by young Korean pansori artist, Jaram Lee and her collaborative group Pansori Za. These two modern pansori are adaptations of Bertolt Brecht’s epic plays <A Good Person of Setzu ...
This research project examines and analyzes <Sacheon-ga> and <Ukchuk-ga> by young Korean pansori artist, Jaram Lee and her collaborative group Pansori Za. These two modern pansori are adaptations of Bertolt Brecht’s epic plays <A Good Person of Setzuen> and <Mother Courage and Her Children>. In order to interpret and evaluate these works, I use intercultural performance theory, which illuminates the political and cultural significance of performances that draw in and intermix elements from different cultures, and feminist theory, which criticizes patriarchal systems of the society and suggests new possibilities of women’s identities and subjectivities. Using these two theories, I focus on how epic theatre and pansori meet, resulting in a traditional yet comtemporary form of pansori, and how Jaram Lee, as a young Korean woman, expresses women’s lives and experiences using Brecht’s plays as a creative platform.
The execution of this research project resulted in three major achievements. Firstly, I participated an international conference titled “East Asia Theatres: Traditions-Inspirations-European/ Polish Contexts” held in Krakow, Poland, in 2015. My presentation, titled “An International Call from the Third World: Jaram Lee’s Brecht Pansori, Sacheonga,” introduces and describes the collaborative process of the creation of Sacheonga and its performance and style. It also explores its significance in the context of intercultural performances. Secondly, I published an academic paper titled “Text Adapting Strategies of Sacheonga as Intercultural Performance from the Third World” on the Journal of Korean Theatre Studies Association, volume 58 in 2016. This paper anaylizes how Jaram Lee transferred the original stroy, written by a German playwright during the World War 2, to the social and political context of Korea in 21st century. Comparing Sacheon-ga with the original story, I examine what has been changed and emphasized, how Sacheon-ga conveys them in the form of pansori, and what are its significances. Thirdly, I participated in the Spring Conference of Korean Theatre Studies Association and presented “Three Korean Adaptations of Brecht’s Mother Courage and Her Children.” This paper examines how each of the three Korean adaptations of Brecht’s play, Street Theatre Troupe’s Mother Courage and Her Children, Theatre Company Jayu’s The Woman, Mother Courage, and Jaram Lee’s Ukchukga, reflect and/or subvert the patriarchal assumptions in the original play, especially focusing on the two main female characters, Mother Courage and Katrina.
I expect that this research project will contribute to introducing Korean art and artist’s works in the English speaking countries through the participation of international conferences and the publication of the paper in English. I also hope that this research project will be of use to those artists who adapt Western texts and use them as resources for their new artistic works. Finally, I believe that my feminist analysis of Brecht’s works and Korean adaptations of his works, especially Jaram Lee’s works, will contribute to the enrichment of feminist discourse in Korean theatre.