A Jeju Island myth comes alive as a family’s dreams and divisions are revealed through the musical storytelling of South Korea’s emotional Pansori folk tradition.

“Over the Crowd-singing of Pansori: Munjeonbonpuri,” which features a Pansori-style vocalist and a drummer, is based on shamanistic beliefs about the roles of traditional Korean household spirits, including Munjeonsin (gate gods) and Toshin (land gods).

The myth deals with the conflict between a wife and a concubine, and a weak father’s role in family relationships. It ends with its main character, the youngest son, Nokdisaengin, saving his dead mother and going on to be her Jowangsin (kitchen god).

However, although the logs and pillars of traditional Jeju Island house gates appear in the sets, “Munjeonbonpuri” refreshes the myth by updating the characters of both the father, Nam Seon-bi, and the villain, Noiljeodae — and by adding a new strand in which the mother revives and solves the family’s problems.

So, while showing how this family overcomes poor communication between its members, the production examines each one’s role and highlights both the father’s and mother’s characters as they evolve.

Nam Seon-bi and his wife, Yeosan, live in poverty with their seven sons in Namseon Village. Then Nam Seon-bi goes to Odongkuk Island to find work, but he falls in love with a local woman named Noiljeodae and squanders all his money. Meanwhile, his family is prospering thanks to the wisdom of Nokdisaengin, the youngest son, and after three years Yeosan travels to Odongkuk to find her husband. There she is met by Noiljeodae, who invites her to take a bath together but kills her by pushing her into a deep pond.

Noiljeodae then takes the shape of Yeosan and goes to the family home, but Nokdisaengin immediately realizes she isn’t his mother. Then Noiljeodae tries to kill the seven sons by ordering Nam Seon-bi to take out their livers …

Direction and playwright: PARK In-hye
Dramaturg: LEE Kyeong-hwa

Cast: PARK In-hye, YANG Seung-eun, LEE Ye-rin, HAN A-yoon, HWANG Ji-young, LEE Hae-won, SIM Mi-ryeong, CHO Bong-kuk

Music Director: PARK In-hye
Stage Design: PARK Dong-woo
Lighting Design: KIM Keon-young
Sound Design: KWON Tae-hun
Costume Design: KIM Young-jin (Chai Kim)
Video production: WOO In-je
Sound source: SEO Soon-sil Atrium (Jeju Province Intangible Cultural Property No. 13)
Assistant Director: LEE Eun-chae
Tour Manager: YOON Jin-sil
Producing manager: PARK Jenna, KIM Hee-Jung

Production: Pansori Azit Nohlaebox

<Staff>
Stage manager: SUGIYAMA Yuri
Stage: MORIBE Rio, TSUCHIYA Katsunori
Lighting: YOSHITSUGU Keisuke
Sound: WADA Masashi, HAYASHI Tetsuya
Wardrobe: MAKINO Saho

Interpretation: CHOI Youngwon
Subtitle translation: KIM Hyeryong
Subtitle operation: SHOJI Kaede (Shizuoka Head Office Korean Residents Union in Japan)
Subtitle supervisor: NISHIO Sachiko
Production: UCHIDA Toshiko, IRIE Kyohei, HAYAMA Haruyo
Volunteers: SAWAI Toru, MATSUMOTO Takanori

Technical director: MURAMATSU Atsushi
Lighting manager: HIGUCHI Masayuki
Sound manager: SAWADA Yukino

Research and Workshop supported by DOOSAN ART LAB 2021 of Doosan Art Center in Seoul.
Supported by Uijeongbu Cultural Foundation, Korea Arts Management Service
Under the auspices of Korean Cultural Center, Korean Embassy in Japan

◎Lectures and demonstrations on traditional Pansori: 7 May, 10:30-12:30
Pansori is a traditional Korean music and play (monodrama) in which one singer performs with one Buk player. It presents the original version of Pansori, which is loved the most among traditional Korean art. If you participate in the workshop after watching “Over the Crowd-singing of Pansori”, you will be able to understand Pansori more deeply.

Venue: Ellipse Theatre “DAENDO”, Shizuoka Performing Arts Park
Fee: ￥1,000 (Reservation required, up to 20 people)

◎Symposium: 5 May, 16:30-17:30
Venue: at Festival garden, Higashi-gomon Square, Sumpujo Park
Panelists: MAYUZUMI Madoka (Haiku poet)
PARK In-hye (Director, Pansori actor)
Worry KINOSHITA (Director, Playwright, Festival Director of STRANGE SEED SHIZUOKA)
MIYAGI Satoshi (Director, General artistic director of SPAC)
Entry fee: Admission free, no reservation required

◎Pre-Performance Talk: Starting 25 minutes before each performance in front of the venue.