During the fall harvest season and in the first month of the lunar year in Korea, people used to gather at their village square and watch art puppet dances, mask dances or acrobatic shows, all to the beats of various traditional percussion instruments.

Some would dance to the music and beat instruments in time with energizing refrains, “Ul-ssi-gu!” or “Ul-ssu!” to interact with the performers in the madangnori, a traditional outdoor performance.

“Simcheongjeon,” a famous classical story about filial piety, returns to the stage recreated as a madangnori performance entitled “Here Comes Simcheong.” It features an engaging plot, younger cast and fusion music using Korean and Western instruments, performed on an indoor stage fitted for the winter season. 

Director Son Jin-chaek, who has been at the forefront of staging madangnori as a theater genre, seeks to bring back the essential Korean culture at the National Theater of Korea for a 33-day run of performances.

Sohn’s madangnori was performed for over 2.5 million audience members across the nation, from 1981 until the show halted in 2010.

“I wanted to continue madangnori for 30 years in a row, but circumstances were difficult (in 2010),” said Sohn at the press conference held in Seoul in November.

“This performance marks the new beginning of another 30 years and for the next generation to continue the legacy,” said Sohn. “It should not end up being a one-time performance.”

For this performance, the original members of the madangnori joined Sohn. They include choreographer Guk Su-ho, composer Park Bum-hoon, screenwriter Bae Sam-shik, and National Changgeuk Company artistic director Kim Sung-nyo, who is Sohn’s wife and was the madangnori’s main actress in the past. But this time, she serves as a theatrical director to share her experiences and expertise with the young performers. 

“Here Comes Simcheong” ― the story of a girl named Simcheong who sacrifices her life for her blind father Sim Hak-gyu ― will be performed on a platform stage that extends into the audience on three sides while a 360-degree view screen plays a video in the background. The recreated stage will provide intimacy between performers and the audiences like the traditional village square setting.

“Although the performance is adapted from a traditional folktale, it is not intended to uphold a nationalistic and antiquated spirit,” said Sohn. “Madangnori should breathe with the society and resonate in people’s hearts.”

“Madangnori is a unique theatrical performance in Korea for everyone to enjoy, like a holiday,” said National Changgeuk Company’s Kim, “even for ordinary people who can’t visit theaters regularly.”

The National Theater of Korea madangnori production “Here Comes Simcheong” runs from Dec. 10 to Jan. 11 at the Haeoreum Theater at the National Theater of Korea in Jangchung-dong, central Seoul. Ticket prices range from 30,000 won to 70,000 won. For more information, visit www.ntok.go.kr or call (02) 2280-4114.

By Ahn Sung-mi (sahn@heraldcorp.com)