A master of P’ANSORI – a form of Korean storytelling featuring song, movement and the rhythm of a barrel drum – will perform at an upcoming event hosted by Loyola Marymount University’s College of Communication and Fine Arts.
The Saturday, Oct. 10, event will include a presentation and lecture by Chan E. Park, an Ohio State University professor of Korean language, literature and performance studies, as well as a lecture by Ah-Jeong Kim, a professor of theatre history and acting department chair of theatre at California State University, Northridge.
Supported by a grant from the Korea Foundation, the event will take place from 2 to 4 p.m. in LMU’s Murphy Recital Hall, with a reception following in the George A.V. Dunning Courtyard. The event is free and open to the public.
“For me, what is so beautiful about P’ANSORI is the vocal quality and the dynamic theatrical relationship between the vocal performer and the audience,” said Leon Wiebers, an assistant professor of theatre arts and dance. As a Fulbright Scholar, Wiebers conducted research in South Korea on traditional dress and performance. As a costume designer, he has designed productions in the United States and internationally.
P’ANSORI, described as Korean opera, involves a singer – or sorikkun – and drummer – gosu – telling a story that often involves audience interaction. The term blends the words pan, which in Korean refers to “a place where many people gather,” and sori, meaning “sound.”
During her performance, Park will present a bilingual version of scenes from the Korean folk tale Song of Shim Chong. The story follows the life of a loving girl who, in an attempt to restore the sight of her blind father, was tricked into sacrificing herself to the Dragon King.
Kim’s lecture will explore the trajectory of P’ANSORI from its origin to present as well as its future as a unique performing art form that contains the national ethos of Korean people.
