‘Midsummer Night’s Dream’ Returns to Daehangno
By Chung Ah-young
Staff Reporter
Fantasy, dreams and magic of William Shakespeare's tangled tale of four lovers will be blended with Korean mythical folklore and dynamic theatricality.
Promising director Yang Jung-ung has adapted the Shakespeare's romantic comedy, ``A Midsummer Night's Dream,'' giving it his own mixture of dance, voice, percussion and performance.
The play, presented by Yonhangza Company, will go on stage at Arko Arts Theater in Daehangno, central Seoul on June 15-July 8.
The Korean production took to the stage at the Barbican Center in London in 2006 for the first time, having delighted audiences at the Sydney Festival and the Hong Kong Arts Festival.
The play will be offered with English language subtitles for foreigners every Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Since the Korean adaptation directed by Yang premiered in 2002, it has toured 38 cities in 11 countries, drawing up to 70,000 to its performances.
Yang flavored Korean traditional beauty with Shakespeare's text in his adaptation, featuring oriental make-up and costumes, percussive tribal music and choreography.
Yang recreates the magic of the Midsummer fairies by turning them into dokkebi, or Korean goblins.
Amid a big party around Korean goblins (dokkebi) who love dancing and singing, Hang falls in love with Byock but her father forces her to marry Rue. So Hang and Byock decide to elope and secretly get married.
Byock accidentally tells the secret to her best friend Eeck who is in love with Rue. Eeck lets Rue know the secret hoping that he will give up his love for Byock. But the story gets more and more twisted. Finally Rue pursues his love.
The Korean interpretation of Shakespeare's love story is an impressive mixture of energetic dance, voice and percussion brought to performance by dokkebi.
It will be a different experience with unique Korean-style movements, facial expressions and delivery.
Audiences can enjoy the Korean equivalents of the fairy king and queen, Oberon and Titania, reversing their roles, Bottom turning into a woman wandering for herbs, and Puck split into twins.
Actor Chung Hae-gyun, an original cast member of the play, will take a dokkebi role, while actress Chae Guk-hee, younger sister of veteran actress Chae Si-ra, will perform Eeck.
Yohangza was established in 1997 by director Yang Jung-ung. The company's work is an exciting mix of past and present through a reworking of Korean identity, spirit and style, infused with contemporary performance elements.
The company won the major awards in the Best Production at Cairo International Festival of Experimental Theatre in September 2003 as well as numerous local awards. Its performances have struck a chord with audiences, both Korean and international.
Tickets cost from 15,000 won to 30,000 won. For more information, call (02) 3673-5580 or visit www.yohangza.com.