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Home , Korean dance, Korean mask, Namsadang, Pungmul, Talchum, The King and the Clown

Exhibition: September 30, 2012 – January 6, 2013 East-West Center Gallery, Honolulu, Hawai‘i

The East-West Center Arts Program presents Dancing the Spirit: KOREAN MASKS, MUSIC, & SOCIAL CONCERNS

Guest Curator: Kathy Foley Installation: Michael Schuster and Lynne Najita Photos: CedarBough Saeji Featured Artists: Ohwhan Cho, Mikyong Go, Chan E. Park, Kathy Foley

THE OLD MONK, NOJANG, FROM YANGJU BYEOLSANDAE SITS BETWEEN TWO SOMU AT INTERNATIONAL MASK FESTIVAL, ANDONG, 2010

Korean mask dance drama takes These styles have roots in early “intangible cultural properties” from various forms and names ( , shamanism and , but were the 1960s. In the 1970s –1980s these sandae noli, ogwangdae, talnori, molded, as we know them today, forms were revitalized as students yayu ) in different parts of the Korean by the low-status entertainers in the took up the masks, drums, peninsula, but the characters and the Dynasty (1392 –1910) and and the biting political satire of the performance patterns recur in comic were battered during Japanese genre into the democracy movement scenes that play at festivals and in colonial rule (1910 –1945) and the in political protests and guerilla open-air markets. Korean War (1950 –53). The forms theatre ( madang geuk , open air only emerged as protected national theatre). “Uri-geot” (our things)—a rejection of Western models—became the cry. Mask dance drama’s bright energy, percussion, and improvised humor that talked back to power, fit those times. Playwrights borrowed aspects in new works from the 1980s and scholars delved into the forms’ history. By the 21st century masks became a regular part of tourist campaigns, TV commercials, and international performance tours. The bright masks and funny episodes came alive in song and dance, saying what needs to be said. The images give insight into the aesthetics MEOKJUNG AND OMJUNG FROM YANGJU BYEOLSANDAE AT and ANDONG INTERNATIONAL MASK DANCE FESTIVAL, ANDONG, 2010 concerns of the History “little Outdoor performances by young and shaman practices of the Three guy” and Buddhists in martial training are said Kingdoms and periods, but were share the to be the root of (“flower demoted in the Yi dynasty (1392-1910) vibrant boys”) arts, which include , when officials were more likely to spirit of mask dance, , tightrope merely tolerate them as parts of New — walking, and pungmul drumming done Year’s exorcisms or harvest rites. past and by an all male troupe. These arts may The festival feeling, open references present. have had higher status in the Buddhist to sex, and satire of the Confucian hierarchy were considered low class. Performers were initially itinerants linked to shamanism, prostitution, and disorder. However these entertainers’ stages were routinely set up to amuse envoys from China or bring energy to festivals or exorcisms, events that harked back to the older order. When professional namsadang entertainers weren’t reliably available, local farmers and minor officials took up the art and emulated the skits and donned the masks themselves. Fun, satire, letting off steam, and usually a bit of exorcism made mask dance drama a popular entertainment. Distorted visages, pox marks and harelips were probably presented in masks to avoid them in real life. Traditionally, after most performances finished, the masks were burned.

SOMU, FOREGROUND, AND THE OLD MONK NOJANG IN BONGSAN TALCHUM AT PUNGRYU THEATRE, , 2011 Episodic Narrative Most of the performances preserved today were documented in the 1960s, and likely replicate forms of the late 19th and early 20th century. Still, poetry from the 18th century describes scenes similar to those performed today. A string of episodes, not necessarily connected, comprises most shows. Monks dances often represent the four directions, and sometimes form a kind of mandala, as in some Buddhist dances as far away as Bhutan and Nepal. An old monk ( Nojang ) forgets his vows and seduces a young woman (Somu ). But the girl is stolen away by a lusty young man ( Chwibali ) who shortly thereafter is abandoned by the lady and left holding their bawling baby. An old aristocrat ( ) and scholar ( ) may try to show off their THE YANGBAN DANCES WITH BUNE, A CONCUBINE, IN HAHOI BYEOLSHINGUT TALNOLI AT ANDONG INTERNATIONAL MASK DANCE FESTIVAL, Confucian learning, but both are really ANDONG, 2010 driven by greed and desire. A butcher may sell these old men bull of living. As the annual September testicles as Yi dynasty Viagra. And the Andong mask dance festival warns servants always outwit their masters. viewers, all boundaries are permeable Monkeys and lions may dance through —a dancer may invade the audience the scene. and the viewer is part of the event too. An old Mask dance drama is the collective woman finds work of those who are present. that her Putting on the mask, a person slacker enters into the archetype, lifts up husband one’s arms in dance, and moves to the has taken up drum. Figures who were born in old with someone festivals and who may represent the else and she seasons and their complains changes—the white bitterly. mask of Somu, the Someone red face of Chwibali, may hit her the black face of and soon she Nojang)—or birth drops dead. A funeral rite may morph (Chwibali’s baby) into a shaman ritual to conclude the and death (the old event or perhaps the dead person woman), appear awakens. The stories are timeless and though whoever is remind us of Punch and Judy plots, but living/dancing the humor and commentary is about now. Masks our times. Energetic dances, pounding continue to be drums, and blessings at both the reworked by beginning and end of the performance contemporary artists are probably meant to banish illness to fully live into the and to promise good luck. Korean future. Performers and audiences unite in poking fun and celebrating the mystery

CHWIBALI HOLDS ALOFT HIS SON IN BONGSAN TALCHUM AT PUNGRYU THEATRE, SEOUL, IN 2011 Special Events All in the EWC Gallery, admission free. Sunday, September 30, The East-West Center promotes better relations and understanding among the people 2:00-3:30 p.m. and nations of the , Asia, and the Exhibition Gala Opening including Pacific through cooperative study, research, and reception and performance by dialogue. Established by the U.S. Congress in renowned performers and scholars 1960, the Center serves as a resource for Kathy Foley and Chan Park. They will information and analysis on critical issues of perform a unique fusion theatre piece common concern, bringing people together to based upon Korean (storytelling exchange views, build expertise, and develop with musical accompaniment) and policy options. The Center is an independent, puppetry. public, non-profit organization with funding Sunday, October 7, 2:00-3:00 p.m. from the U.S. government, and additional , including Chan Park, support provided by private agencies, Jindo Island dances, and local dance individuals, foundations, corporations, performers from the Halla Huhm Studio, and governments in the region. under the direction of Mary Jo Freshley. The East-West Center Arts Program Sunday, October 14, 2:00 p.m. for three decades has enriched the community Korean Music , including mini- through concerts, lectures, symposia, and performances by locally based exhibitions focusing on traditional arts of the musicians. THE MONKEY RIDING ON SOMU IN GANGNYEONG TALCHUM region, and by arranging cultural and educational AT ANDONG INTERNATIONAL MASK DANCE FESTIVAL, tours by artists who are skilled in bridging ANDONG, 2010 Sunday, October 21, 2:00-4:00 p.m. cultures. http://arts.EastWestCenter.org Film: “ ,” a is a Professor of Theatre Arts popular Korean film about a 15th : Karen Knudsen, director, Kathy Foley EWC Arts Team at the , Santa Cruz, century king who falls in love with a External Affairs; William Feltz, arts program where she is been Provost of Merrill and Porter beautiful male clown/acrobat. manager; Michael Schuster, Ph.D., curator; Colleges, and has taught at University of Eric Chang, arts outreach coordinator, Yining Lin, Sunday, November 4, 2:00-3:00 p.m. Hawai`i, Yonsei University, and Chulalongkorn arts assistant. Illustrated talk, “: an University. She is author of the Southeast Asia excursion beyond masks, vases and section of CAMBRIDGE GUIDE TO WORLD Guest Curator Kathy Foley wishes to paintings.” Edward Shultz will present THEATRE and editor of ASIAN THEATRE acknowledge the invaluable assistance of Chan major highlights of traditional Korea’s art JOURNAL; her articles have appeared in TDR, Park, CedarBough Saeji, Young-Oak Lee, Pongsan world, focusing on important artifacts MODERN DRAMA, ASIAN THEATRE JOURNAL, Talchum (Intangible Cultural Property #17), and from , Koryo, and Choson and how PUPPETRY INTERNATIONAL and in other Yangju Byeolsandae Nori (Intangible Cultural these works provide insights in Korea’s journals and books. Property #49). cultural development. She trained in mask and puppetry in the Mahalo also to Mary Jo Freshley, Dr. Ricardo Sundanese region of Indonesia and was the Sunday, November 11, 2:00-3:00 p.m. Trimillos, Leilani Ng, Colorprints, Jason Li, first non-Indonesian invited to perform in the Illustrated talk “Keeping a Tradition SOEST, Tae Ja Koki, Christy Fujii, Moon Mi Soon, prestigious all Indonesia National Alive: Issues with Preservation and Honolulu Theatre for Youth, Brooks G. Bays, Jr., Festival (PEKAN WAYANG). She performs Transmission of Dance Sara L. Pfannkuchi, The Anthropology Museum, frequently in the U.S. and Indonesia and has Dramas” presented by Korean mask Dr. Yong-Shik Lee, Derek Ferrar, Shayne curated exhibitions of Puppets of South and scholar and photographer CedarBough Hasegawa, Tina Tom, Roxanne Tunoa, Deanna Southeast Asia and Masks of Southeast Asia Saeji. O’Brien, Floren Elman-Singh, Lucy Kamealoha, for Center for Puppetry Arts in Atlanta, Sunday, December 2, 2:00-3:00 p.m. Reynold Balintec, EWC Facilities Management, Northern Illinois University, University of Illustrated talk, “Moving Home: and Kennedy & Preiss Graphic Design. Pittsburgh, the National Geographic Gallery, The Legacy of Halla Pai Huhm.” and the East-West Center. Filmmaker Billie Lee will discuss the Korean dance master/choreographer’s CedarBough T. Seiji , photographer and work in Hawai‘i and show excerpts from East-West Center Gallery Korean Studies scholar, received her Ph.D. from UCLA, and M.A. from Yonsei University in her film. Honolulu, Hawai‘i Seoul. Focusing particularly on Korean mask John A. Burns Hall, 1601 East-West Road Sunday, December 9, 2:00-4:00 p.m. dance, she has received numerous awards in (corner Dole St. & East-West Rd.) Film: “,” an artistic film that Gallery hours: Weekdays: 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. support of her research and photography, and tells of a family of traditional Korean Sundays: Noon-4:00 p.m. has experience performing a variety of Korean pansori singers trying to make a living in Closed Saturdays and holidays dance forms. the modern world. For further information: 94 4-7177 Sunday, January 6, 2013, [email protected] This exhibition was supported in part by the 2:00-3:00 p.m. http://arts.EastWestCenter.org Halla Huhm Foundation and the University of School & group tours available California—Santa Cruz (Porter College Executive Illustrated talk, “ But is it ‘Korean’ Committee, Arts Research Institute, and Academic Dance? ” Judy Van Zile, UHM professor Gallery visitors interested in joining the Senate Committee on Research). EWC Arts emeritus, will speak about traditional EWC Arts ‘Ohana can obtain the appropriate Programs are made possible by the Hawai‘i Pacific and in Korea. flyer in the gallery, by telephoning the Rim Society, Friends of Hawai‘i Charities, and EWC Foundation at 944-7105, or online: generous contributors to the EWC Foundation, http://arts.EastWestCenter.org including members of the EWC Arts ‘Ohana. Printed with soy based inks on recycled paper