Traditional Drama

There are still four Korean traditional types of drama in use: the Mask dance, the Puppet Show, Pansori, and the Shaman Show. They were all developed among the folk.

Pansori

Pansori is performed through sound and speech. Late in the Choson kingdom, it was played by a performer and a drummer. Using their voice and actions, they performed it for two or three hours. At the end of the Choson kingdom, Sin Jae Hyo arranged it in six episodes, Chun Hyang Ga, Sim Chung Ga, a Gourd Ballad, Juk Puck Ga, a Rabbit Ballad and the Ga Ru Gi Ballad.

Site Links

  • Mask Dance


    • Ka Myun Keuk (Mask Drama)

    A drama with actors with masks on, this has the widest transmission from generation to generation. The mask dances called "tal choom" and "sandae nol ee", "ohkwang dae", and "byulsan show" are all categories of the mask drama.

    Usually these dramas are played out once a year on Chungwul Dae Borum or Tano festivals. The actors are experienced people who have high skills in dancing and line rehearsing.

    The stage is in the center where the people sit and it is not on a platform. on one side there are musical players and actors with their masks on show their mobements along with the beat of the music. Usually the atmosphere is made more enjoyable when held at night when people light the stage with candles. Mask dramas portray troubles of real life.

    Only in 1930 were scripts for the mask dramas available and in 1960 many stsrted to study it as a science.

    Starting in 1970, mask dance groups were to be seen in colleges and universities nation wide. This encouraged students and people of all kinds to have interest in Ka Myun Kuk.