This book introduces readers to the historical, performative, and
cultural context of pansori, a traditional Korean oral story-singing
art.
Written by a scholar-practitioner of the form, this study is structured
in three parts and begins by introducing readers to the technical,
aesthetic, and theoretical components of pansori as well as the
synthesis of vocal and percussive elements that stage the narrative. It
also reflects on the historical contexts of pansori alongside Korea's
transformation from Joseon monarchy to modern statehood. It argues that
with colonial annexation came modernist influences that Korean
dramatists and audiences used to create distinct new genres of Korean
performance, using the common thread of pansori.
It further explores the dynamic interplay of preservation and
innovation, beginning in the post-war designation of national
performance art and continuing with developments that coincide with
Korea's imprint on cultural globalization. Along with Korea's growth as
a world economic center, a growing enthusiasm for Korean culture around
the world has increased the transmission and visibility of pansori. Chan
E. Park argues that tradition and innovation are not as divergent as
they are sometimes imagined to be and that tradition is the force that
enables innovation.
Unique among treatments of this subject, this book is written from
combined researcher and practitioner perspectives. Drawing on her
ethnographic work and performance practice, Chan E. Park interweaves
expert knowledge of both the textual and performative aspects of the
form, rendering legible this dramatic tradition.
