In the week April 13-17, we mainly directed our focus on researching the origins of Bongsan Talchum. I found the books from UW to have been especially useful in terms of learning more about its history. I had already researched Talchum's origin a while back, so I spent most of my time confirming the information I had, and crafting my slide presentation.
In summary, Talchum was originally a religious rite, believed to have been a performance to rid of evil spirits. However as time continues, the art form strayed away from its religious origin, and instead focused on current issues. Much of the performances were mainly to critique the upper-class society, thus they used masks to hide their identities. One of the new discoveries I found was the possible influence of another Japanese theatre tradition, which is surprising considering Korea and Japan's past relations.
I presented this information to my peers on Thursday for some feedback. I received comments complimenting the aesthetic of my presentation, while someone acknowledged the lack of flow in my speech.
This week, we are focusing on our moment of theatre and how we would want to go about it. Right now, I am researching more about the movements of the tradition, and possible monologues for me to use. I hope to be able to find a monologue in the coming week, so I can begin crafting what movements I would want to do, and music that could embody the script.
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