The Theatre Performances

On May 20, 2008 there was a theatre performance at Un-am Middle School. The theme is the May 18 Gwangju Democratic Uprising. There were around 500 students gathered at the hall.

This performance is an education program meant especially for the students. The students as youth are the continuation of future generation. It is hoped that through this performance the students could know and feel the story of struggles of the ‘Minjung’ (people) of the May 18 Gwangju Democratic Uprising.

The theatre group who performed was 좋다 (Jo-ta). They were 6 persons. The title was 귀신은 뭐하나 (;What are ghosts doing?’). Ghosts mean the activists who fight for democracy, human rights, and peace especially in South Korea. What are they doing now after they died and as spirits.

좋다 (Jo-ta) made used of both traditional and popular theatre tools and methods like: han-bok (Korean traditional clothes), sing and dance of Korean pop song, and others. Before the performance started, the teachers set in order the students.

They started the performance at around 2 PM, one of the performers came out from the back stage and made communication with the students like encouraging them to clap their hands. This is one trick to make the students conspicuous. This trick succeeded. The performance started when the old man (as a grandfather) came out and began his story.

Each actor performed and played their part very well. The students enjoyed the show. They did not get bored because the story is a little bit funny. The performance took place for an hour. After the performance finished, the students went back to their classes.

The theatre performances supported by the May 18 Memorial Foundation. Every year the Foundation supports and organizes this program on the months of May and November until December. This year, the theatre performances were held at elementary schools, middle schools, high schools, and other public places.

Besides 좋다 (Jo-ta), the other groups who performed were:

1. Sin Myung, mean artist performing group.

2. Haineul-geul-ri-gi, mean art creative group for performance.

3. IL-ter, mean performer’s group for labor-art.

The Haineul-geul-ri-gi and Il-ter had performed too last year. The venue of performances every year can be same or different schools.

The citizens of Gwangju promotes the May 18 Gwangju Democratic Uprising as a big history that should not be forgotten and bequeathed from generation to generations. The story and spirit of the struggle is not only a property of the ‘Minjung’ in 1980, but all of the citizens of Gwangju forever.

link:
www.518.org