#Pansori ‘Les Miserables’

Pansori LES MISERABLES series is a contemporary Pansori with a new interpretation in the Korean context of Victor-Mari Hugo’s original novel <Les Miserables>. The purpose of making this series is based on the way of making Pansori in tradition. Rather than dramatizing the novel as it is, the goal is focused on making ‘a mini-size theater’ of each character in the novel. At last, combining all units create one grand-theater size performance. 

#Tomaksori(the concept like a song-unit in complete pansori)
So, this series is the project of developing a short story inside a long story. Short stories can be performed independently and be inside a complete performance at the same time. It shows that Pansori, the combination of music and literature, is like a module. Unfortunately, Pansori’s creative process so far has been a fixed form of making a story into a performance. This process of Ip Koa Son is heading closer to ‘Pansori’ authentically and creatively. Instead of following the conventional process, Ip Koa Son focuses on the process of creating and developing the virtue of traditional pansori.

#1st Tomaksori(Unit) _ FANTINE

Fantine is the first character chosen by Ip Koa Son in this series. Fantine, a poor and beautiful woman, exists as a worthless character of the inconsiderate social structure in this novel. Her beauty is not helpful to her life, more disturbing. 

In this performance, the time and space where Fantine lives are not revealed. Because this kind of woman, The poor and beautiful tragic character, exists in any age. Sorikkun(Storyteller and singer) walk through her biography and watch what she(or the women) got through. 

Mask dancer (Talchum, Korean traditional mask dance) represents Fantine. ‘Mask dancing’ Without a mask resembles the life of Pantine without any shelter. 

SYNOPSIS

#1 _ The poor woman. So pity.

Loss of family, loss of financial support, loss of educational opportunity, unwanted pregnancy, unemployment, falling wages, and disease, violence, the problem of cunning and lax laws. Modern social scientists have said that those contributed significantly to create a chain of poverty. Here, there is “Fantine,” the fruit of poverty that is determined and created by those.

#2 _ The poor and beautiful woman, So pity. 

‘You are normal.’ The dictionary meaning of this word is a normal state with no outstanding or unusual points. Fantine, an unusual person who is poor and even beautiful, is unable to take off the bondage of poverty and contempt without belonging to the ‘group’ created by society. 

#3 _ The poor and beautiful woman has a baby, So pity. 

As a double-edged knife, the poverty and beauty are engraved to the life of Fantine’s mother and Fantine, Fantine’s daughter as follows.