No description of Korean drama could be complete without
a word about puppet shows. Several references on the subject in Chinese classical
books reveal that they were performed from the outset of the Three Kingdoms
era. Apparently, the repertoire of the dramas was quite extensive, but only
three plays have survived.
Of the three, two were not really a drama because they consist of nothing more
than simple manipulation of dolls with musical accompaniment and lack both script
and story line. The third, the Kkokdugaksi, is a drama in every sense of the
word. It has a scenario which can be followed clearly, with a definite cast
of characters. It has inevitably declined with the great changes in modern taste
but it is still played occasionally in village marketplaces. It is a typical
example of the ridicule to which the elite classes of ancient Korea were subjected
to by Korean performers.
The Kkokdugaksi was presented by itinerant troupes of six or seven members,
three of them usually musicians. The dramatis personae consisted of Bak Cheom-ji,
the hero; his wife, Kkokdugaksi; his concubine; his younger brother; two young
shaman women; a nephew; four Buddhist monks; the governor of Pyeongan-do province;
the governor's butler; a hunter, and a serf. The musicians were included in
the cast as villagers. It had eight acts, each more or less independent of the
others, giving the whole play a distinct character. |