허규와 전통극, 그 현대적 수용과 과제 = Heo Gyu and Traditional Korean Drama, its Up-to-date Adaptation and Tasks

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

Director Heo Gyu`s career in arts, which started from 1960s in this land when the culture and arts in a contemporary sense began to form in full swing, was his unique life path having devoted only to the traditional drama of Korea. While passing through various stages, such as drama circle in college, the experimental theater, and Minye (folk art) theater, also discharging duties as the president of National Theater of Korea, he had tried to establish his world of drama directing that embraced every genre ranging from Korean traditional opera to street fair, including each type of western dramas as well, which was his life long struggle challenging the odds to achieve his goal of creating Korean style drama skills for which he tried hard to seek indigenous characteristics of Korean drama. He considered the traditional arts a repository of the nation`s original arts, so then he thought that uniqueness, tradition, and identity are essential to the arts. In 1960s, the subject of interest in theater was the traditional drama, and this topic was discussed with a focus mainly on mask dance. And after 1970s, not only mask dance, but Pansori (dramatic story-signing), Gut (Koran shamanist rituals), various rites and rituals, also village communal folk entertainment, etc. had drawn attention in that these contain dramatizing performances. Particularly, the theatrical circles had elicited overall theatrical heritages included in folk arts by expanding the concept of drama broadly. Heo Gyu had continued his works having put emphases on succession of theatrical heritage based on the traditional art forms and styles. Securing viability through adaptation and reconstruction of traditional arts, seeking adaptation and creation through varied experiments therefor, then after, the outcomes with which the dramas were able to be performed abundantly having utilized traditional ways of expressions in an active manner were resulted from such efforts, and also a reflection thereof. Heo Gyu perceived that conveying the spirit being aroused and moved during performance, pleasure and elegance, and enthusiasm, which are inherent in the drama to modern people was an important task. Accordingly such a thought was expressed as with his direction of Korean traditional opera for a long period of time. In the meantime, however, contemporary succession and up-to-date adaptation of the tradition which he had advocated as his lifelong conundrum (or meditative topic) still remains as an incomplete task revealing controversy. Also, his works for seeking the original form of Korean traditional opera is surely one of his achievements, but, even this work hasn`t got on the track yet. Meanwhile, however, we cannot deny the fact that the conundrum presented by him had exerted a great influence on the open stage called `Madanggeuk` (Outdoor Theater) during the `70s and `80s, and that this had enabled numerous playwrights, directors, stage artists to conduct experimental works along with providing them with ample materials. Time has changed, and audience has changed as well. Korean traditional opera has also been facing increased challenges from the side of style. It is required that modern Korean drama has to be developed all the more on the ground of our precious theoretical heritages. On the issue concerned with contemporary succession of traditions which have been maintained up until now by many artists with their sense of duty, as well as its adaptation, we need to exert our research efforts continuously, and also to keep up with our works to prepare good performances.