Jeongdong Theater Traditional Yeonhwi Play 'Gwangdae' Opens on the 15th of Next Month

The National Jeongdong Theater will stage the first work of the 2025 K-Culture Series, "Gwangdae," from January 15 to February 16 at the National Jeongdong Theater.

The K-Culture Series is a performance brand of the National Jeongdong Theater's arts troupe that embodies Korea's tradition and culture. Last November, Jeongdong Theater held a four-day showcase performance of the traditional yeonhui play Gwangdae. At the time of the showcase, the performance was titled "Sochundaeyuhee (笑春臺遊?)." After the showcase, Jeongdong Theater collected audience feedback through detailed satisfaction surveys and announced that the performance title was changed from Sochundaeyuhee to Gwangdae.

[Photo by National Jeongdong Theater]

Gwangdae is a comprehensive musical drama that brings together living traditions?from Korean traditional vocal music to traditional and creative dances, court music, and folk music?all in one place.

The story depicts how, in front of the arts troupe members preparing for the "2025 Sochundaeyuhee" performance, the Baeknyeon Gwangdae, who has guarded the theater for 100 years, and Obangsin (the theater god) suddenly appear, transcending 100 years of time to share the spirit, joy, and essence of Gwangdae. The stage is richly filled with various traditional performances such as court jeongjae, folk dances, pansori, pungmul, and beorna, performed by Gwangdae from 100 years ago and present-day artists.

The "Sochundaeyuhee," which appears as the subject of the performance, was the first modern paid performance staged by Hyupryulsa (協律社) in 1902. Gwangdae is a modern reinterpretation of the Sochundaeyuhee performance, which attracted attention at the time by bringing together versatile artists to present various skills.

In the play, the arts troupe leader "Sunbaek" is portrayed by sorikkun (traditional Korean vocalists) Lee Sang-hwa and Lee Bong-geun. The role of "Ai," which reveals the theme of the work and offers a twist in the latter part of the play, is played by Choi Seul-ah (11 years old) and Choi Yi-jung (7 years old).

[Photo by National Jeongdong Theater]

During the January performances of Gwangdae, Jeongdong Theater will offer a "Historical Exploration Package" on the 15th, 18th, 19th, 25th, 26th, and 30th. This package allows audiences to experience a guided tour of the historical themes featured in the work alongside the performance. Package purchasers will explore modern cultural heritage sites along Jeongdong-gil, including Jungmyeongjeon, where the theater is located, before watching the performance. The Historical Exploration Package can only be reserved through Naver Reservation, and detailed information about the sales schedule will be announced later via the National Jeongdong Theater's official social media channels (SNS).

Tickets for Gwangdae will be available for reservation starting on the 24th through the National Jeongdong Theater website and Interpark Ticket. All seats are priced at 60,000 KRW.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.