2024 The Eternal Troupe

This performance is produced by the National Jeongdong Theater of Korea to introduce Korea’s traditional culture.

The Eternal Troupe is the story of performers who cried and laughed with the audience in the space of a theater over 100 years.

This work is inspired by a performance from 100 years ago, which is recorded as Korea’s first modern paid performance. In 1902, while preparing for a national event to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Emperor Gojong’s reign, it was canceled due to a cholera outbreak. As a result, performances such as pansori, talchum, acrobatics, and court dances practiced at the time were performed at a theater called ‘Hyopyulsa’ under the name ‘Sochundae Yuhui,’ charging admission fees from the audience. It was a stage where traditional Korean arts could be experienced in one place through the best artists of the time, and it was greatly loved by the audience of that era.

This performance will be inspired by that historic performance to showcase the beauty of our traditional arts and the artistic spirit pursued by the Korean people.

Synopsis

“A century of divine energy, A century of merriment”

While preparing for the performance, the National Jeongdong Theater of Korea Troupe and artistic director Soon-baek

encounter a situation where the performance came to an abrupt end due to an unfortunate accident.

Soon-baek and the members have their shoulders slumped.

Frustrated, Soon-baek begins to sing a piece, and suddenly the atmosphere in the theater starts to become strange.

The theater feels as though it’s a blend of 100 years of time.

The transformed theater feels as if the boundaries of time and space have collapsed.

Through that gap, the hundred-year performers who performed at this theater a century ago come pouring out.

The performers from a hundred years ago and the performers of today begin to play together, crying and laughing as one.