‘Changjak Sansil’ Debuts 34 New Korean Stage Works Through March
Creatrip Team
2 months ago
The Korea Arts & Culture Education Service’s long-running new-works program ‘Changjak Sansil’ (창작산실) opened its 18th season, presenting 34 new pieces across six genres — theater, original musicals, dance, opera, traditional arts, and music — at venues like Arko Arts Theater and Daehangno through March. Highlights include family musical Blue Lion Wanini (based on author Lee Hyun’s children’s book) exploring identity and coexistence; James Byron Dean, a musical imagining the actor’s final five minutes; and A High School Librarian’s Glory and Tragedy, about girls confronting an uncertain future while searching for a missing teacher. Plays address memory, loss, women’s lives, and hidden violence; dance pieces tackle climate and future issues through ballet, modern dance, and experimental forms; music and opera blend traditional and contemporary sounds; and traditional arts experiment by mixing pansori (판소리) with rock and original drama. Founded in 2008, Changjak Sansil supports new work from discovery to production and has staged 332 pieces to date, spawning hits like Marie Curie and Red Book and award-winning plays. The program offers audiences a first look at Korea’s “future classics.”
