1980년대 실험연극의 담론 연구 : 마당극의 연극적 양식화 및 서사극 수용을 중심으로

Abstract

This research explores the historical significance of Korean experimental theater in the 1980s,which links the experimental theater of the 1970s and 1990s. This historical account assumes that Korean experimental theater began in the 1970s and became developed and popularized in the 1980s. While the experimental theater of the 1980s perpetuated some of the aesthetic legacies of the 1970s, it exhibits other aesthetic and spiritual characteristics that distinguish it from 1970s theater. The theater of the 1980s attempted to reinterpret Korean traditional styles from a modern viewpoint, similar to that of 1970s experimental theater. However, it also reflects diverse 1980s features such as the socio-political situation, the public’s emotions and consciousness, and the spirit of the times. For an in-depth study of the experimental theater of the 1980s, this research will analyze the discourses that focus on the stylization of ‘Madang theater’ and the acceptance of ‘Epic theater’. Although these theatrical traditions have different stylistic origins, they share similar theatrical concerns such as ‘identity of Korean theater’, ‘the popularity and sociality of theater’, and ‘modernity’ in the course of experimenting with new styles. For these reasons, ‘Madang theater’and ‘Epic theater’ represent 1980s experimental theater in that they not only capitalized on the outcomes of the 1970s but also aimed to fulfill the demands of audiences and the theatrical world of the 1980s. In sum, this research will explore how both theatrical styles took root in Korean experimental theater. Ultimately, this exploration will contribute to understanding not only the development of Korean experimental theater since the 1970s but also the aesthetics of experimental theater as it continues to develop to this day.