비평담론을 통해 본 연극 <에쿠우스> 수용의 쟁점과 에로티시즘

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to reveal what is the meaning of eroticism in drama by investigating how the criticism is dealing with the eroticism in the drama <Equus>. In order to this, we examined which factors affected the evaluation of this drama in a way of exclusive possession and what were the background and situation exerting an such effects by analyzing the criticism on drama in 1970's. The criticism about the premiere in 1975 was only focused on the artistic value, but did not discuss the parts related with eroticism. At last, the symbol of eroticism seen by <Equus> reveals that the eroticism is very uncomfortable thing. The Korean style possession of <Equus> has the characteristic that it did not recognize the original work’s eroticism similar to porno, which was frankly revealed in Broadway performances. That was possible because the <Equus> performed in 1975 was taken into the mainstream criticism, namely, Korean style embracement of comtemporary drama. This means that it was not resulted from direct internalization of the universalism of western drama. The Korean style embracement of comtemporary drama in 1970’s is important. But, the culture policy of Yushin regime influenced that this discussion could become the mainstream. The nationalism was regarded as the state priority. It led to that the critics were forced to be compliant with the atmosphere of state support for establishment of national culture and to be silent to sensitive, political issues and to focus on academism. Here, we can also understand the exclusion of discussion about eroticism in this background. It is unfair to ask why this exclusion of discussion is important regarding eroticism as inferior to political issues. In 1990's and 2000's, the eroticism embedded in <Equus> was continuously recalled, but it was differently named. The critics took no notice of the talk about the eroticism although it was possible to discuss the eroticism in the <Equus> directed by Kim Ara in 1990 from the aspect of the times or concepts of performance. The possibility of sound discussion on the eroticism through <Equus> was distorted like this because it was related with the way of survival of the drama which should be differentiated from other genres.