Japanese to perform `Mt. Kumgang Tiger¡¯

Where have all the ¡°Mt. Kumgang Tigers¡± gone? It may sound odd, but they are in Japan evidently.

Japan¡¯s drama troupe for children, ¡°Tomoshibi,¡± gave the first performance of ¡°Mt. Kumgang Tiger¡± in 1989 surprisingly and has been staging it as the group¡¯s major repertoires over the past 12 years. The troupe staged the drama in Korea three times and performed it in Korean language in 1997.

The Japanese drama troupe which has cherished affection for Mt. Kumgang tiger not in the Korean land, but in the Japanese land will stage the drama in Korea beginning from July 24.

¡°Mt. Kumgang Tiger¡± is not a paper tiger with a specious title. In the framework and contents, the drama has a strong Korean taste and color.

It is made up of eight different episodes such as the creation of mountains and rivers, fight between phantom and a boy personified from rock, and the story of horrible Mt. Kumgang tiger and a hunter.

The drama is composed of traditional dance drama, episode drama and doll play and traditional Korean instruments like janggu, puk and jing are used.

Hideki Takashiba, representative of the troup which comes to Seoul on July 23 said in a written interview, ¡°The planning of this play is designed to deliver the friendship with and respect to Korea, the neighbor of Japan and `cultural senior,¡¯ to the Japanese children.¡±

¡°So, we adopted tiger and phantom, the representing models of Korean folklore paintings, as the theme,¡± he said.

Yukio Sekiya who is much interested in Korean dancing directed the drama and Korean-Japanese Park Jung-Ja choreographed. Korean students studying in Japan helped the troupe members learn how to beat Janggu, as well as Korean dance and language, but most of its 45 members are Japanese.

The troupe was founded in 1962. Takashiba said, ¡°We hope to show much more excellent performance in Korean language and playing Korean instruments. I¡¯m now planning a new play with the Korean folklore painting as the theme.¡±

The play will be shown at the citizens halls in Songbuk-ku, Songpa-ku and other districts in Seoul. The group will also tour to provincial regions like Iksan, Cholla-pukto. The show will go on until Aug. 19. (Tel. 02-745-5127)