By Honorary Reporter Rabiatu Bobboi from Nigeria
Photos= Rabiatu Bobboi

I had the wonderful opportunity to see the theatrical play "Grandpa Mangtae Comes" by the Seoul-based theater company Theatre Moon. The company visited Nigeria on a short tour and put on four plays in three days, and as luck would have it, I watched all four and was wowed each time.

A little over a year later, I still fondly remember Theatre Moon and its performance. It wasn't just the play that was memorable, as the three crew members that put it together were also great. But I want to write about the star of the show, Park Young-hee, a theatrical actress and the star of the "one-woman paper cup play."

This company used few props to set up its portable theater but the one thing it did need was paper cups. Yes, the disposable cups used to drink hot beverages is not that disposable after all. The company took the art of sustainability to a whole new level by transforming something so ordinary and breathing life into it, creating the memorable characters of Minjae and his friends and family.

In my interview with Park, she said her love for recycling disposable products was what led her to create this production. This work has been shown around the world and when the cast and crew visited Nigeria, nothing changed. The songs and dialogue maintained their Korean-ness and the audience reaction was as engaging despite the cultural and language barriers.

The ideas for the paper cup plays are selected and adapted from story or picture books, and the duration for transforming the stories from book to stage varies by piece, though usually taking from four months to three years. The production process involves choosing a story, creating a paper cup doll, composing the music and simultaneously adapting it to the story. But I think what sets Theatre Moon apart is its fantastic use of sound and lighting on stage.

I asked Park what her special trick was for engaging the audience on stage, and she responded by citing the energy she brings to the stage and her dramatic acting. She also mentioned the fantasy in the story she presents and her unconventional characters because they are paper cups.

The actress said she feels moved when her audience engages with her performance and sees how they have enjoyed it from their loud applause. In Nigeria, she had to switch parts of the dialogue into English to better engage the audience, something she executed perfectly.

The idea behind "Grandpa Mangtae Comes," which is based on Korean folklore, is to teach children to be obedient and respectful and get them to think about the causal effect of action vs. consequence. This is done with a bit of comedic horror but I think the message is delivered well.

Park usually tells children in the audience to go home and check their mothers' backs to see if Grandpa Mangtae has left his mark (an occurrence in the play). And she said once a kid really did check this and was glad her mom was fortunately unmarked.

Kids generally leave this play with a paper cup doll that Park and her team members teach them how to make, and this is a lesson in sustainability and -- most importantly -- listening to their mothers.

chaey0726@korea.kr

*This article is written by a Korea.net Honorary Reporter. Our group of Honorary Reporters are from all around the world, and they share with Korea.net their love and passion for all things Korean