사회현상의 가시화 및 시민포럼 가치로서의 연극

Visualizing social phenomena and theater as a civic forum value: Focusing on <BE HAPPY> directed by Won-jong Choi

(Purpose) Throughout history, theatre has served as a mediator and catalyst for the exchange of social phenomena and political issues, the solicitation of opinions and the making of decisions (e.g. ancient Greek theatre). With this historical background, theatre in European culture has not only an artistic value, but also a socio-political and civic education value. The purpose of this paper is to look at and understand the context in which these young people move from deviance to crime through the performance of “BE HAPPY”, which depicts the life of a young person after running away from home. As a result, we will consider the role of theatre arts in examining and solving the problems of human society. Theater has historically served as a mediator and catalyst for sharing social phenomena and political questions, asking for opinions, and making decisions (ex. Greek ancient theater). With this historical background, theater in European culture has not only artistic value, but also socio-political value and civic education value. (Design/methodology/approach) The theoretical methodology used in this study is fieldwork. It is a fieldwork approach that is important to the intersection of practice and theory in the performing arts, as well as to cultural and anthropological research. Specifically, we use the method of participant observation. Participant observation is a research method in which the researcher goes beyond understanding and recording the life of the observed subject only through books or records, or indirectly through interviews with people who speak the language of the observed subject, and enters directly into the life of the observed subject, learning their language, embodying their culture, living with them for an extended period of time, and sharing their daily lives. (Findings) Theater can't pass legislation to increase criminal penalties and protective custody. Nor can it provide a sheltered community that directly corrects and protects. But theater is a place to look at people and to study society. Through the stories of the characters, we learn, understand, and empathize with the fundamental value and dignity of human existence. By bringing them to the center of the stage, we (re)educate them about the dignity of existence and bring to light the social problems that we want to hide, so that they can be considered and discussed. (Research implications or Originality) The study suggests that the intellectual and sensory abilities of the performer and the spectator, the learning of abstract and everyday (non-)linguistic codes, observation and empathy for self and others, and the development of conceptual thinking and metacognition should be developed. Civic engagement and education on these issues should also be actively practised. The uniqueness of this research is that providing such a space is the social vocation and public responsibility of the theatre and theatre companies.