Pojagi

1999–2000
Theater

About the Production

Pojagi is a prismatic exploration of Korean history from the 16th century to the dawn of the 21st century, focusing primarily on Korea’s relations with Japan and the United States. Inspired by traditional Korean shamanistic rituals, Pojagi was devised as a theatrical rite of discovery and longing, a summoning of the dead to give witness to the present. Eyewitness testimonies of early encounters between Europeans and Koreans, a succession of Japanese occupations, the assassination of Korea’s Queen Min, the arbitrary partition of the Korean peninsula at the dawn of the Cold War, and reflections on the delicate ecosystem of the demilitarized zone combine to tell the tale of an indomitable people and embattled land.

Pojagi is the fourth part of Ping Chong’s East/West Quartet.

Production Team And Cast

Conceived, Written and Directed by

Ping Chong

Dramaturgs

Dong II Lee and Sandra Weathers Smith

Choreography

Sun Young Park

Set Design

Watoku Ueno

Lighting Design

Darren McCroom

Graphic Design

Jan Hartley

Sound Design

Brian Hallas

Costume Design

Stefani Mar

Technical Director

Hitoshi Yoshiki

Production Manager

Courtney Golden

Cast

Esther K. Chae, C.S. Lee, Shin Young Lee and Sun Young Park

Performance History

Workshop

Harvard University Institute on the Arts and Civic Dialogue, Cambridge, MA (July 1999)

Premiere

La MaMa E.T.C., New York, NY (February 2000)

Tours

DMZ Festival 2000, Imjingak, South Korea Institute on the Arts and Civic Dialogue (December 1999 – January 2000)

Partners

The Harvard Institute on the Arts and Civic Dialogue