Silence speaks volumes in this Korean puppet show
A Tree And A Boy deals with complex concepts like the infinite cycle of nature and signals that birth, growth, death and regeneration are all recurrent, and collectively convey the magic of existence.
Stills of the puppet play from the rehearsals
CHENNAI: In 1993, when she was pregnant, Mi Hee Lee dreamt about a woman walking slowly on the stage. Though the steps were tiring, each step reflected immense hope. That dream inspired her to bring in the form of a play. “I meticulously developed the synopsis and each scene, as 19 years of my dream unfolded into a reality,” starts Mi Hee Lee, director of theBEFU. InKo Centre is bringing the theatre production for the first time to India, for the premiere of A Tree And A Boy.
theBEFU, which means Best Friend in English and Be Kind in Korean, believes that happiness should be a collective dream. With an aim to specialise in culture and art education for children and young adults, the Korean-based company was established in 1997. Their dream is to build a society that is positive and free from discrimination. theBEFU Company believes that education with theatre can have a meaningful effect on transforming this world and is keen to consistently project the genuine value of culture and art education.
Set in Korean aesthetic, the play is filled with poetic imagery and delicate sounds that showcase the lives of a tree and a boy through all the seasons. A Tree And A Boy deals with complex concepts like the infinite cycle of nature and signals that birth, growth, death and regeneration are all recurrent, and collectively convey the magic of existence.
The play will be a non-verbal puppet show. “We decided to have it as a non-verbal one, thinking about the overseas performances. An array of puppet controlled by 2-3 actors appears as an important role, and a simple puppet moved by the actor alone is used for the neighbourhood children. In the scene where the tragedy of the main characters unfolds, shadow puppets, board puppets and stick puppets also appear,” says Mi Hee Lee.
The 50-minute play is being staged at the Little Festival, which is an annual event for children organised by The Little Theatre. Talking about why she chose the puppet format to convey such difficult concepts, Mi Hee Lee shares, “There would have been no better format than a puppet show to portray various protagonists and their lives in many seasons.” The theme of the story would be relatable to people from different age categories and has a lot of Korean influence to it. “We practised hard to bring in the detailed and expressive movements through puppets. We were skeptical whether the young audience would understand the silence as it is a non-verbal show. But after each step, we understood that the audience can understand and connect with the story,” she adds.
Mi Hee Lee thinks that the audience’s favourite characters might differ based on their age group and life experience. “I think kids will love the kids in the show, and adults will connect with grandpa,” laughs the 60-year-old.
Enter the silent world of puppets talking about life at A Tree And A Boy play, organised by the Inko Centre at the Little Festival. The show is happening in Chennai’s Museum Theatre in Egmore on July 9 and 10. For booking tickets, contact: 044 – 28211115.
