Portland Cyber Theatre presents “Hahoe Pyeolshingut T’alnori”

A combination mask dance, drama, and shaman rituals consisting of 9 different acts, it has been performed every January from as early as the 12th century.

It makes fun of the ruling class using humor and satire, and tries to ease tensions among the different social classes.

To understand the beauty of T’alnori one has to go visit Hahoe village and appreciate the beauty of its nature and architecture and the friendliness of its people

 www.loriloo.com/ hahoeThese images may be subject to copyright.

In our theatre we try to keep some elements of traditional Korean art such as furniture and decorative

motives

Hahoe performance, the musicians enter the stage with loud traditional Korean music. This music dominates the

whole performance in the village, and also our robot theatre. Strong amplified speakers as well as computer-

controlled MIDI music instruments are used.

The bride (playing also the Goddess) enters the stage on the arms of one musician. Next she goes from row to row of the amphitheatre and collects money arguing for more with the audience.

Act 1

Mudong Madang

Act 2. Chuji Madang

• Lions quarrel and fight. The lady lion kills the male lion. This is good since this predicts good harvest for the village.

This is a traditional mask of a lion from Hahoe theatre. Nowadays this mask is not used and lions have no masks. For some reasons they have horns.

We have another designs for lion masks, they come from Indonesian tradition. Possibly we will add horns to them, as seen in the previous slide. It would be good to be able to animate also the bodies of the lions. Now only the body of the butcher and the meddler are built, and the meddler requires head replacement.

The Anatomically Correct Bull … is a lot of joy for whole audience….

As the bull enters the amphitheater, it "pees" on various audience members in the front rows. The pee is actually water, but something about having a large animal lift its leg in front of you....

Act 3

Act 3Bull walks around, and around many times and urinates on the public.

It is a lot of fun for children to get pissed over by the bull.

We will have also something like this in our theatre, pure water is used and a computer -controlled valve.

Act 3

The bad butcher enters the stage, dances and brags about himself.

Act 3 The bad butcher kills the bull.

• After killing the bull the butcher slices out its heart and testicles and offers them for sale with these words, "Fancy not knowing the value of a fresh bull heart. How about testicles, then? Surely you must know what they are good for?"

Do not be offended please with the vulgarity of the play, remember that it comes from 13 century.

The old lady complains about her bad lack and hard work. Like some other actors she begs for money.

Faithful to this tradition, in our theatre the robots beg for donations to the PSU Intelligent Robotics Laboratory.

Act 4

Act 4

The flirtatious young women dances, then relieves herself.

The monk walks by. "You have aroused me by showing me your private parts and letting me smell your urine."

Act 5

Act 5. Pune attracts attention of the monk

An ideal of Korean beauty in 13 century, she does not speak much.

The depraved Buddhist monk is charmed by the beauty of Pune

Act 5

Act 5 The depraved monk dances with the young woman and finally takes her on his back to the bushes. Scandal! This is seen by the village fool.

The Fool saw what happened

One of our favourite actors, his foolishness and energy is appreciated by our young visitors and his jokes make him one of the most popular actors.

He has no regard for any authority, making jokes even about important professors and university presidents, protected by his status of foolishness.

The fool will tell everything to his friend, another servant, a great gossiper.

This is a prototype of a gossip tale in our theatre where many other gossips from PSU are repeated and exaggerated.

The fool and the gossiper

After the village fool sees the monk and flirtatious young woman escape, he dances a drunken dance, then pulls audience members onto the stage to dance as well. It will be so in our theatre….

• Yangban and Sonbi Madang

• The aristocrat (Yangban) and scholar (Sonbi) argue, trying to outsmart each other.

• The aristocrate and the scholar are offered to buy the bull’s testicles by the butcher.

• These are supposed to increase their virility.

• They refuse and brag about who is smarter.

Butcher advertises his wares.

Act 6

Yangban and Sonbi

Yangban the

aristocrat has an

eye on a woman

Act 6

• The Classical Scholar and the Aristocrat become rivals for the attention of the Young Woman

• When they learn it will increase their sexual energy, they argue over who will have the honor of purchasing them.

• They come to regret their initial refusal tolisten to the Butcher who tries to sell them his wares!

• Finally they fight over the testicles.

Yangban, Scholar and butcher

Yangban and Scholar argue

Pune comforts the aristocrat

or the scholar, and dances for

them.

Act 6 The widow mediates. Everyone dances.

Finally they all escape as they learn that king’s collectors are coming to collect taxes.

At this time robots will make few contemporary jokes about taxes.

The performers resting after the show. A lot of dancing and

movement…..

By the river after performance• The gamut of emotions is

revealed in these expressive forms. The faces may be smiling, laughing, grimacing or frowning.

• They may be serenely beautiful or disfigured with cleft palates or fangs.

• Some display fear, while others are themselves frightening.

• Whatever, they reveal aspects of an intriguing culture.

Design of the Sonbi Robot

The mask of Sonbi before modification

Construction of the robot’s

arm

Ch’Oraengi – the meddler-gossiper of the village

This robot’s head will wave back and forth with its creative spring neck. Its eyes have lights in them and it acts crazy, since it is the village gossiper and independent spirit in the play.

Ch’Oraengi

Halmi, the old widow

Paekchong (The butcher)

Yangban

Lion 1

The lion without hair and body.

Lion 1

The lion without hair and body.

Sonbi – the Confucian Scholar

Chong - the depraved monk

More will come

• These slides have been given here so that you will learn more about our theatre.

• During the summer camp you will build more robots and add more sensors to the existing robots.

• You will program their emotions, their expressions.• Your work will be similar to an artist who creates

animated movies• There are very few people in the world who program

robot theatres. • This is your chance to be a pioneer.• In the next slides we will show more technical details

of your coming work.