Talchum: Voicing the People through Performing Art

Kona Brumsickle

Abstract: Artwork that aims to express human emotions takes many forms. In particular, performing artists display emotions such as joy, sadness, longing, anger, and deliver their intended messages via theatre, dance, and music. Korean traditional mask dancing, or talchum, is unique in that the performers are completely hidden behind masks and costumes. Unlike theatre or dance, in which a significant amount of emotions are portrayed via facial expressions, talchum allows for its performers to portray characters that are beyond their innate gender and/or social status.

This study attempts to analyze how talchum dancers represent the public voice. Talchum originated among the common people of the Chosun dynasty as a tool for social criticism. By wearing masks (tall), performers can safely, without fear of retaliation from the government, mimic corrupt public leaders and reenact discriminative situations stemming from the Chosun Dynasty’s social class system. Talchum performances during the late Chosun Dynasty, in particular, often mocked corrupt and incompetent aristocrats, as well as apostate monks who led promiscuous lives. Unethical romantic relationships and the miserable lives of poor working-class citizens were also popular sources for this satirical dance. Upon fastening on their talls, performers are exonerated from criminal accusations, and thus can freely express their emotions via their artwork. Unlike the present day in which mass media serves as an easily accessible channel for learning of social absurdities, the common people of the Chosun Dynasty relied on direct, oral communication. In this way, talchum was a valuable channel for exchanging stories of their daily lives. For Koreans, in conclusion, talchum was the commoners' way of rebuking its ruling class as well as the Establishment. In other words, talchum was the people's "voice."