Currently, Korean society is like the middle of winter. People are shaking due to various social problems such as job shortages, domestic violence, and malicious comments. The neighboring culture that warmed us in the past has disappeared and a cold individualism has approached. In this situation, here is a warm play for frozen modern Koreans. The warm story that takes place at a ramen store not only warms the atmosphere, but also melts the frozen heart of the audience. Let’s find out about the play "Pasongsong in Ramen," which is like a bowl of ramen to help our body to keep warm on a cold day.

 

Synopsis

          Da-hoon, an unemployed young man who has a sick two-year-old daughter but is s till struggling to get a job. He visited the ramen store after he accidentally saw an advertisement looking for someone to take over a ramen shop on Jeju Island. However, since the owner is a grandfather who is suffering from dementia, taking over the shop is not easily done. Young-a, a high school student in Jeju, often visits the ramen shop. Despite a poor family environment, she tries hard to become an actor. Top star Kang Hoon came to Jeju Island to take a break, but due to circumstances, he stayed in the ramen shop for a while. The three, who have their own pains, get together at a small ramen shop called Pasongsong in Ramen and receive consolation for their respective sorrows by store owner.

 

Characters

Da-hoon: The father of a sick 2-year-old girl. He needs money for his daughter's treatment, but he has been unable to get a job. He visits the ramen store after seeing a flyer for it on the street.

Young-a: A high school girl who has an alcoholic father. When she was young, her mother left home and she was habitually assaulted to her father. Despite her poor family environment, she tries hard for her dream. She usually goes to the ramen store when she has troubles because she and the store owner are friends.

Kang Hoon: Fallen Top Star. He was once very popular, but he falls to the bottom due to various rumors and malicious comments about him regarding drugs, gambling, and sexual assault. This causes severe depression. Since an accident caused while driving on Jeju Island, he stayed at the ramen store for a while.

Owner of the Ramen Shop: An old man with Dementia. He comforts three people who each have their own story and gives them hope for life.

 

More realistic than reality

          

 

Job shortages, domestic violence, rumors, and badges . The problems that the main characters in the play are not unfamiliar to us. The reality of the characters is a reality we have to face soon after we graduate. In a way, the main characters seem to be more realistic than reality, as they have all the problems in modern Korean society. Many similar cases can be seen these days; such as teenagers who decide to commit suicide without receiving adult attention, rumors that spread without going through proper fact checking, and celebrities who decide to commit suicide due to malicious comments about them. As such, the main characters' cases are often seen in our society, so they gain more sympathy from the audience.

 

Musical? Play? We have them both here!

          

 

Ramen-e pasongsong was more like a musical than a play. There was dancing and singing at the beginning and end. At the beginning of the play, Da-hoon's sad feelings, that he wants to be a capable husband and a wonderful father but is frustrated by the sad truth, would have been cliche if they were simply spoken lines, but rang the audience’s heart through song. Also, the story of Young-a, who pretends to be bright but always misses her mother, and Kang-hoon, who looks gorgeous on the outside but is more scarred than anyone else, was shown through song, so it was able to be delivered richer. Of course, sad emotions are not the only ones singing throughout the play. In the middle, it shows the scuffle between the owner with dementia and Da-hoon with an exciting hip-hop song to change the mood, and in the second half, conveys the heart of the main characters who were consoled with lyrical and placid songs. It is no exaggeration to say that song is half of the play. It was more pleasant to express it in a song and more impressive because it was delivered through song. At first glance, a play that would have been boring could be enriched with dance and music.

 

We are connected

         

 

 As mentioned in the title and the background of the play is a ramen shop, ramen is a common subject in the play. During the play, actors actually boil and eat ramen on the stage. When there is a scene that Da Hoon eats ramen, he actually boils it on the stage. Of course, Da-hoon does not eat ramen alone, but invites some audience members to eat ramen with him. While eating ramen, Da-hoon asks the audience how to overcome some difficulties of life. At this time, audience members who have similar experiences with Da-hoon share their know-how in life with Da-hoon and rest of the audience. In addition, various products are distributed to the audience in real time in the middle of the play. In particular, they present ramen that was displayed in the ramen store to the well-received audience and invite the audience to the stage to take pictures together. Unlike a typical play that audiences can only passively watch, the play involves the audience and communicates with the actors. That makes the play even more enjoyable.

 

It was a play that warmed not only the atmosphere but also the heart of the audience. The consolation of the ramen store owner is not just for the main characters. 'Death doesn't end everything. Like death is another ordeal for the left’, 'Don't put up with it when you're sick, say you're sick,' and 'Hold it to the end, then you will finally win.' The owner's message not only applies to the lives of the main characters, but also penetrates our lives in reality. The new year is coming. Why don't you spend the cold winter of 2019 with this warm play? I'm sure you won't regret it

Date: 2019. 10. 01 ~ Open Run

Place: Nowon Rose Art hall

Price: 13,000 won

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