Creative Pansori Based on Tolstoy... Lee Jaram's "Snow, Snow, Snow" Takes the Stage at Gyeonggi Arts Center

At the Grand Theater in December... A Reimagining of "Master and Man"
The Story of a Merchant and Worker Lost in the Snow
Officially Invited to This Year's Avignon Festival

"Snow, Snow, Snow," a pansori work created by singer Lee Jaram, who was officially invited to this year's Avignon Festival in France, a world-renowned performing arts festival, will be performed at Gyeonggi Arts Center this December.

Gyeonggi Arts Center announced on October 26 that Lee Jaram's pansori work "Snow, Snow, Snow" will be performed at the Grand Theater at 4 p.m. on December 12 and 13. Reimagined as pansori from Leo Tolstoy's short story "Master and Man," the work was invited to the official program of the 80th Avignon Festival this year and performed there.

"Snow, Snow, Snow" is set in the harsh winter of 19th-century Russia. Vasily, a merchant seeking to buy a forest and make a profit, sets out with Nikita, his worker, but loses his way in a fierce snowstorm. As he wanders along an endless snow-covered road, Vasily confronts the life he has pursued and his own inner self. Following the two men's journey through a single night, the work invites audiences to reflect on human desire and the meaning of life.

Through works including "Sacheonga" (2007), "Eokcheokga" (2011), and "The Old Man and the Sea" (2019), Lee Jaram has continued to adapt world literature into contemporary pansori. For this work, she also wrote the script and composed the music herself, portraying multiple characters onstage while showcasing the musical and theatrical qualities of pansori.

The performance takes the form of "Batangsori," in which a single narrative is woven from beginning to end. Onstage, Lee Jaram holds a fan, while drummer Lee Junhyung plays the soribuk, a traditional barrel drum. As Lee portrays the characters' personalities and emotions through her voice and gestures, Lee Junhyung adds tension and momentum to the story with the rhythms of his drum.

Yeo Shindong, responsible for the set and lighting, preserves the open stage of traditional pansori while visually expressing changes in scenes and their moods. Directing the production is Park Jihye of Yangson Project, who has worked with Lee Jaram on "Songs of a Stranger" and "The Old Man and the Sea".

A scene from Lee Jaram's 2025 performance "Nun, Nun, Nun." (c) LG Arts Center, Studio AL

"Snow, Snow, Snow" was co-produced by LG Arts Center and Wanseong Playground and premiered at LG Arts Center Seoul in April 2025. It has since been performed at venues in Korea and abroad, including the Avignon Festival, and this year received the Best Award in the Traditional Arts category at the Seoul Arts Award.

A Gyeonggi Arts Center representative said, "Lee Jaram's pansori work 'Snow, Snow, Snow' reinterprets world literature as stage art for our time and demonstrates how traditional arts can connect with contemporary audiences. We will continue to introduce a variety of performances to residents and expand opportunities to enjoy culture and the arts, so that the value and emotion of art can reach more audiences and be passed down across generations."

The performance runs for 125 minutes, including a 15-minute intermission.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.