A Yang for Every Yin : Dramatizations of Korean Classics ($ 25 ) John Holstein
( Grades 8-12 )
A Yang for Every Yin is a book of plays that introduces the humor , spirit and vitality of five well-loved Korean stories from the distant past and an opportunity for teachers of drama , literature and music to bring Korean culture into their classrooms . The book includes historical background , a synopsis of each play , scripts , guidance for set designs and costumes , and a glossary . Digital audio files and pdf musical scores for the songs are available for download free of charge .
While the Joseon Dynasty ( 1392-1897 ) was closed off to the rest of the world , it was developing a world-class literature . Many of its stories had been passed down orally through many generations — a couple of them , in fact , from sources as ancient as pre-Christian era Indian Buddhist tales--developing all along in complexity and sophistication , until the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries , when they were set down in written form . A popular medium of literature then was one of Korea ’ s most highly-developed performance arts , pansori , an epic poem
208
203