Abstract

In this paper, the aspect of theatrical representation of 5․18 would be reviewed by the theatrical works on the 5․18 Gwangju Uprising. Among the various kinds of art, the representation of 5․18 began with the theater from early 1980s and the theatrical troupes in Gwangju, the right place of the history, were particularly active. The activities of theatrical troupes Sin-myung and Tobagi were typical cases and the well-known works of them are Tiger play(1981), Uprising peoples (1988), Kum-Hee's May(1988), Peony blossom(1993). According to the analysis result of these works, it was important in the representing of 5․18 when the play presented to the audience. In the works of 1980s, the people's liberation energy of the 5․18 was still remained strongly and the 5․18 treated like a present history, not a past one. But in the works of 1990s, their major view point to the 5․18 was fixed so that it was a sort of past history. Specially they depicted the women's characters in their works as victims of history and the 5․18 as a suffering history. Therefore they showed that the positive energy of 5․ 18, which was continued until late 1980s, was burnt off in 1990s.