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Cha Beom-seok and the April 19 Revolution : Focusing on Cha Beom-seok’s Activities Before and After the April 19 Revolution and the Revision of Without the Pain of Breaking the Shell

  • The Journal of Korean drama and theatre
  • 2026, (88), pp.163~216
  • DOI : 10.17938/tjkdat.2026..88.163
  • Publisher : The Learned Society Of Korean Drama And Theatre
  • Research Area : Arts and Kinesiology > Other Arts and Kinesiology
  • Received : April 9, 2026
  • Accepted : May 16, 2026
  • Published : May 31, 2026

Baek Doosan 1

1서울시립대학교

Accredited

ABSTRACT

This study examines playwright Cha Beom-seok’s activities between 1960 and 1961, as well as the creative process and subsequent revision of his play Without the Pain of Breaking the Shell, in order to explore his perception of the April 19 (4·19) movement and the transformation of the work. While the play has been evaluated in terms of its generational conflict structure or its limitations in representing 4·19, this paper reconstructs the playwright’s understanding of 4·19 based on his essays, theatrical activities, and autobiographical records, and uses this perspective as a framework for comparing and interpreting the 1960 published version and the 1961 performance version. Compared to the published version, which concludes with the outbreak of 4·19, the performance version reflects Cha’s attempt to encompass the broader process leading up to Syngman Rhee’s resignation. In this revised version, greater emphasis is placed on the ethical dilemma experienced by members of the older generation, represented by the politician Kang Gi-su. At the same time, through the use of romantic and artistic narrative strands, the work constructs a narrative that more strongly legitimizes the younger generation in the aftermath of 4·19. The play also incorporates, within its narrative margins, representations of the First Republic’s repression of leftist forces in the post-liberation period. In the process of revision into the performance version, Cha Beom-seok interprets the meaning of 4·19 less as a political revolution and more as an expansion of “freedom.” This perspective reflects his skeptical view regarding the possibility of substantive change in contemporary political reality.

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