WEBZINE ACC

“If a drop of water can reach the bottom of the barren lakebed,
maybe there can be a flower blooming.”

With some words, you can tell their sentiment without knowing the precise meaning. The word “suluusuu” from Kyrgyzstan in the middle of Central Asia has a beautiful intonation that is instantly recognizable and combines the words “suluu” for “beautiful” and “suu” for water. Native Kyrgyzstani speakers consider the word to have a lovely sound when pronounced properly. And after watching the family musical [Suluusuu], various images overlap onto the word: from the shimmering waves on the deep, blue Lake Issyk Kul, to a little girl named Suu who wanted to grow a flower amid the ruins of the war, and to the nostalgic voice of Suluusuu, the queen of the lake who once again hopes for a clear lake.

New, Exotic Experiment Only Possible in Suluusuu

The musical is based on ‘Suluusuu of Lake Issyk Kul’ from the ‘Stories of Asia’. The book series are written by Altyn Kapalova of Kyrgyzstan and illustrated by Korean artist Hyesuk Kang. The project is a result of a collaboration between the Asia Culture Institute and the Asia Culture Center that have operated a decade-long cultural exchange program in Central Asia. The aim was to create a performance that combined the cultures of Kyrgyzstan and Korea which audiences of all ages and sexes could enjoy. The addition of Kyrgyzstani traditional music to the musical is notable. Kyrgyzstan’s famous traditional music ensemble Ustatshakirt partnered with the writer Sehyuk Oh, composer Damiro, and director Hyowon Son, rising stars in Korean musical industry. They collaborated in Seoul, Gwangju, and Bishkek in Kyrgyzstan, sending their compositions, feedback, rearrangements, and recordings back and forth internationally. The result is a new and exotic performance only available in Suluusuu.

“Two siblings Suu and Suri survive by selling scrap metal amid the ruins of the war.”

The play begins with a conversation between a brother and a sister collecting scrap metal from a village destroyed by the war. The little girl Suu is more worried about the items left behind and their owners than gathering scrap metal. The older brother Suri advises her not to talk too much, for it will only make her thirsty. The war has depleted the water supply, and the siblings have not had a drop for days. Suri decides to venture out to Lake Issyk Kul, a place he has only heard of, to save Suu from the thirst. But it means he has to brave a dangerous border. The war has torn apart two villages and turned those who were once like brothers into enemies.

“Time moves more slowly in the water so that I see things for longer.”

The siblings finally arrive at Lake Issyk Kul, but only disappointment awaits. The war has polluted the land, and the waste that humans left behind has dried up the lake. Meanwhile, Suri reunites with his former love Yui from the other village. But Yui pushes him away in anger and suspicion. The bombing begins in the town, and Suu and Suri are separated. Suu thinks people hate each other because of the lack of water from the polluted lake and decides to collect and distribute water to people. She pours the last bit of water into the lake instead of taking it for herself. Then something surprising happens: she meets Suluusuu, the queen of the lake, who emerges from the deepest part of the Issyk Kul. She is suspicious of Suu at first, but they soon become good friends. When Suu falls asleep in the deep part of the lake, the slow-moving time in the lake allows her to see her lost parents again.

“If return, they return—lost things, and the lost heart.”

Suluusuu, the queen of Lake Issyk Kul, who has been furious at the humans who defiled her lake with their war, gains a new sense of hope when she meets Suu. In the hope of seeing a clean lake again, Suu promises to return all the lost items to their owners. She sings a song about what is lost is returned, the lost heart will return, and the lake will be clean again. When Suu emerges from the lake, she meets Suri and Yui, who go down to the bottom of the lake. As they stand in the lake where time moves slowly, the two again find the tender hearts they had lost.

“There’s a flower! A flower!”

Suu comes out of the lake to give lost things back. She shouts into the world with a flower made from the scraps in her hand. “There’s a flower! A flower!” Desperately she starts to sing. Her song makes the listeners empathize with her and realize the true meaning of the flower she wanted to show. However, another trial awaits her. Will Suu be able to keep her promise to Suluusuu, the queen of Lake Issyk Kul?

The song of hope born out of despair resembles the deep blue water. As the song continues into the play’s climax, time moves slowly as if in the lake. Suu and Suluusuu can communicate, overcoming the language barrier. And we are reminded of Suu’s story that what polluted the lake was not what was abandoned but what was lost. The song “Many Water Drops Gather” plays as the curtain closes, and Suu, Suri, and Suluusuu all start to sing in unison. The song tells the transformation of a drop of water into a handful, and the heart that shares the precious water can save lives. The beautiful, multi-ensemble harmony of the song uses Kyrgyzstan’s unique musical progression where similar melodies repeat in simple chords.

“Will the lake be clean again, and Suri and Yui love each other again?”

The theatre was filled with children and their parents who came to the performance to escape the heat. It was a remarkable sight of the audience, all carefully abiding by safety regulations. The heavy themes of pollution, waste, and war did not faze the captivated audience. It was probably the story of Suluusuu, the queen of the lake and the girl with a pure and kind heart, as well as the magical stage effects and beautiful music. As I came out of the theatre, the blue hue of the clean water that Suu had wished for sprang to mind. At a time when we need gentle comfort, how about a drop of calm with a family musical Suluusuu?

• Written by. Jae-young Song. tarajay@naver.com
  Photo. Provided by ACC
  
  2021.08