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The performance begins with eight singers dressed in white, warmly welcoming the audience with a joyful song. As the song comes to an end, a YouTube screen lights up in the center of the stage. Mythologist Kim Do-yeong, with a serious expression, declares that he cannot simply stand by and watch this situation unfold. He proclaims that he will do what he can to make a difference. What exactly has happened?

Mythologist Kim Do-yeong begins to gather people together. Following her lead are Lee Dae-su, who operates a marine farm, and Park Su-ah, a high school student who is a math prodigy and a former participant in the Junior Mathematical Olympiad. The three of them set off on a journey beyond Eurasia in search of the heroic figure known as “sun-shooting deity,” who is said to have shot down the sun with an arrow. In such a desperate time with two suns rising, why did these three individuals decide to seek out the deity? Director Park In-hye, who wrote the script and directed the performance, wanted to find hints to the current issues we are facing in mythology.

While the specifics of the sun-shooting myth may vary, it does carry the underlying archetype of multiple suns rising, which is found in various mythologies across East Asia. Erkhii Mergen is a prominent archer who appears in Mongolian mythology. According to legend, when severe drought hit the land and seven suns rose, Erkhii Mergen shot down six of the suns with his bow. According to Chinese mythology during the reign of Emperor Yao, there is a legend about the archer Hou Yi. It is said that at one point, 10 suns rose simultaneously, scorching the earth and causing vegetation to burn. Despite efforts to appease the situation through rituals, it proved futile. It was only when the skilled archer Hou Yi came forward that he was able to shoot down nine of the suns.

The overall narrative of “A Sunny Day” follows a similar structure to that of the protagonist Baridegi¹⁾, who embarks on a journey to find a solution to the current issue at hand. By adding modern interpretations, “A Sunny Day” captivates the audience with various captivating elements. Riding on kickboards, the gatekeeper of the Land of Yuri makes an appearance. Pansori is infused with hip-hop, and the disco ball starts moving. In an instant, the stage's atmosphere changes completely, filled with a vibrant vibe that ignites the inner excitement within. The boundaries between the pansori singers and the audience dissolve, and the meaning of “daedong” become even more vivid and prominent.

Director Park In-hye desired to utilize the diverse vocal qualities of the eight singers in each scene, aiming to convey the texture of the evolving space.

After enduring numerous challenges, the three individuals finally find the sun-shooting deity. However, they are disappointed to find that the deity appears different from the hero they had imagined. Furthermore, they discover that the gods residing in the Land of Yuri are mostly B-list gods whose godliness has decreased. If there is one thing that remains unchanged, it is that the gods still love humanity. Amidst the human crisis, there were gods who stepped forward to save humanity, such as Jujak with fiery red wings like flames, Hephaestus, the artisan who crafts gods' weapons, and Saengbul Halmang, the deity associated with the creation of life on Jeju Island. The gods, embarking on a long-awaited journey to explore the world, ride in old cars alongside humans as they make their way towards the human realm. However, even this journey proves to be challenging. The tires melted due to the scorching heat of the suns, causing the cars to come to a halt. In response, Hephaestus unleashes his divine power to repair the cars, allowing the gods and humans to safely reach the human realm.

Now, what remains is the task of shooting down one of the two suns. Standing at the top of the tallest building in Seoul, the 126th floor, the gods and humans face the suns directly. Confidently taking the lead as the first challenger is Jujak, the god with fiery red wings. Jujak attempts to cast a spell to subdue the sun but fails in the process. Next, Hephaestus tries to deploy a hundred drones in an attempt to halt the world, but to no avail. Both the gods and humans despair in the face of their failures. Would half of humanity perish as a result of this? At the moment when all hope seems lost, the audience falls into silence in an instant.

It is at that moment when Park Su-ah appears and begins to sing. The song, starting with “Why did one sun become two,” brings awareness to the fundamental cause of the climate crisis—the relentless pursuit of human greed that disregards the natural order. At that moment, Saengbul Halmang presents the flower of life and flower of death. The flowers presented by Saengbul Halmang symbolize the cycle of life and death. Saengbul Halmang of Jeju Island conveys the lesson that humanity and nature must coexist in harmony. Finally, one of the two suns descends, and the Earth returns to its original state.

Director Park In-hye shared the following about the background of the appearance of Jeju Island's Saengbul Halmang. As a pansori singer, actress, and emerging director, she has been expanding her creative boundaries. During the preparation for this performance, she expressed that it was a meaningful time as she was able to transform Asian myths into a modern story addressing the climate crisis.

The story of humans who resemble gods and overcome challenges through the wisdom found in myths will remain relevant not only in the past but also in the future. It is said that this year was the hottest summer in history yet it will be the coolest summer compared to summers to come in the future. “A Sunny Day,” with its vibrant pansori performances and its theme centered around climate issues, proved to be a powerful and impactful production that resonated long after the curtains fell.

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