As quarantine carries on, many people continue looking for interesting sources of entertainment to bring about happiness. One prominent method of spending time is by watching dramas, movies, Youtube, or TV shows. Through these difficult times, however, it is tough for producers to create these forms of entertainment that they would have hoped to film if it were not for COVID-19. Many producers have turned to different strategies. One movie/drama director, Joo Sang Park, chose to turn his new Korean drama, “Coffee Cantata,” into an audio drama that could deliver the same message as if it were in actual video ?orm.
Park describes the production as, “Delicious coffee! It is more ecstatic than one thousand kisses and softer than Moscato wine. It is a romantic story surrounded by the smell of coffee with the motif of the heroine in Bach’s mini opera “Coffee Cantata” who loves coffee. Like Bach’s “Coffee Cantata” which consists of ten subjects, this drama introduces ten different episodes where coffee and youth meet! Espresso, the heart of coffee, in Italian translates to Express Yourself! Through Cafe Cantata located in the dream city La La Land, the passionate journey of five 25 year olds finding their true self is shown through a cup of coffee.”
The first episode is titled “Espresso,” the second “Americano,” and the third “Cafe Mocha,” each corresponding to the content of the episode, with more to come. Voice actors from Korea recorded their given parts and sent the final recordings to Director Park, who would give the official approval for the drama to be published. Currently, “Coffee Cantata” is available to listen on Youtube, Apple Podcasts, Buzzsprout Podcasts, and Podbbang Podcasts. The company that Park has created is called “LAdio Company.” By searching this specific channel name on Youtube and Apple Podcasts, one can find a list of episodes of the drama.
Director Park explained, “At first, my only choice was to change my film into ?n audio drama, but before releasing my production, I found out that this was the only way that people could equalize by imagining sound.” The most important point he was conveying was that blind people who are unable to watch dramas could finally get a chance to bring entertainment to themselves through listening to audio dramas like “Coffee Cantata.” For any Korean listeners that are coffee lovers, taking the time to experience productions like this one may bring new happiness.
