『어쩌면 해피엔딩』 캐스팅에 관한 해외 독자반응 분석 -‘레딧’ 온라인 커뮤니티를 중심으로-

초록

Drawing on reader-response theory, this study investigates reader (audience) responses to the casting controversy surrounding Maybe Happy Ending, the first Korean original musical to win a Tony Award. Focusing on overseas audiences responses, it examines how differences in perspective between creators (i.e. text producers) and audiences (i.e. text consumers) shape the interpretation and reception of the work across cultures. Posts and comments about Maybe Happy Ending shared on the global online platform Reddit were examined both quantitatively and qualitatively using MAXQDA software. The analysis revealed that nearly 60% of casting-related posts and comments opposed the involvement of non-Asian actors, despite repeated clarifications by the creators that no specific ethnicity was assigned to the robot roles in the narrative. Notably, these creator statements were rarely mentioned in the negative responses. This suggests that the material and symbolic features of actors, as well as the semiotic function of casting, play a crucial role in shaping the meaning of a musical. Moreover, these meanings can shift significantly as such signs cross cultural boundaries, with the ultimate interpretation resting with audiences, who actively reconstruct the meaning of texts. The casting debates also extended into practical and activist forms of audience engagement, highlighting that interpretive authority lies with audiences and that interpretive outcomes can take diverse and dynamic forms.

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