Musical actress Edie Cowan has been holding a workshop at the Euijeong-bu Musical Festival from April 15 to the 20th at Euijeong-bu Arts Center at the invitation of the organizing committee, and is to give a performance of her own on the final day of the event. Cowan is giving an intensive course to some 30 students, including study of the roles in the musical "My Fair Lady" as well as tap and classical dancing. The students participating in the workshop agree the two-hours a day training is so harsh that it tests their abilities to the maximum.

Last year, Cowan starred in a small musical staged in Madagascar, but her major roles these days are as a producer and choreographer, something she has been doing for 20 years. She noted Korean musical actors and actresses practice exceptionally hard, saying it is hard to find this anywhere but Korea. Cowan added they often stay late to rehearse, but said vocal skills though full of potential have failed to develop fully through lack of systematic training. She stressed the importance of practice as the occupation is for showing what they have rehearsed on stage.

Although Cowan has just turned 60, on April 14, she still practices tap dancing vividly. After covering her schedule here, she is visiting to Japan to teach 'Dakaraska,' a drama.

(Kim Myeong-hwan, mhkim@chosun.com )