Socialites take center stage to save dying troupe

Carla Bianpoen, Contributor, Jakarta | Sun, 03/01/2009 11:22 AM 

 

 A group of actors rehearses at the Jakarta Playhouse ahead of the Clones of Srikandi performance on March 2-3. The charity performance is aimed at raising funds to help the dying Javanese traditional performance troupe Baratha. JP/R. BERTO WEDHATAMA
 

For some people, there is nothing more interesting than a good piece of wayang wong, a dance drama that portrays episodes of the famous Hindu epics like the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. 

Wayang wong , also called wayang orang (Javanese opera), comes with dance, talk, jokes in Javanese with music played on gamelan, an ensemble of tuned gongs. 

On March 2-3 an exceptional performance takes place at the Jakarta Playhouse. The performing troupe will be a mix of professionals from the Bharata group based in Jakarta and semi- or nonprofessionals, the latter consisting of socialites who are rediscovering the beauty of their culture and wishing to help preserve Javanese culture such as wayang orang. 

Among these aficionados are well-known business owners, artists and professional celebrities: Wiwoho Basuki, a prominent businessman in the oil-serving industry, his artist wife Kartini Basuki, Tuti Roosdiono, painter and antismoking activist, Atilah Soeryadjaya, artist Astari Rasjid, Yani Arifin, Carloluigi Castel, an Italian national who represents Pirreli in Indonesia, Made Widjaya and Ted Sulisto from Satmarindo. 

Many among them are keen observers of traditional art, or were born into traditional culture but were then more interested in Superman and the like. 

"But now, we want to know who we are", explained Ted Sulisto when asked how he came to join in this group. 

"In this global culture today, we need to have our own identity", said another participant. 

 

 ASTARI RASJID: JP/R. BERTO WEDHATAMA
 

Astari was drawn for other reasons: she uses the experiences as a source of inspiration to make paintings, sculptures and installations in contemporary modes. 

The Clones of Srikandi unfolds the story of Arjuna, whom Benedict Anderson describes as "the whole man to the older generation of the Javanese: an unequalled warrior in the battlefield, yet physically delicate and beautiful like a girl, a hero whose wives and mistresses are legion". 

In this part of the epic, Arjuna decides to put the faithfulness of one of his wives, Srikandi, to the test. He disappears from the palace and transforms into the guise of king Wijayakusuma who everyone knows desires Srikandi for his wife. 

The story becomes very complex when clones of the real Srikandi appear with her before king Wija-yakusuma. 

In the Javanese wayang, Srikandi is a beautiful, strong woman and a skilled archer in her own right. She proposes a duel between her and the king, if he wins, she will become his bride. But for the second time Arjuna, now in the guise of Wijayakusuma, disappears. No duel takes place, but the truth is revealed in mystical ways. 

As in most wayang stories, there is a patriarchal undertone. Here is the philandering Arjuna wanting to test his wife's fidelity, but the irony is lost in the overall atmosphere of constant jokes, and general silliness, a standard feature of wayang orang. I wonder whether preserving tradition should not go hand in hand with reinvention and adjusting longstanding biases to the norms of the present. 

For now, however, the dire state of the Bharata Teater members needs a helping hand. 

The Bharata Wayang Wong Theater has been performing in Jakarta since the early 1970s, but neither their accommodations nor their livelihoods have improved much. The building at Jl. Kalilio is dilapidated, leaking even when it's not raining. 

The aficionados have set up a partnership with the troupe, Mitra Bharata Wayang Orang, to help improve the livelihoods of the Bharata artists. Proceeds from their performance on Monday and Tuesday will be used to help traditional artists better cope with daily living and improve their living quarters. 

Another major objective is to bring traditional culture to a new audience and shine a spotlight on this gem of comic performace for a wider public. 

For tickets @ Rp 250,000, Rp 350,000, Rp 500,000, Rp 750,000, Rp 1 million. Please call Pak Murtadji of Mitra Wayang Orang Indonesia 0813 8013 8118, or before the performance at the Jakarta Playhouse.