JP\/3\/PUSPA<\/p>\n
Teater Keliling strives for recognition in Jakarta<\/p>\n
By Yusuf Susilo Hartono<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Luck hasn't smiled yet on Teater Keliling
\n(Mobile theater), Jakarta's seasoned mobile theater group.
\nDespite its popularity in the provinces and abroad, in its
\nbirthplace it tends to be sidelined and overlooked.<\/p>\n
When the National Gallery recently held a JakArt@2001 theater
\ncostume display to mark Jakarta's anniversary, for instance, it
\nwasn't invited. Nor was it included when the Jakarta Arts Council
\npublished its theater book several years back.<\/p>\n
"We're just brushed aside and forgotten," said stage director
\nRudolf Puspa, one of the troupe's founders, in a trembling voice
\nand tearful eyes. "We do exist and have been performing for 27
\nyears, in fact. We're recognized overseas, and known in most
\nregions across the country. So why does Jakarta fail to
\nacknowledge us?", he queried in a bitter and emotional tone.<\/p>\n
Based in Taman Modern, Cakung, East Jakarta, Teater Keliling
\nhas joined various international arts and drama festivals and
\nperformances, in Perth-Australia (1979), Singapore (1981),
\nRomania (1994), Cairo (1994, 1996), Lahore-Pakistan (1996),
\nBangkok (1997) and South Korea (1997).<\/p>\n
The emotional mood prevailed, reflected in mixed feelings --
\noptimism when reminiscing about brilliant performances in the
\nregions and abroad, disappointment when speaking of the vain
\nattempt to win over Jakarta audiences -- as the Solo-born
\nJavanese artist talked with The Jakarta Post following his
\ngroup's show, Badak-badak (Rhinos), at the Jakarta Playhouse.<\/p>\n
The play, with two performances, was the theater's 1,225th
\nperformance since its founding in Jakarta on Feb. 13, 1974.
\nQuantitatively, Teater Keliling scores the highest record in
\nnumber of performances. In the latest show, it cooperated with a
\nnonprofit organization, Asia Works Jakarta. It was a full house
\nwith a seating capacity of 450 on the first day, with only around
\n25 percent of seats filled on the second.<\/p>\n
His wife, Dery Syrna, a Jakarta-born woman of West and South
\nSumatran descent, as theater manager, shared the feelings of
\nRudolf Puspa or Rudi. Dery, an architecture graduate of Jakarta's
\nTrisakti University, along with Rudi, has never given up. They
\nand their troupe strive to capture an audience in Jakarta, amid
\nthe increasingly tougher life due to misdirected reforms, soaring
\nprices and growing necessity of taking side jobs to support their
\ntheater.<\/p>\n
To prevail among Jakarta's theater-goers has become their
\nultimate obsession, in the present and future. Therefore, they
\nare considering various suggestions, such as the idea of staging
\nmobile plays at malls, plazas, schools and universities with
\nappealing stories. By "introducing" Teater Keliling to Jakartans,
\nthey hope to at least turn local drama fans into a loyal
\naudience, before staging major shows at the city's prestigious
\nplayhouses.<\/p>\n
Rudi, is also aware of the need to put the management in
\norder. Poor management is the general shortcoming of theatrical
\ntroupes in Indonesia with Teater Koma being the only exception,
\nperhaps.<\/p>\n
Had its management been better, Teater Keliling may have got a
\nplace in the book about theater published by the Jakarta Arts
\nCouncil or been invited to take part in the exhibition on
\ntheatrical costumes held at the National Gallery.<\/p>\n
In conjunction with the 30th anniversary of Teater Keliling,
\nRudi has also been advised to prepare grand and memorable events,
\nfor example the issuance of a book 30 Years of Teater Keliling,
\nan exhibition of posters, clippings and costumes related to its
\nperformances.<\/p>\n
Everybody that was once involved in Teater Keliling as well as
\nits fans must be invited to participate in these anniversary
\nactivities. With the publication of the book, for example, Teater
\nKeliling will always be remembered among theater buffs.<\/p>\n
Question: Teater Keliling was set up three years earlier than
\nTeater Koma but why does it seem to have been forgotten in
\nJakarta?<\/p>\n
Answer: This may be attributable to our own practice of using
\na local organizing committee each time we perform in the regions.
\nWe only come and perform and don't bother about how to attract
\npeople to attend our performances. When we performed abroad, the
\naudience was already waiting for us to perform. In short, we have
\nnever attempted to invite an audience.<\/p>\n
In 1997 we decided to perform at the Jakarta Arts House and
\nhad to take care of everything related to our performance. We
\nusually establish cooperation with one institution and every time
\nwe would have a new audience, which is one of the reasons why,
\nuntil now, we have not been able to foster our own loyal
\naudience.<\/p>\n
If we perform in the regions, the local media will give us
\nwide publicity but in Jakarta, unfortunately, we don't seem to
\nsteal the attention of the mass media. We don't know what has
\ngone amiss.<\/p>\n
Uki Bayu Sejati, a reporter and theatrical practitioner,
\nadvised us to introduce ourselves to present-day reporters, who
\nare actually unaware of our activities, or even of our existence.
\nThis situation, I believe, explains why the Jakarta community,
\nparticularly the arts bureaucrats, are unaware of our existence.<\/p>\n
Your strategy of taking control of the regions first before
\nJakarta has failed. Why did you try this approach?<\/p>\n
When Teater Keliling was set up some 27 years ago, I had lived
\nin Jakarta for only a short period. Before coming to Jakarta, I
\nwas actively involved in theatrical activities in Solo. As there
\nwere quite a lot of theatrical groups in Jakarta when Teater
\nKeliling was formed, we opted for mobile theatrical performances.<\/p>\n
We are now the only modern theatrical group which has moved
\nfrom one place to another until now. Wherever we perform, we
\nusually receive a huge applause from ordinary locals as well as
\nlocal government officials.<\/p>\n
It was really very touching, when, during our performance in
\nSumatra recently, someone in the audience greeted us warmly
\nsaying that he first saw our performance in Kalimantan. People in
\nthe regions usually ask us to return quite often. In Aceh for
\nexample, our fans have requested us to return there every
\nquarter.<\/p>\n
Will you find it difficult to give your best performance at
\nthe Jakarta Arts House with all its sophisticated equipment while
\nall these years you have performed on just any stage, often below
\nstandard, in the regions?<\/p>\n
I don't think so. Everywhere we go, we try to do our best.
\nWhen we performed Mega-mega (Clouds), a play by Arifin C. Noer,
\nin Malaysia, we enjoyed a standing ovation. This performance
\nintroduced a new direction to Malaysia's modern drama. Well,
\nbefore we performed this play in Malaysia, we had performed it at
\nhome over 200 times.<\/p>\n
The play is our masterpiece. To tell you the truth, performing
\nin the region or in Jakarta is just the same to me. I can manage
\nboth equally well.<\/p>\n
As you have said, you have benefited considerably with your
\nmobile performances but then there is also a disadvantage as you
\nstill cannot be popular among the people in Jakarta. In
\nconnection with the New Order and the reform movement, what
\nexperiences can you share with us?<\/p>\n
When we were touring in the regions performing plays during
\nthe New Order era, we saw a lot of examples of ignorance. Then
\nwhen Habibie became president, people in the regions hoped to
\nhave children as smart as the president. In the present reform
\nera, everyone dares to speak up and criticize while street
\nrallies are commonplace.<\/p>\n
What about the theatrical world?<\/p>\n
Well, the theatrical world is just like the media, newspapers
\nor television. In such a situation, Teater Keliling tries to
\nstick to aesthetic values and to the principle that the theater
\nis a medium for cultural dialog. Of course, we do not set aside
\nthe entertainment value of the theater.<\/p>\n
While Western style freedom and democracy are given value in
\nIndonesia today, you perform "Rhinoceros", which is inspired by a
\nshort story by Eugene Ionesco. What's your motivation?<\/p>\n
I just want to say this: in the past everything used to be
\nuniform and regular, but now everything is free and democratic.
\nHowever, in both situations, the essence is the same. Everyone
\nforces their wishes upon others. They never take other people
\ninto consideration.<\/p>\n
So, take note of these words in the play: "I just know that I
\nam right and must be right." In the play these words are spoken
\nby a woman because today it is a woman that is being praised.
\nYet, everything seems to be the same in every aspect of life. A
\nwoman, a man or even the powers-that-be will reveal the same
\nthing when exposed: all are rhinos.<\/p>",
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