Play puts a human face on Dutch era<\/p>\n
By Dewi Anggraeni<\/p>\n
MELBOURNE (JP): For those who were brought up in Jakarta in
\nthe 1950s, where Dutch homes were still grand enough to be out of
\nbounds for locals, seeing The Language of the Gods is like
\npeering into an intimate corner of a colonial Dutch home, in the
\ntime of their decline.<\/p>\n
It fills one with voyeuristic thrills and pathos all at once.
\nThe story, set in Makassar in 1946 or 1947, shows not only the
\nhumanity of the supposedly mighty Dutch, but it also reveals
\ntheir weaknesses, their moral rigidity and, in the case of Capt.
\nWesterling, their complete slide into depravity.<\/p>\n
The set is simple but effective. The width allows physical
\nmovement and dramatic interaction, while the clever use of
\nscreens, light and darkness give the illusion of depth.<\/p>\n
The story revolves around the family of Peter Braak, the
\ngovernor of the Celebes, now Sulawesi. Ignoring the declaration
\nof independence in August 1945, the Dutch had returned to
\nIndonesia. Surrounded by Alice, his new Australian wife, his son
\nTheo and daughter Doddy, Braak tries to recapture the enjoyment
\nof life in the Indies as he knew it. However, the inevitable
\nonset of decay, and his own conscience, get in the way.<\/p>\n
Louis Nowra reflects his more than fleeting understanding of
\nthe locals' psyche in his depiction of the local characters,
\nindigenous and of mixed blood. The story itself is set in an era
\nwhen European authors would portray local characters as wooden
\nprops or background landscape. Without soul. But Nowra's
\ncharacters act, feel, talk and influence the development of the
\nstory.<\/p>\n
While the white characters, Dutch and Australian, are
\nportrayed as socially superior, they are not in any way morally
\nso. In casting his characters, Nowra successfully captured some
\naspects that made the locals' psyche different from that of the
\nDutch -- and Australian -- in the character of Urip, the Braaks'
\nmaid.<\/p>\n
Played by Sri Pudjiarti Dean, Urip listens and observes, and
\ndoes not say much. But very little escapes her attention. To the
\naudience, it is obvious she feels sorry for Braak, tolerates
\nAlice and abhors Westerling, but she continues humoring them,
\nwithout excessive obsequiousness or malice.<\/p>\n
In Dely, the transvestite dukun (shaman), Nowra created a more
\nidiosyncratic personality. From early in the play it's clear that
\nDely harbors huge grudges against the Dutch, although like Urip,
\nhe humors them. Dely, as a shaman, has inherent authority, and is
\nmore inclined to speak back to the Dutch. Yet being a
\ntransvestite, his flirtatiousness and coquettishness are also his
\nshield against the wrath of the foreigners.<\/p>\n
Playing Dely is definitely not child's play. Anthony Wong in
\ntrying to incarnate the character sometimes goes too far;
\nIndonesian transvestites are usually more flirtatious than
\nsupercilious.<\/p>\n
Another character who comes across as very real is Mrs. van
\nDoes. In her overwhelming desire to join her husband in the
\nNetherlands, a futile dream, she becomes opportunistic to a
\nfault. In the 1950s, Jakarta had its fair share of Mrs. van
\nDoeses.<\/p>\n
Nowra is not so generous in casting Adrian or Addy, the
\nEurasian, who seems opportunistic for its own sake.<\/p>\n
No one is flawless in this story, yet everyone is human with
\naccompanying good and bad characteristics. Braak, an
\nunaccomplished humanist still trapped in his own rigid cultural
\nbackground. Alice, a self-centered woman, generous only when it
\nsuits her. Theo, a typical young colonial who has never had to
\nwork in his life. Eva, an artistic and kind-hearted woman trapped
\nin cultural limbo who resorts to alcohol.<\/p>\n
The only character that stands out as bereft of any goodness
\nis Westerling, the sadistic Dutch captain who enjoys not only
\nkilling, but torturing the locals, republican or otherwise.<\/p>\n
The plot and the portrayal of the characters are so credible
\nthat it is like seeing a real-life story unraveling before you.
\nAnd throughout the story, the threat of the imminent decline adds
\nto the tension, making it a compelling experience.<\/p>\n
The Language of the Gods stands out among other plays that
\ndeal with Indonesian-Dutch issues because it does not paint one
\nor the other as morally or even intellectually superior.
\nThroughout the story the audience's sympathy shifts from one
\ncharacter to another, regardless of race.<\/p>\n
Like most Australian plays, this play is not moralistic, but
\nis enlightening nonetheless. More than that, it makes you want to
\nsee it a second time.<\/p>",
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