Ratna Sarumpaet back on stage with 'Alia'<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Ratna Sarumpaet, whose plays were often banned
\nby the Soeharto government for alluding to chaos wrought by his
\nauthoritarian administration, is back on stage today.<\/p>\n
Her Teater Satu Merah Panggung will perform her latest play
\nAlia, Luka Serambi Mekah (Alia, Wound of Serambi Mekah) at Taman
\nIsmail Marzuki, Jakarta, from May 12 to May 17. It will be the
\ntheater's first show after the New Order regime crumbled in 1998.<\/p>\n
The drama highlights the endless tragedy in Serambi Mekah,
\nanother name for Aceh. It will also be performed in Solo on May
\n26-27; Tasikmalaya, West Java, on June 1-2 and Banda Aceh on June
\n16-17.<\/p>\n
Alia, the protagonist, is granddaughter of a Moslem cleric
\n(ulema) in Aceh. Once raped by a security officer, Alia grows as
\na tough but distressed and vulnerable woman. She mobilizes fellow
\nvillagers to exhume the remains of Acehnese people murdered by
\nsecurity forces and rebury them properly according to the local
\ntradition. Her efforts to attain justice for her fellow Acehnese
\nmeet serious challenges.<\/p>\n
\"This (play) is our sincere prayer for those falling victim to
\nviolence in Maluku, Mataram, Kalimantan, Irian Jaya and Aceh,\"
\nRatna said in a press statement.<\/p>\n
Ratna's plays are well-known for their political content. Her
\nfirst work, Marsinah: Nyanyian dari Bawah Tanah (Marsinah: Song
\nfrom the Underground), 1994, was dedicated to Marsinah, murdered
\nlabor heroine.<\/p>\n
Then she performed Terpasung (Chained) in 1995, Pesta Terakhir
\n(The Last Party) in 1996 and Marsinah Menggugat (Marsinah
\nRevolts) in 1997.<\/p>\n
Ratna recalls that the New Order government's tight grip on
\nfreedom of expression made sponsors stay away from her.<\/p>\n
Now that democracy is budding, going on stage is a big
\nchallenge, she said. Through Alia, Teater Satu Merah Panggung
\nmeans to tell the public to keep an eye on the tragedy taking
\nplace in Aceh and elsewhere in Indonesia.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ratna-sarumpaet-back-on-stage-with-alia-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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