Retno Maruti stages 'Sekar Pembayun'<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): She is just married and looks happy, but deep in
\nher heart, she is restless. She is torn between her love for her
\nhusband and her devotion to her father.<\/p>\n
She is Sekar Pembayun, daughter of Panembahan Senapati,
\nfounder of the 16th century Mataram Islamic Kingdom and Mataram
\ndynasty. And she is brought to the stage by Retno Maruti and her
\ndance group Padneswara in a refined Javanese classical dance
\ndrama entitled Sekar Pembayun, performed at Gedung Kesenian
\nJakarta from Friday through Sunday.<\/p>\n
Sekar Pembayun tells the story of political intrigue prior to
\nthe establishment of the Mataram Kingdom, colored with a tragic
\nlove story between Sekar Pembayun and Ki Ageng Mangir, an
\ninfluential leader who was also Senapati's great competitor.<\/p>\n
Panembahan Senapati \"uses\" his smart and beautiful daughter to
\nattract the attention of Ki Ageng Mangir, his political rival.<\/p>\n
Sekar Pembayun's mission is successful. Ki Ageng Mangir falls
\ndeeply in love with his enemy's daughter. They are married and
\nlook happy. But Sekar Pembayun is trapped between her true love
\nfor her husband and her devotion to her father.<\/p>\n
She has promised to bring her husband to Panembahan Senapati,
\nwho wants to eliminate the power of Ki Ageng Mangir and, if
\npossible, to kill him.<\/p>\n
\"This is the story of a powerful man who exploits the soft and
\ngentle characteristics of a woman to pursue his political
\nambition,\" Maruti said.<\/p>\n
Maruti also staged Sekar Pembayun in 1979 and 1988.<\/p>\n
\"I like the theme of the story and I feel it is so relevant to
\nthe current situation in Indonesia,\" said Maruti, who refused to
\nlink Sekar Pembayun's character to any female political figure in
\nIndonesia.<\/p>\n
Maruti admitted she has modified several parts of the story to
\nadjust it to current conditions. She has also changed a number of
\nacts which are not in line with newly found information on Sekar
\nPembayun.<\/p>\n
Maruti said the story, based on an idea by Amir Rohmiyato and
\nKRMT Sindunegoro, required some changes. \"I have researched and
\nfound new information on Sekar Pembayun's character from various
\nsources,\" she maintained.<\/p>\n
Sekar Pembayun was formerly perceived as a woman who
\nsacrificed everything, including her beloved husband, to satisfy
\nher father's political goal.<\/p>\n
\"The truth is that she was a woman who, with her compassionate
\nand feminine personality, tried very hard to avoid any violence.
\nThe previous story needed correction,\" Maruti said.<\/p>\n
The last act shows the tragic meeting between the newlywed
\nSekar Pembayun, Ki Ageng Mangir and Pembayun's father Panembahan
\nSenapati.<\/p>\n
The dance involves 40 artists from the Padneswara group, the
\nBharata group and a number of famous dancers, including Maruti,
\nher husband Sentot Sudhiharto, Maruti's daughter Ruri Nostalgia,
\ndancer-choreographer Miroto, Wahyu Santoso Prabowo and Nungki
\nKusumastuti.<\/p>\n
Nungki Kusumastuti, also production manager, explained the
\ngroup actually wanted to stage the work in October last year.<\/p>\n
\"But, we had to cancel it for various reasons, including
\nfinancial,\" Nungki said.<\/p>\n
Staging traditional works requires hard effort. Money has
\nbecome a major problem for most traditional dance group in
\nIndonesia.<\/p>\n
\"It is very difficult to find sponsors to finance our project.
\nBut it doesn't hamper us from staging Sekar Pembayun,\" Nungki
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
But, she said, the group received support from individuals who
\nreally care about the development of traditional performing arts.<\/p>\n
To encourage the young generation to appreciate Javanese-style
\ndance, the group will perform especially for students, young art
\nlovers and journalists on Friday night. The show will be opened
\nfor the public on Feb. 20 and Feb. 21.<\/p>\n
\"It is surprising that all tickets have been sold. This has
\ncertainly encouraged us and probably other traditional dance
\ngroups to remain optimistic,\" Nungki said.<\/p>\n
For more than 20 years, Retno Maruti and the Padneswara group
\nhave been staging high-quality Javanese classical works,
\nincluding Ciptoning, Abimanyu Gugur (The Death of Abimanyu),
\nSawitri, Palgunadi and Dewabrata. (raw)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/retno-maruti-stages-sekar-pembayun-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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