Theater groups strive to save Sundanese<\/p>\n
BANDUNG (JP): The latest effort to preserve the Sundanese
\nlanguage is to perform traditional plays.<\/p>\n
And the most recent theater group to perform these plays is
\nKiwari, a Sundanese theatrical group combining traditional and
\nmodern elements. For its maiden performance to help push the
\ncampaign to save the Sundanese language, the group has chosen a
\nplay by Hidayat Suryalaga titled Tatangga (Neighbors).<\/p>\n
In September, the group staged the play several times and this
\nmonth they perform it every Sunday. In later months, the group
\nwill perform other plays.<\/p>\n
There used to be several similar groups in West Java,
\nparticularly in Bandung, such as Sri Murni and Miss Cicih. The
\nlatter used to be famous and idolized by the community. However,
\nthese groups have virtually disappeared because of their
\ninability to innovate.<\/p>\n
Some former members of these groups told The Jakarta Post that
\nthey could not continue because of financial problems and
\nreluctance from the local administration to sponsor their
\nperformances, let alone extend financial support.<\/p>\n
Other traditional or folk theatrical forms such as longser,
\npantun (a kind of dialog in poetry), dance dramas, terbangan,
\ntarling and so forth have also disappeared from Pasundan, the
\nSundanese Land.<\/p>\n
Since its establishment in early 1988, Kiwari Theater has
\nstaged Sundanese plays and tried to revive longser in their
\nperformances. Kiwari Theater chairman, R. Dadi P. Danusubrata
\ntold The Jakarta Post recently that Kiwari Theater was obsessed
\nabout cultivating the culture and language through theatrical
\nperformances.<\/p>\n
This obsession conformed to the regulation of the West Java
\nprovincial office of the national education ministry which
\nrequires all students in West Java to use Sundanese every
\nWednesday.<\/p>\n
To Kiwari Theater the compulsory use of Sundanese was taken as
\nan expression of great worry about the fate of the language
\nbecause, unlike speakers of Javanese, Batak and other regional
\nlanguages, Sundanaese speakers are greatly reduced in number.<\/p>\n
In light of this situation, Kiwari Theater tapped this
\nopportunity by performing lighter plays easily understood by
\nschool students.<\/p>\n
On Oct. 1, Kiwari Theater performed Tatangga (Neighbors) under
\nthe director of R. Dadi Danusubrata at Rementang Siang Arts House
\nin Bandung. After the performance, Dadi said apart from
\npreserving Sundanese folk theater, Kiwari Theater intended to
\ncultivate the language through its theatrical performances.
\nKiwari Theater's performances are not purely traditional as it
\nincorporates a blend of Sundanese traditional and modern
\ntheatrical elements.<\/p>\n
Black-and-white<\/p>\n
Tatangga was chosen for its easy plot, its black-and-white
\ndepiction about human traits and advice of not to forget the
\nregional languages spread throughout Indonesia's provinces.<\/p>\n
Tatangga has been performed over the last several months and
\nwill continue to run in the coming weeks. The play has earned a
\nwarm welcome from students, teachers and parents.<\/p>\n
The performance is only an initial step toward preserving and
\npopularizing the Sundanese language. Of course, Kiwari Theater
\nwill later perform high-brow plays.<\/p>\n
The play revolves around two girls, Neng Elsye and Neng Emmi,
\nwho are both very fond of showing off their wealth and their
\nparents' positions in society.<\/p>\n
To cultivate and preserve the Sundanese language, there are
\nsome art forms other than theater, such as kecapi suling (string
\ninstrument and flute), reog (singing comedy group), calung
\n(bamboo xylophone), degung (gamelan), pantun (traditional
\npoetry), angklung (suspended bamboo tubes which make a sound when
\nshook) and a host of other art forms and genres, which may be on
\nthe brink of extinction or have, perhaps, become extinct.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the only surviving Sundanese mass media
\npublication, Mangle, is read by the elderly. It is almost unknown
\namong the young. (matdon)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/theater-groups-strive-to-save-sundanese-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}