'Wayang Kancil', alternative storytelling<\/p>\n
Tarko Sudiarno, The Jakarta Post, Yogyakarta<\/p>\n
Once upon a time, Macanan village, where a macan (tiger)
\ncommunity lived, was hit by major drought, causing severe
\nstarvation. Macan Loreng, the village head, then decided to allow
\nthe villagers to look for food outside the village.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, the same drought had also hit other villages,
\nincluding Munyukan, where munyuk (monkeys) lived. All the animals
\nin the forest suffered from the drought, which had occurred due
\nto human recklessness.<\/p>\n
That was the story told through a wayang kancil (shadow
\npuppet) show recently staged at the Institute of Javanese Studies
\nin Tembi, Bantul. The show was presented by two local puppeteers,
\nEddy Pursubaryanto and Ki Ledjar Soebroto, who performed
\nalternately that night.<\/p>\n
Just like other conventional shadow leather puppet shows,
\nwayang kancil also used leather puppets, except that in this
\nshow, all the characters were animals.<\/p>\n
The performances presented a very popular fable about a clever
\nmouse deer, locally known as a kancil, with children as the main
\ntarget audience.<\/p>\n
But according to wayang kancil puppeteer Eddy Pursubaryanto,
\nwho is also a lecturer at Gadjah Mada University's School of
\nLiterature, wayang kancil could also be used to tell non-Javanese
\nKancil stories. Stories from Aceh about the mouse deer's
\ncleverness were often performed in the wayang kancil show.<\/p>\n
The way a wayang kancil is performed is similar to the staging
\nof a conventional Javanese shadow leather puppet show -- even the
\nway the puppet characters are arranged on the kelir (screen).<\/p>\n
Wild animals, representing bad characters like tigers, lions,
\ncrocodiles and wild pigs, are placed on the left-hand side, while
\ntame animals, representing good guys like deer, birds, cows, fish
\nand horses, are placed on the right-hand side of the screen.<\/p>\n
Similarly, the accompanying traditional Javanese gamelan
\nmusic, the plot, the sinden (singers) and the songs resemble
\nthose in conventional shadow leather puppet shows. Even wayang
\nkancil puppeteers are also required to master conventional
\nperformance first before performing this particular puppet show.<\/p>\n
The difference between wayang kancil and conventional shadow
\nleather puppet shows is mainly its duration. Conventional
\nperformances are usually staged for the whole night, while wayang
\nkancil is performed for few hours only.<\/p>\n
Eddy Pursubaryanto said wayang kancil was considered new in
\nthe country but literature on this particular performance already
\nexisted. Sarah Bilby of the University of London, for example,
\nwrote Wayang Kancil: Perceptions of Tradition and Identity in
\nContemporary Javanese Shadow Play in 1997 and Wayang Kancil: The
\nShort Tale of a Small Deer in 1999.<\/p>\n
Some have even studied and learned wayang kancil since the
\nearly 1920s. Wayang kancil puppeteer R.M Sajid of Surakarta,
\nCentral Java, for instance, studied it since 1927, and also made
\nhis own wayang kancil puppet set in 1943.<\/p>\n
Recent developments, however, indicate only a few still have
\nthe interest to study wayang kancil. Among these rare people are
\nEddy Pursubaryanto and Ki Ledjar Soebroto of Yogyakarta.<\/p>\n
Through wayang kancil, they have presented kancil stories and
\nin the performances, teach children about morals and the need to
\npreserve nature, including rare animals.<\/p>\n
"Wayang kancil can indeed be an effective education medium to
\nunderstand real life, along with its problems and possible
\nsolutions. The kancil story, just like others, offers the
\naudience, as well as the puppeteers, an alternative way of life,"
\nEddy Pursubaryanto said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/wayang-kancil-alternative-storytelling-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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