Australia's 'wayang' Kelly to be performed in Surabaya

Australia's 'wayang' Kelly to be performed in Surabaya

SURABAYA (JP): When talking about interaction between Western and Indonesian art, the focus is usually on two things: either modern Indonesian art, such as painting and sculpture, which has been stimulated and influenced by Western modern fine art; or Westerners who are seemingly in retreat from modern trends, "go native" and immerse themselves in traditional arts such as Balinese gamelan (like the well-known Gamalan Sekyar Jaya troupe from Berkeley, California), Javanese court dancing, or traditional Javanese batik.

The Surabaya Arts Festival will present a novel variation on this theme: a troupe of Australian storytellers and troubadours, led by well-known storyteller Mike Burns, which has been influenced by Javanese and Balinese wayang (shadow puppetry) to create their own modern form of wayang that blends Australian legends and characters with Indonesian shadow puppets and storytelling conventions. Burns and crew will present, in a two- hour long show, their wayang Kelly. This is the adventures of the Australian legend and national hero, Ned Kelly. Kelly is a very different character than Arjuna, one of the traditional heroes of wayang. Arjuna is the embodiment of manly restraint, self- control, and aristocratic beauty, one of the Pandawa brothers who represent the side of good and are fighting to regain their rightful throne. Ned Kelly was a good-looking, working class rogue who spent a bit of time in jail. He was also a champion fist fighter and, depending on whose book you read, a rebel or a national hero.

Wayang Kelly uses traditionally buffalo-skin painted puppets, but with characters appropriate to their story -- some adaptations of traditional Javanese characters and some totally new creations. It blends Australian English with Javanese and Kawi, the old classical court language of Java, and promises to be a fascinating cross-cultural arts experience for festival attendees.

For more information about wayang Kelly, other events on the Surabaya Arts Festival schedule, and festival memberships, you can contact the organizing committee's offices in Surabaya at: Festival Seni Surabaya '96, Jl. Sumatra 31 GH Lt. III, Surabaya, Phone: (031) 546.9449, fax (031) 532.5485.

-- Sarah Murray