Ende Riza, from roadside to stage

Ende Riza, from roadside to stage

Asip A. Hasani, Contributor, Yogyakarta

Having spent a decade performing his pantomime show on the
streets, 32-year-old Ende Riza has finally made the big time
after almost a decade of hard work, loyalty and consistency.

Riza recently performed on stage at a show sponsored by the
Indonesia-France Foundation (LIP) in Yogyakarta with his effort
called Mime on the Road.

Although there were some flaws in his performance, Riza's
prolonged labor and endless passion toward his art merits a
definite thumbs-up.

One of the harsher criticisms came from art director Nanag
Arizona, who said, "He fails to work with the limited space of
the stage, of this theater space. He failed to put himself in the
spotlight where he is supposed to be. That's why several times he
was in dark spots, not in the lighted spots. It's really
annoying."

The shows were staged on Jan. 8 and Jan. 9, and consisted of
two parts: Hasrat (Desire); and Dunia Amplop (Envelope of the
World). The first part, Hasrat, in which he collaborated with
young female dancer Diana Meylani, portrays the meeting of a
lonely man and woman who both lose control of their sexual desire
after some effort to restrain themselves from expressing it. The
two make love at last, but their passionate union creates an
unwanted pregnancy.

Hasrat presents the audience with a mix between pantomime-
styled movement, ballet and modern dance. Slapstick comedy, which
is often a key part of almost every pantomime show, is not found.
Modern dance and ballet movements are dominant instead. In it,
Riza confidently presents a different kind of pantomime show.

Dunia Amplop, meanwhile, is a story about an old postman who
experiences some real bad luck just ahead of his retirement. The
worst is when he is on his way to deliver the mail to a city
mayor. Just as the postman is about to put the mail in the
mayor's mailbox, suddenly a dog snatches the envelope from his
hand and runs away. After a long search, he finds the envelope in
a city drain. It is wet and torn in many parts.

Noting what was revealed by his art director, Riza, indeed, is
accustomed to performing pantomime in open spaces along the
roadside in front of people who are having dinner at local food
stalls.

There he performs his plays with street lamp lighting without
music or an art director. Riza works alone presenting pantomime
shows in return for spectators' small change.

"He has the strength of mind and dedication in working in the
field of his choice. He just needs to learn much more about how
to work with a team," says Nanang.

Riza was born at the eastern tip of Java Island in Banyuwangi,
in a family of traditional, conservative Muslims. Yet, it did not
prevent him from dreaming of becoming an actor.

He left for Yogyakarta in 1991 after finishing high school and
enrolled at the Academy of Drama and Film (ASDRAFI) where he, for
the first time, learned pantomime which soon became his
professional choice.

In an effort to develop his skills, he studied ballet in
Surakarta for a year. He also studied modern (Western-styled)
dance at a course in Yogyakarta and was later sent to the Asian
Dance Festival early in 1993 where he won first prize.

He finished his study at ASDRAFI in 1993 and began to teach
pantomime at his alma mater the same year. He was paid around Rp
30,000 per month (a the time around US$14).

With his belief that he could make a living as a performing
pantomime, Reza took to the streets to offer perform for the
general public in an effort to pursue additional income. Now he
teaches at ASDRAFI in the day and performs on the street at
night.

These backgrounds are significant factors that shape his
personality as an artist. Riza possesses more than just technical
skill and knowledge.

"He will discover his true style on stage after doing more in
that venue, though it doesn't mean that he must leave his street
performances behind," said Jemek Supardi, a noted pantomime whom
Riza considers his mentor.

Asked if he will ever stop his street shows, he says, "no, I
have wife and a daughter and street pantomime is my living. But
from now on I will work harder for more lucrative performances in
the future."

Mime on the Road will be staged at Taman Budaya Surakarta on Feb.
5 and Feb. 6. And it is also scheduled for the Teater Utan Kayu
in East Jakarta in March