GKJ rolls out festival for 10th jubilee

JAKARTA (JP): There is good and bad news for Jakarta arts lovers.

The bad is that the month-long Jakarta Performing Arts Market 1997 ends tomorrow.

But comfort can be found in the Jakarta Performing Arts Theater International Festival 1997, which will start Tuesday and continue through Oct. 11.

Gedung Kesenian Jakarta, the Jakarta playhouse, is organizing the festival to celebrate its 10th anniversary.

Dances, plays and music -- traditional and modern -- will be brought to the stage by renowned local and international arts groups.

The opening ceremony will be highlighted by the launching of the book Perjalanan Mencari 10 Tahun Gedung Kesenian Jakarta (Ten Years in the Life of the GKJ).

The book was written by journalists who have long followed GKJ's activities and its role in the development of arts and culture in the country.

Nine choreographies selected from 87 works entered in the Choreography Competition GKJ Awards 1997 will be performed Thursday. Creativity and high youthful spirits are evident in these works.

On Friday, Indonesian pianist Ananda Sukarlan -- who lives in Europe -- will perform the works of 31 international 20th century composers, including Indonesian ones. This might well be the longest single piano concert and the most complete.

A traditional Balinese play (wayang wong), organized by Yayasan Budaya Tejakula and the local government, will be staged Saturday. It will be followed by a Javanese traditional play, performed by Keraton Yogyakarta, Sunday.

Studiklub Teater Bandung will have its turn to perform a classic Western drama, Julius Caesar, for two nights on Sept. 9 and 10. Transformator is the title of a unique performance by Cilay Dance Theater, directed by Muhamad Ichlas from West Sumatra. A music-poetry performance will be held by Gamelan Kiai Kanjeng and Emha Ainun Najib on Sept. 12.

The ILKHOM Ballet and Music Group of State Academic Bolshoi Theater of Opera and Ballet, Uzbekistan, is scheduled to perform on Sept. 13 and 14, followed by Ricochet Dance Company from London on Sept. 16 and 17. The next show is a German-Indonesian collaboration of piano recital by Michael Leuschner and Conny C. Mulawarma, followed by Ballet Gothenburg Opera from Sweden and a shadow puppet (wayang kulit) show by Ki H. Sujiwo Tejo.

The third week of the festival will feature Vienna Mozart Trio from Austria, Les Cousins Street Theater from France, and a remarkable dance show by senior local dancers, including Edi Sedyawati, Yulianti Parani, Farida Oetoyo, Wiwiek Sipala, and AA Negaka Jauhari, and members of Sardono Dance Theater.

Jazzy tunes will be heard at the GKJ compound on Sept. 28 when Luluk Purwanto and the Helsdingen Trio play on their Stage Bus.

"After the performance, the State Bus will be handed over to GKJ," Hussein Wijaya, vice chairman of the Gedung Kesenian management board, said.

Teater Mandiri, chaired by Putu Wijaya, is slated to perform Dar Der Dor on Sept. 30 and Oct. 1.

From Oct. 2, the Nanjing Peking Opera Troupe of People's Republic of China, will demonstrate their talents on three consecutive nights. Jakarta-based Gumarang Sakti Dance Company will perform on Oct. 7 and 8. The Singapore Dance Theater closes the festival on Oct. 10 and 11.

Tickets

Ticket prices range from Rp 5,000 to Rp 50,000, but there are four special price packages available.

"If you buy package I, you can see 10 shows for the price of nine," Hussein said.

Package II costs Rp 90,000 and allows holders to take in four dance programs. Package III (Rp 70,000) is valid for five plays and package IV (Rp 85,000) permits attendance at five piano recital/music concerts.

Student discounts are available.

Tickets can be purchased at the Gedung Kesenian Jakarta ticket office before the shows, or at their office from Tuesday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (tel. 380-8283/ 344-1892), Shanghai Ticket Sales, (690-0666) or PT Megaayu Prana, Plaza Indonesia, (337-444).

Festival information can also be found on websites: http://www.eplus.co.id, http://www.amirage.com/GKJ.HTM and http://www.vision.net.id.

Hussein said performances by the Chinese Opera and the Uzbekistan Ballet were already sold out. But he did not expect the playhouse to be packed every night.

"In our experience, we only sell an average of 50 percent of the tickets," he said.

"It is too bad that most people here prefer to spend their money on food instead of on the arts." (sim)