GKJ rolls out festival for 10th jubilee

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)