Indonesian and expat students stage a benefit

Indonesian and expat students stage a benefit

By Nicole Johnson

JAKARTA (JP): Expatriate and local school children are
collaborating on an original theater piece titled Bridging the
Gap, which will be performed from March 2 to March 4 as a benefit
for a housing project dedicated to Indonesian children.

Some 70 school children from Jakarta International School
(JIS) Middle School are working with 25 Indonesian children to
explore communication issues and the performing arts under the
guidance of two JIS drama and music teachers, Diana Kerry and Kim
Wiley.

After living in Jakarta for 13 years and being responsible for
JIS' annual theater productions, Kerry was inspired to
incorporate one of the school's community service affiliates with
this year's drama production.

The 25 Indonesian children live in One More Chance (OMC)
houses, which are funded and staffed by Tolong Anak Anak (TAA),
or literally, Helping the Children, a JIS community service
project.

The Bridging the Gap project is the most dramatic realization
to date of the ideal that there be a direct link between JIS
students and the children supported by TAA. The theater piece is
based on the shared ideas and experiences of the children -- an
exploration of the communication gaps in our lives.

"We worked with the Indonesian children first to explore what
the communication gap might mean for them, but found that they
didn't experience a gap along the lines we were expecting. They
simply didn't come into sufficiently direct or frequent contact
with foreigners," explained Kerry.

"But they did have fears resulting from communication problems
with the police and authority figures; real fears of
vulnerability and alienation," Wiley added.

Both directors developed the production from creative
exercises, improvisations and discussions with the 95 children in
the show.

The Indonesians were very timid in rehearsals initially, Kerry
and Wiley said, but eventually they realized that rehearsals were
not structured time, but fun time. Their contribution is such
that the production now focuses on them and their points of view.

One skit, The Zoo, has a group of seven and eight-year-old
Indonesians visiting monkeys swinging in cages, birds parroting
back selamat sore (good afternoon) and the expatriate species
elaborately equipped with playstations, televisions and
telephones.

Another skit, Pasar, is constructed on a musical theme with
which we are all quite familiar with: the Wall's ice cream kaki
lima (street vendor) ditty.

The production closes with an Acehnese traditional dance
performed by all the students with a distinct message to "mind
the gap".

Proceeds from the production of Bridging the Gap will be used
to help realize the plan to open a third OMC house this year.

The first OMC house was founded in 1998. Located in Ciganjur,
a few hundred meters from President Abdurrahman Wahid's home, it
houses 15 to 20 boys aged seven to 17.

A second house, located in Lebak Bulus, was founded in
September 1999 to house 10 girls aged seven to 12.

OMC also maintains a shelter for the street children who were
chosen for OMC's original program. These children are not
required to attend daily lessons although six do, and two are
taking a professional driving course.

TAA was founded over 20 years ago and contributes regularly to
numerous charities in Jakarta. Since 1998, TAA has also sponsored
its own charitable organization, the OMC Foundation, and benefits
most directly the OMC houses.

The OMC houses function as a buffer from the harshness of
street life. Through the OMC program, the children attend a local
school in the mornings, and with their involvement in the
Bridging the Gap project, they attend rehearsals at JIS several
afternoons a week.

The opening night on Thursday is a special benefit for the OMC
houses and for the continuing education of the children living
there. On Friday, two performances are scheduled for 4:30 p.m.
and 7:00 p.m., and there will be both matinee and evening
performances at 3:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. on Saturday. Performances
will be held in the JIS Little Theater on the Cilandak campus,
Jl. Tarogong Raya No. 33, South Jakarta. JIS can be reached at
769-2555. Jokl Carri, the coordinator of the OMC Foundation, can
be e-mailed at jcarre@cbn.net.id.