Jakarta playhouse tries to boost love of the arts

Text by Stevie Emilia photos by P.J. Leo

JAKARTA (JP): Gedung Kesenian Jakarta, the Jakarta playhouse, is keeping true to its goal to present good quality entertainment and simultaneously heighten public appreciation of the arts.

After a decade of weathering assorted difficulties, from obtaining performance permits to financial woes, the playhouse is renewing its pledge to stage quality works.

It is hosting the Jakarta Performing Arts Theater International Festival 1997 from Sept. 2 to Oct. 14 in celebration of its 10th anniversary.

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

Chairwoman of the playhouse's management board, Farida Oetoyo, said the average number of spectators during the festival was higher than usual.

"We couldn't expect more as arts appreciation is still low here," she told The Jakarta Post.

And most audience members were regulars.

"We have regular audiences, so it's not a surprise if those coming to the festival are the same people. We depend on our regular audiences," Farida said.

Most regulars preferred dance and classical music, she added.

The management faced an uphill struggle in filling all 445 seats at every performance.

"That's a difficult dilemma that we have to deal with, not only during the festival but daily," Farida said.

Occasionally, the playhouse swarms with theatergoers, including foreigners who dress up to conform to international standards for attending the theater.

On other days, it is deserted.

"Traditional shows have low turnout," Farida said.

Fewer than 30 people watched the Balinese traditional drama, Wayang Wong Tejakula.

GKJ offers special packages in an attempt to lure audiences. Farida said many people were interested in these, which allow them to see more shows at discounted prices. For example, they could watch 10 shows for the ticket price of nine.

Farida believed that ticket prices, from Rp 5,000 to Rp 50,000, were not responsible for poor audience figures.

"In my opinion, the number of spectators does not depend on ticket price," she said. "And most of our regular customers are those from middle to upper classes, and the ticket prices are not too expensive. We even let students watch performances for free."

Cheap tickets, she said, were no guarantee of success.

"Even if we held performances with cheap ticket prices, people would not be interested in buying them. For them, the arts is not a necessity yet. It is common knowledge that most art lovers are those from the middle to upper classes," said Farida, who performed in the festival in Old Dancers Never Fade Away.

The book Perjalanan Mencari 10 Tahun Gedung Kesenian Jakarta (Ten Years in the Life of the GKJ) was also launched in conjunction with the anniversary to highlight the playhouse's roles in promoting public appreciation of the arts.

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

Since its opening, the playhouse had presented 592 performances, of which just over 70 percent were by local artists.