Kites, theater make Sari Madjid tick

Yusuf Susilo Hartono, Contributor, Jakarta

The old adage "like father like son" does not apply to the Madjid family.

While her father, Abdul Madjid, is a respected elder of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) -- the political party led by President Megawati Soekarnoputri -- Sari Madjid is devoted to the theater and kite-flying.

Born in Jakarta on Feb. 25, 1962 as Sari Sabda Bhakti Madjid, Sari joined the theatrical world when she was only 10. Since 1978 she has been one of the members of Teater Koma, established by her brother-in-law, N. Riantiarno and her elder sister, Ratna Madjid.

One of dozens of plays that this theatrical group has produced is Sampek Engtay, in which Sari plays the role of Engtay and Idris Pulungan stars as Sampek.

Since 1980, Sari has played two roles in her theatrical group, that of an actress and as a stage manager. She is a professional stage manager not only for Teater Koma but also for other performances both at a national and international level.

She was a stage manager also for magician David Copperfield's performance and for Lear, a performance produced by the Japan Foundation involving art workers from a number of countries.

Then she was the stage manager for the celebration of the golden anniversary of Indonesia's independence at Monas Square in 1995 and also for some performances by Indonesians in other countries, for example the performance of Sardono W. Kusumo's group in Japan in 1996.

Of late, she has also been the production manager for a number of performances, such as Boi G Sakti's contemporary dance performance, Sena Didi Mime's pantomime, Laksmi Simanjuntak's dance performance, the Lemah Putih performance of Suprapto Suryosudarmo and Epi Martison's Jakarta New Ensemble. At the recent JakArt@2002, she was entrusted as the program manager.

One of her outstanding qualities is that she can maintain her patience and calmness even during crisis situations. Sari, who goes for a Javanese massage whenever she becomes exhausted.

Her background in formal education consists only of completing senior high school. She has learned many things by actually doing it and through reading. For a brief period, she learned stage management in the United States. Of course, what she has learned in the U.S. could not be applied to Indonesia because of the cultural differences.

However, due to her loyalty to her profession, Sari, who is now the mother of a teenage son, is considered to be one of the country's best stage managers and production managers.

As far back as 1992, when Sari was in Bali, she started to become strongly attracted to kites.

"Flying kites is like a grand theatrical performance. I can feel a togetherness in doing both," said Sari, now the secretary- general of Pelangi, which is the Indonesian Kite Association.

Her passion for kites has led her not only to frequently organize the Jakarta International Kite Festival at Monas Square and in Ancol, Jakarta, but to be present at various kite festivals in Australia, Thailand, Malaysia, France, New Zealand, China and Japan.

She fell deeper in love with kites after studying the wealth and potential of kites in Indonesia in terms of the different types and functions they have.

Bapangan kites from East Java, for example, can produce a buzzing sound that can scare away birds, which otherwise would harm the rice fields. Kagathi kites or leaf kites from Muna, Southeast Sulawesi also produce a buzzing sound and can drive away monkeys, which would otherwise harm the rice fields.

In Bali, janggan kites are believed to be able to drive away evil spirits so they get special treatment. There are many other kinds of kites. There are kites that are good for flying in contests. There are also creative kites, which are a blend of beauty and technology.

They are available in various shapes and sizes and can be played by virtually anybody. Kites can also be effectively used for election campaigns in which they fly the symbols of political parties.

Aware of the great potential that kites have, Sari has shifted the aim of Le Gong, which was originally set up in 1990 to handle art events, to focus on organizing kite events and the kite business. The office, which is located at Jl. Setiabudi Barat No. 4, Jakarta, the house of her parents, is manned by 10 employees.

Through Le Gong, she has exported kites to Europe and the United States and has, since 1993, also organized international kite festivals at Monas Square and Ancol. One thing worth noting is that at every kite-flying festival, she involves state electricity company PLN so that the company gets an opportunity to provide the public with information about how to fly kites safely without endangering power lines or people's lives.

Sari will attend the kite festivals in Holland and France this month. She will also announce to the international kite community that in Southeast Sulawesi a cave with pictures of kites on its walls has been discovered.

The cave needs further study, but unfortunately Indonesia has yet to find a kite researcher. This year Sari and her friends have set up the Indonesian Kite Society Foundation, an organization expected to prepare some kite researchers in the country.

Sari Madjid has added beauty and purpose to her life: on land with her work in the theater, and in the sky with the kites she flies.