`Marsinah': A play depicting anguish of female workers

By Oei Eng Goan

JAKARTA (JP): A swivel chair and a heap of soil laid out in a circular pattern on the open stage were the only paraphernalia used in a serious play depicting the anguish of female laborers and the poor in Indonesia.

The play was written and directed by the lead actress, Ratna Sarumpaet, who leads the Jakarta-based Satu Merah Panggung theater group. Her two-hour long production, which was centered around the ordeal and odyssey of a female spirit in search of justice, ran for five days and ended yesterday evening.

The play, entitled Marsinah, Nyanyian dari Bawah Tanah (Marsinah, the Song from the Underworld), was based on a real life tragedy that befell a female labor activist, Marsinah, who was brutally murdered after leading a strike for better pay and working conditions last year.

The murder case sparked protests from across the country and Marsinah became a symbol of struggle for female workers and people who live in abject poverty.

Therefore, it wasn't surprising that Marsinah, which aired critical remarks against corruption and abuses of power, attracted a large and distinguished audience -- including scores of government officials and foreign diplomats.

The play begins with a conversation between the spirits of the protagonist and the judge of the nether world (played by Meilyn Isabella Hutahean) on current issues taking place in Indonesia. Differences between the two turn the conversation into an argument.

The protagonist demands that the judge uphold justice and correct the social imbalance that prevails in a country where "national development and pride" is a mere catch-phrase for the advancement of a privileged group that is separated from the grassroots population.

"Where is God hiding when I need Him most? Why was an innocent woman killed in such a merciless manner while she tried to improve her life and promote the living standard of her fellow laborers? Where is justice? Why was the world so unjust to me?" are questions that the protagonist poses during her long journey of contemplation in the underworld.

Defiant as she is, she finally admits that God is Great and that all the sufferings and disappointments she has to bear are none other than the course of destiny she has to traverse in her earthly life.

Director Ratna's views on human suffering, which she tries to portray in her play, might be encapsulated in Shakespeare's words that "Men at some time are masters of their fates. The fault...is not in our stars, but in ourselves that we are underlings".

But through this performance, which might have focused on humankind's wickedness, playwright Ratna Sarumpaet also wanted to show that human beings have other good qualities as well.

Courage

Specifically, she examined people with the courage to defy unjust systems that degrade human dignity, even though they have to sacrifice their lives to do so. Thus, the philosophy that the just can be destroyed but not defeated was well applied here.

As the director of the play, Ratna presented her own creation in a brilliant combination of drama with clear thinking and compassion.

The circular heap of soil on the stage, for example, symbolized earth, a graveyard and a vicious circle. The black cloth in the background, added to the faint hoots of owls and chirps of crickets, gave an impression of a lonely, desolate night -- a timely moment when the spirits of the dead are believed to roam. An eerie effect was thus created to support the portrayal of the underworld.

Of around 20 players, only eight spoke their lines while the rest took part in the choir. The play starred Ratna and Meilyn, Syahrul Buchori, who played 'Corong,' Ipet, who played 'Kunang' and Nani Tanjung in the role of 'the wise mother.' All gave good performances.

And though the first 20 minutes of the performance were a bit slow and monotonous, the remaining part was interesting, making the play well worth a look.