`Marsinah': A play depicting anguish of female workers
`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.