'Max Havelaar's Saijah and Adinda', a tragic love story

'Max Havelaar's Saijah and Adinda', a tragic love story

Sri Wahyuni, The Jakarta Post, Yogyakarta

Dance drama Max Havelaar's Story of Saijah and Adinda, a love
story based on a book written by Edward Douwes Dekker in 1860,
the assistant resident in Lebak village in Banten, West Java,
presented the audience with a narrative communicated through
theater and dance.

More than 80 dancers and actors took part in the 120-minute
performance at Pagelaran Hall of the Yogyakarta Palace on Sunday.
President Megawati Soekarnoputri, People's Consultative Assembly
Speaker Amien Rais and House of Representatives Speaker Akbar
Tandjung were expected to grace the occasion but were unable to
come.

"I call it Langen Krido Swara," said the show's director and
choreographer S. Kardjono. He said the blend of theater and dance
was deliberate as it successfully conveyed the performance's
message to the audience.

According to Agus Pakpahan, chairman of the Max Havelaar
Indonesia Foundation that organized the performance, Max
Havelaar's Story of Saijah and Adinda was designed to carry a
political message.

"Through the show, we would like to appeal to all the
political elite to stop quarreling," Agus said, adding that many
prominent political figures were invited to enjoy the
performance, which reportedly cost Rp 1 billion to produce.

As the organizers had invited political leaders to the event
the performance had to be rescheduled from Nov. 3 to Nov. 25 as
the earlier date coincided with the People's Consultative
Assembly Annual Session. The dance drama is to be aired by
private TV station RCTI on Dec. 9 at 2 p.m.

Yogyakarta Palace had to break its own rule that forbids any
kind of performance during the Ramadhan fasting month which
involves the playing of the gamelan. As a result, a fee as
compensation had to be paid to the palace's pemangku (manager).

"The dance theater is relevant to the present situation.
Hopefully the message it carries will touch everyone's heart, to
end any form of discrimination and exploitation of the weak,"
Sultan Hamengkubowono X said in his opening speech at the
performance.

Max Havelaar's Story of Saijah and Adinda was based on a book
written by Edward Douwes Dekker, the assistant head of a
residency under the Dutch colonial government, who used the pen
name Multatuli.

The story set in the mid 19th century was about Max Havelaar,
an assistant resident in Lebak, who narrates a story about the
cruel administration of Governor General Van den Bosch. A forced
planting program applied by the government at that time obliged
indigenous farmers to give 40 percent of their agricultural
produce to the Dutch colonial government, or they had to work
without being paid for 20 percent of their working days.

The story begins with a scene showing Max Havelaar (R.M.
Krefianto) and his wife Tine Havelaar (Cornelia Agatha) while
receiving two guests at their house. They discuss the present
situation in which government officials oppress the powerless
indigenous farmers.

In that setting, the story of two lovers Saijah, a son of a
poor farmer, and his girlfriend Adinda is narrated by Max
Havelaar. As an illustration of Max's story, dancers perform to
the accompaniment of the tembang (Javanese song) on the main
stage. At this moment, Max's voice along with three other
characters involved in the discussion, fades away.

Sometimes, Max highlights the scene described in the dance
with his words. Satirical remarks relevant to the present
political situation were occasionally voiced by Max or the other
characters.

Saijah (Miroto), it is told, is forced to leave his village
after his father dies in prison after trying to escape from the
forced labor program. As the eldest son, he has to take
responsibility for his family. He then decides to go to Batavia
to work and promises to meet Adinda (Retno Nooryastuti) in three
years time.