Modern 'wayang' to grace Jakartan stage

Modern 'wayang' to grace Jakartan stage

Tarko Sudiarno, Contributor, Yogyakarta

Despite the many modern stage performances on offer in
Indonesia, wayang kulit (leather shadow puppet) can still find a
special spot in the hearts of its fans.

Some say the traditional show is no longer popular, abandoned
even by the audience of its birthplace in Yogyakarta and
Surakarta. But in reality, every show, especially those that
feature a renowned dalang (puppeteer), still attracts a large
audience.

Jakartans are also familiar with wayang kulit. And to find out
just how much affection people have for the show, PT Gelar
Nusantara will stage a new creation of shadow puppets -- Wayang
Ukur from Yogyakarta and Wayang Sandosa from Surakarta -- here in
Jakarta.

The two-hour Wayang Ukur show, featuring the Bambang Ekalaya
episode, will be staged at the Taman Ismail Marzuki arts center
in Central Jakarta on Oct. 22 and Oct. 23. The Wayang Sandosa
production of Sukrasana Sang Manusia (Sukrasana, the Human Being)
will be performed at the same place on Oct. 24 and Oct. 25.

According to a staff member of the company, Yanusa Nugroho,
the shows are expected to attract a new audience since it will be
presented in Indonesian, allowing non-Javanese audiences to enjoy
the performances.

Although the shows will still keep their original core, they
will differ from the conventional version by incorporating
theatrical elements in the performance.

The screen for the Wayang Ukur show resembles a home theater.
The blencong (a traditional oil lamp) will be replaced by 36
colorful spotlights placed in front and behind the screen.

Unlike the original version, this show will be staged by three
puppeteers instead of one. One of the puppeteers will be in front
of the screen while the other two will be behind it.

Although some parts will still combine the original Surakarta
and Yogyakarta style, the creator of Wayang Ukur, Ki Sukasman,
has put his own special touch on the project by exaggerating the
body parts of each character. For instance, the character of
Semar will have large, protruding buttocks while his hands will
be ballooned out.

In the Wayang Ukur show, the audience will watch in front of
the screen, enjoying dynamic images created by the puppets and
the puppeteers. The images will be more vivid.

In front of the screen will be a small stage, which serves as
a dance area. During certain scenes, the puppet will be replaced
by a real person.

Just like Wayang Ukur, Wayang Sandosa has received a mixed
response, with praise and criticism given for the different ideas
used in the performance.

"Our basic intention is to make the show different from the
existing shadow puppet shows, and use Indonesian in the dialog,"
said Bambang Murtiyoso, one of its creators.

Wayang Sandosa, which was created in the 1980s by the artists
at the Surakarta-based Indonesian Arts Institute, is unique since
it uses a giant-sized screen -- similar to a theater screen --
and places the audience behind the screen while the puppeteers
work from the other side. Watching the show will make the
audience feel like they are watching a movie since they cannot
see the puppeteers' activities.

The number of puppeteers in the Wayang Sandosa show matches
the number of characters in the story. A spectacular battle scene
can take up to ten puppeteers. And unlike the original shadow
puppet show where a dalang sits while he works the puppets, in
Wayang Sandosa, the puppeteers stand or run during a scene.

The dalang does not say the puppets' lines as in the
traditional version. Instead, each character in the performance
will have an actor to say its lines.

"That has been the most difficult part -- synchronizing the
dalang and the players' voices. That's why we need three months
to practice before any performance," said Bambang Murtiyoso.