Pantomime theater group to stage latest creation

Pantomime theater group to stage latest creation

JAKARTA (JP): Picture a mother who gives birth to a stone,
which cannot think and feel but grows up to be a ruler.

The stone ruler turns out to be a tyrant, who abuses his twin
brothers -- his own placenta -- and kills his father. Still, he
never feels safe, haunted by his own fear while trying to uphold
his power.

This horrifying scenario is a production of the Sena Didi mime
theater group, titled Kaso Katro, literally meaning unreliable
leader.

The group's 20th production will be staged for two consecutive
nights at the Graha Bhakti Budaya hall of the Taman Ismail
Marzuki Arts Center, Central Jakarta, on Tuesday, March 2, and
Wednesday, March 3.

Director Yayu Aw Unru told The Jakarta Post after a media
briefing on the planned performance, "In this production, we try
to depict the present situation in the country, including the
abuse of human rights. And, just like dance performances or
paintings, it's up to the people to interpret it."

The show is being held in the memory of one of the group's
founders, and the country's pantomime pioneer, Sena A. Utoyo, who
died of heart attack last November at the age of 45.

Yayu said the pantomime was based on Sena's idea, which he
expressed only two months before he died.

"He'd planned to stage the show in November. He had talked to
some of the group's members and even prepared the costumes," Yayu
said.

Unlike most pantomimes, which are of short duration and have a
small number of performers, Sena Didi's Kaso Katro will include
singing, dancing and involve 15 performers. The 75-minute show
will also have dialog.

But it will feature the typical make-up of pantomime
performers, white powdered faces, and strong humor. "This time,
it's all white, our faces, our costumes and even the stage," Yayu
said.

He said that it was not the first time the group, which was
set up by Sena and pantomime and theater actor Didi Petet in
1977, staged different performances compared to other pantomime
groups.

The group's Becak (Pedicab), staged in 1987, involved 100
actors and lasted for two hours, he said.

Since then, it has combined theater and pantomime. Yayu said
that when the group performed in Europe, the show stirred hot
debate. "Our group was even called pantomime opera," he said.

The group has, indeed, gained international recognition. It
took part in the ASEAN Festival in Seoul, South Korea, in 1980,
and later performed in the Gaukler Festival in Germany, the Total
Pantomime Festival in Braunschweigh and several cities in
Germany, the Mime Festival in France and Mimes Festival in
France.

The group also organized a Sena Didi Mime International
Pantomime Festival in 1992 and 1994, with at least six
participants from Britain, Germany, Indonesia, Japan and
Switzerland.

Kaso Katro's producer, Sari Madjid, said: "The festival might
be held again next year."

Sena Didi mime productions include Stasiun (1988), Flash
Gordon (1989), Soldat (1989), Sho Beng Kong (1990), Becak B-
Kompleks (1990), Cleopatra (1991), Lobi-lobi Hotel Pelangi
(1992), Sekata Kaktus Du Fulus (1994), Se Tong Se Teng Gak
(1995), and Gengster dan Temanmu (1995). (ste)