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)