'Phaedra', a play of forbidden love, on stage in Yogya
By Kartika Bagus C.
SURAKARTA, Central Java (JP): "I can see the strange things love can do," Hypolitus tells Phaedra cynically.
Phaedra's husband, King Theseus, is leaving his kingdom and she does not know for sure when or whether he will be back. Deep inside, she hates him for making her his wife after conquering her kingdom, Kreta. Now, the king's wife is paying special attention to Hypolitus, her husband's son. She is even willing, for the sake of her love, to ignore her honor and kneel down before him, begging him to kill her if she cannot be his wife.
However, Phaedra's words fail to excite Hypolitus because he has promised to be faithful to Aricia, a noble lady and his father's prisoner. This beautiful, polite and intelligent black- haired lady eventually marry Hypolitus.
The story is taken from Jean Racine's play titled Phaedra, originally written in French in 1677. This play was translated into Indonesian by Asrul Sani and directed by Didik Panji, 37.
The tragic play was recently staged by Teater Tokek at the Surakarta Cultural Center, and will be performed at Gedung Societet at the Yogyakarta Cultural Center on Oct. 13 and Oct. 14.
The 180-minute play centers around love and intrigue in the 9th century. King Theseus of the Trouzen kingdom was famous for his arrogance and power; nearly all of Athen's territories were dominated by him.
King Theseus took to traveling into the ethereal world, a place from which no one has ever returned safely.
The king's absence saddens everyone in the kingdom, who believes he has passed away. But in the palace, there have been big changes. Aricia is glad because she feels her ordeal will soon come to an end, while Hypolitus himself feels he has more freedom, including the freedom to express his love for Aricia.
Phaedra experiences the same thing. In her husband's absence, she has the courage to express her forbidden love for Hypolitus.
Things are shattered when the king suddenly returns to the place. His return changes the situation inside the palace, creating open conflicts between Phaedra and Hypolitus.
Out of fear Hypolitus will disclose Phaedra's secret, Oenon, her servant, tells the king Hypolitus tried to seduce Phaedra in his absence.
Hearing this, the king becomes very angry and banishes Hypolitus from the palace. This is a devastating blow to Hypolitus, who intended to marry Aricia, while Phaedra, who regrets her sin, attempts to tell the king the truth. However, when she discovers that Hypolitus prefers Aricia over her, her desire to come clean changes into hatred.
The desire and enthusiasm of Phaedra was brightly depicted by actress Harbani Tokrodipo in the play, whose 9th century setting brought the audience to the glorious past of the Roman empire.
The play required the services of eight actors from the theater group, which was officially established in February 1996. All of the actors gave energetic performances.
The group has staged several plays over its lifetime, including Orang-Orang Kasar (Rough People) in 1996, Nyonya dan Nyonya (Ladies) in 1997, Nenek Tercinta (Beloved Grandmother) in 1998 and Perempuan-Perempuan (Women) 1999.
According to the group's coordinator, Didik Panji, the group's philosophy is to entertain while sharpening one's sensitivity. "The ultimate goal is to create a balance between the mental and the physical."