Play introduces history to the public

Play introduces history to the public

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

In the middle of the Fatahillah courtyard in Jakarta Old Town, a
man in a bright red traditional Chinese costume hands a bird he
has just bought from a vendor to a woman in the crowd that
surrounds him.

The man was an actor and the crowd his audience.

The actor encourages them to let the bird fly free. "It was
his nature to free animals that he thought were suffering in
their cage," said a narrator.

The above scene was a part of a Sunday re-enactment of the
life of Chinese entrepreneur Gan Djie, who was a prominent
community leader in Batavia from 1663 to 1666.

Played by more than 50 amateur actors and actresses from the
English Education Center, Jakarta State University and
Krisnadwipayana University, the play was performed at the exact
location where Gan Djie was inaugurated as a captain for his
community.

The play was particularly interesting as it combined
storytelling with interactive theatrical scenes.

Instead of sitting on chairs, the audience were expected to
move around the square in front of the Jakarta Historical Museum,
following the actors as they performed depictions of Gan Djie's
life.

Gan Djie, originating from a small regency in Hokkien region
in China, first came to Gresik, East Java in the 17th century to
trade.

He moved to Batavia (old Jakarta) in 1659 after marrying a
Balinese woman and continued his trading in the capital. Becoming
famous for his helpful nature, he was rewarded him the honor of
becoming a Dutch-chosen community leader.

Legend has it that Jl. Patekoan (now Jl. Perniagaan in West
Jakarta), the street where Gan Djie and his wife lived, was named
after their thoughtful habit of serving tea to passers-by.

"Patekoan means eight tea pots (pat means eight and teko means
tea pot). Gan Djie used to serve tea in front of his house for
thirsty passers-by," said David Kwa, who helped construct the
play using the historical information he collated on the famous
captain.

The re-enactment of the lives of Chinese people during the
17th century was part of the Jakarta Historical Museum's annual
program.

"This is part of our effort to familiarize the public with
museums and history itself," said Jakarta Historical Museum head
Tinia Budiati, adding that this was their sixth performance.

Tinia explained that holding such events encouraged people to
visit museums over and over again. "People will have a reason to
come to the museum and find out new things about the city's
history.

"We chose non-heroic themes because we wanted to show what the
community was like centuries ago and what made them," she said,
adding that in the previous years the play had depicted stories
about European communities as well as locals in old Jakarta.

Aside from depicting the life of a prominent figure, play
director Basukilla Daeng Nyonyo inserted traditional Chinese
performances of wushu martial arts, a fan dance and barongsai
(lion dance).

"This is rare, and definitely not boring. I did not even know
that this person (Gan Djie) existed," said Nasrullah, one of the
audience, munching a cucumber he received from one of the cast,
who was playing a market vendor.

"And besides, where else would we be allowed to chat with the
actors and even be given food by them," he added.

Despite the flaws in the on-and-off sound system, the
interactive play bridged the gap between history and the public.
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