Rendra to stage 'Kereta Kencana'

Rendra to stage 'Kereta Kencana'

JAKARTA (JP): Veteran playwright and poet W.S.Rendra is to
stage his recycled work Kereta Kencana(the Golden Chariot) at the
Jakarta Playhouse, starting tonight, Oct.20, to Oct.24.

The play, performed by husband-and-wife Rendra and Ken
Zuraida, is an adaptation of Eugene Ionesco's Les Chaises(The
Chair.)

Kereta Kencana tells the story of an old couple, grandfather
Henri (played by Rendra) and his wife Princess Zeba (played by
Ken Zuraida) who are trapped in their imaginations, unable to
face reality. The play ends tragically with the suicide of the
pitiable couple.

Like his other works, Rendra's Kereta Kencana is rich in
social and political criticism.

In line with the original title Les Chaises, Rendra tries to
link his play with the current situation in Indonesia where those
in the elite political circles are fighting to forcefully grab
their "chairs."

The work Kereta Kencana is dedicated to one of his best
friends, the scholar and writer Umar Kayam, who, he said, has
provided the inspiration for alot of his artistic creativity.

The play will also be staged in Bandung, West Java and other
cities in Indonesia. (raw)