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)