'Republik Bagong' reflects our sociopolitical turmoil
'Republik Bagong' reflects our sociopolitical turmoil
By Oei Eng Goan
JAKARTA (JP): Republik Bagong, a play written and directed by
N. Riantiarno and presented by his Teater Koma group, is a
tragicomedy replete with caricatures of Indonesia's many social
upheavals in recent years.
Taking the characters from the popular local stories of wayang
(puppet) shows and shadow plays, the play depicts the ambitions
of princes and knights of the kingdom of Amarta under King
Yudhistira's weak leadership, resulting in all-pervasive
corruption and collusion that leads the kingdom to the brink of
collapse.
Frustrated by such a situation, Yudhistira and his warrior
brothers, already at their wits' end, believe that Amarta will
regain its heyday only if they offer a human sacrifice to the
gods. They choose Bagong, one of the court's comedians, who is
known for his naivete and ignorance.
But the physically deformed Bagong fights back and,
eventually, makes good his escape. He not only survives but he
also wins favors from the gods who assign him to become the new
king of Amarta.
Having been king for some time, Bagong realizes that he is not
the right man in the right place because crucial problems remain
unsolved while a bigger crisis looms large. With bombs being
planted in many places to terrorize Amarta and disrupt the
credibility of his rule, Bagong, physically and spiritually
exhausted, contemplates abdication.
In this new play, Riantiarno straightforwardly presents a true
picture of Indonesia in transition from an authoritarian state to
a fledgling democracy.
He mocks people who boast about and demand democracy but who
do not lead a democratic way of life. Even more so, those people
who do not even understand the meaning of the word "democracy".
This is shown in a piece of dialog between Bagong's two
brothers. "What is democracy?" one of them asks.
"Democracy is ... ," the other replies, never able to finish the
answer.
From one scene to another we are presented with depictions of
events similar to those that have happened in this country. There
is the emergence of a myriad of political parties following the
fall of King Yudhistira, the prevalence of political horse-
trading as well as the holding of a general election monitored by
foreign observers to ensure that poll is conducted fairly.
We see that the party leader who wins the majority of votes
cannot lead Amarta, because the leader is Srikandi, the wife of
Arjuna, the most gallant of all warriors in the kingdom. And
although the childish Prince Lesmono (he carries a model airplane
instead of a scepter) craves the crown, it is Bagong who
eventually ascends to the throne because he is blessed by the
gods.
As in Teater Koma's earlier productions, Republik Bagong is
also full of twists and skits employed as part of its strategy to
entertain the audience. The villainous Arya Saros evidently
represents international financier George Soros, who some have
accused of causing the economic crash in Southeast Asia through
his business activities. Arya Saros, unlike another evil
character Arya Sengkuni, who wears a traditional wayang costume,
is neatly dressed in a Western-style suit.
We also see a group of election watchdogs from an unnamed
foreign nation. Although they sing a song in Indonesian, the tune
is that of The Star Spangled Banner. And then there is a player
in traditional wayang garb carrying a laptop!
All this is fun, reflecting Riantiarno's creativity in
blending modern and traditional values in his folk theater group
which he established in August 1977.
The overuse of the skits, however, works to the play's
detriment as a beautiful satirical drama, especially when it
reflects on the serious problems currently faced by millions of
Indonesians.
Another shortcoming in the play is that it tries to present
too many issues and conflicts (not to mention the frequent
changing of stage decor) in the three-hour-long performance which
may leave the audience feeling overwhelmed.
Still, the main players -- who include Butet Kartaredjasa, an
up-and-coming comedian known for his antics and who here plays
the role of Bagong, Rita Matu Mona (Ni Pesek, Bagong's fiancee),
Ratna Riantiarno (Betari Durga) and Sri Dadi Adhipurnomo
(Lesmono) -- help keep the stage alive with their acting.
As Republik Bagong, whose run at Taman Ismail Marzuki (tel.
3154087) has been extended until Tuesday, is only the first part
of a trilogy, theater buffs, especially fans of Teater Koma, will
want to see more concise and artistically crafted sequels.