Sat, 05 May 2001

'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.