Retno infuses 'Suropati' with a new vigor
Retno infuses 'Suropati' with a new vigor
JAKARTA (JP): Retno Maruti is the noted choreographer who
consistently creates her works based on the classic dances of
Surakarta, Central Java.
But she has struck a new vein in her latest work titled
Suropati, which will be staged on Nov. 10 at Hotel Dharmawangsa
in South Jakarta.
Suropati is the controversial hero of a Javanese story.
Suropati (Fadjar Satriadi), a slave working under the Dutch
during the Mataram kingdom era, falls in love with Suzanna
(Susi), a noble Dutch woman. Suzanna, who is engaged to Dutchman
Herman (Sentot Sudiarto), also falls in love with Suropati. But
in the end, pregnant Suzanna has to leave Suropati and return to
her home country as he cannot forget his hatred of the Dutch,
which rule his country.
In Banten, Prince Purboyo is persuaded by his first wife, Ratu
Sepuh (Retno Maruti), not to resist the Dutch, while his second
wife, Ratu Gusik Kusumo (Ruri), wants him to fight back. The
prince follows his first wife's advice, inciting Ratu Gusik
Kusumo to ask for a divorce.
On her way to see her uncle at Kartasura Palace, Ratu Gusik
Kusumo meets Suropati. When he finally takes her to her uncle,
the two get married and Suropati is given the position of
senopati (commander-in-chief).
His new position opens up new enthusiasm in Suropati to fight
the Dutch. The Dutch troops, under Captain Tack, are upset with
Suropati as he refused to take part in a cooperative deal with
the Dutch. With this development, the play highlights the
practice of money politics as the Dutch try to arrest Suropati
with the help of locals.
The choreography is full of dramatic idioms, which are
different from Retno Maruti's previous works, such as Sekar
Pembayun (1978), which was based on Surakarta palace's classic
dance, and Dewabrata (1997).
In Javanese traditional plays, there are wayang orang and
ketoprak (traditional drama), which also highlight the dialog
between characters in the play, either verbally or through
Javanese songs. But the theatrical color of the new play, which
is organized by Bimasena group, cannot only be identified through
its dialog, which is in Indonesian, but also through the
movements of its characters, or their costumes, which are similar
to those found in other modern plays.
When asked about the use of theatrical elements in her present
work, Mbak Utik, as Retno Maruti is fondly called, said that,
"The Suropati play, which depicts Dutch soldiers from the old
times, gives me more freedom to express ideas. But it's still
strongly dominated by traditional nuances".
Suropati marks the new explorations of the choreographer and
dance lecturer of the Jakarta Arts Institute (IKJ)'s, although
the traditional nuances do not lose out against its modern touch.
For further information contact Fitria at 725-8668 or 7236092.
-- Blontank Poer