Ria demands the best when acting

JAKARTA: "At first they were nervous. They thought I was an expert," commented actress Ria Irawan on her co-stars in the upcoming play Woman at Point Zero produced by the Women's Solidarity group.

In the production, Ria and fellow actress Nurul Arifin will play alongside women activists, students, street musicians and children ... not the usual TV drama cast.

"I don't look at acting roles by how small or big the part is, they're all important to the play," she said, adding that she demands the people acting with her to do their best and work together for a good performance.

"I have to act so that I can make them look good, and they also have to act to make me look good. If one of us fails to do that, then the performance won't be good," the winner of the 1988 Citra award -- the Indonesian equivalent of the Oscars -- for best supporting actress said.

"(I tell them that) If you make me look bad, I'll slap you," Ria said with a grin.

Woman at Point Zero is based on a novel by Egyptian writer Nawal El Saadawi, famous for her explosive narratives on feminism and her critiques of patriarchy.

The play will open on April 20 and April 21 at 8 p.m. at Graha Bakti Budaya, Taman Ismail Marzuki (TIM), Central Jakarta.--JP