Schools bring 'wayang kulit' to classroom
Schools bring 'wayang kulit' to classroom
Slamet Susanto and Tarko Sudiarno, The Jakarta Post/Yogyakarta
Who says that wayang kulit or leather puppetry can only be performed on special occasions? And who says that it has lost its charm and can only draw old people to watch it?
That common perception does not hold true anymore, as some schools in Yogyakarta have decided to take this art form into their classrooms.
Earlier this week, state SD Negeri Baluwarti, Kota Gede, held a maiden wayang kulit show in its classroom, during which dozens of students were mesmerized by the performance.
Minus traditional Javanese music, puppeteer Ki Suroso, dressed in Javanese traditional outfits, staged a play from the Babad Mahabarata on how the war between the powerful Astina and Pandawa clans broke out, for fifth- and sixth-grade students.
The persona of the wayang characters like Arjuna, Werkudoro, Gatotkaca and Durno -- which depict a variety of human traits -- were shared in his unique, yet relatively less formal way to the students, who were glued to their seats.
In the two-hour performance Ki Suroso also inserted some valuable insights, rarely found in the textbooks, about love for the homeland and compassion for fellow human beings.
These included the renowned episode of Kumbokarno caught in the dilemma between defending his homeland and siding with the truth.
"Kumbokarno knows that Astina is breaking the law but he is a patriot who fights to defend it to his last drop of blood," Suroso said, asserting how the students, as Indonesians, too must love and uphold the country's honor.
Using his voice and moving the puppets with his hands, Suroso sometimes cracked a joke or two, which drew raucous laughter from the students.
Suroso also told the audience about Babad Mataram, which centers on the story of Ki Juru Martani who cut through a jungle and founded the Mataram kingdom.
"Now we have a pleasant life compared to our ancestors who had to cut through jungle to build houses or a kampong. Our task is to just continue the good deeds of our ancestors. As you are still young what you can do is to study hard and obey your parents," said Ki Suroso in refined Javanese.
The use of high Javanese was a deliberate attempt to demonstrate its use to the children. It was also meant to show the children that it is spoken differently if it is used to interact with peers, younger people or older people.
School principal Toto Djujanto said bringing the wayang kulit to the classroom was part of an attempt to introduce the students to the richness of local culture.
"After this show some schools (that held the shows) and the local branch of the national education office will jointly evaluate this method," Toto said.
The decision to bring the wayang to the classroom was made by the Yogyakarta provincial administration and the Indonesian Puppeteers Association (Pepadi).
"Starting this month, the wayang will be presented in 11 schools in Yogyakarta and other schools will wait until the evaluation of its effectiveness has been completed," Toto added.
On that afternoon Ki Suroso concluded his session with the cliche that the bad would always be defeated by the righteous.
"Knights from Pandawa clan finally get the justice they deserve," he said.
A student, Rohadi Amri, said,"It's nice. When a subject is taught in class, I always get light-headed and sleepy because I cannot stand the seriousness and tension for hours."
Rohadi enjoyed the play although he was not familiar with the wayang characters.
Another student, Dyah Martha Safitri, commented, "I wish all subjects could be taught through wayang because we wouldn't have to sit tests. And there's no math."