Search for goodness played out in 'Sunten Jaya'

By Wawan S. Husin

BANDUNG (JP): The night was especially dark and the wind in this area of North Bandung so cool that the audience -- about 250 people -- should have their coats buttoned. The sparrows were flying around the top of a bamboo stage, constructed in a pyramid shape and covering the open-air mini theater of Selasar Sunaryo in Bandung.

Every now and then, bats flew about trying to steal ripe bananas on the roof of the stage. Torches cast light on the area while fans were tightly packed in front of the stage.

Young coconuts and clay jugs were positioned above the stage, which was decorated with sugarcane leaves, paddy, garlic and chilies. The stage was prepared for a performance of Sunten Jaya, a play directed by Saini KM, a playwright and art critic.

"The bamboo structure reminds us of a village, its straight yet plastic characteristics symbolize tenacity, strength and honesty," said Sunaryo, the artistic manager, who is better known as a sculptor.

And he would like Sunten Jaya to be a monumental work.

"I created a wide area for the actors and actresses, and when the stage, with all of its aesthetical elements, was lit by the torches, the backdrop was enriched by multimedia images.

With a dynamic white backdrop, the actors and actresses are like fish in a pond. They moved, gestured, mimicked, danced and shouted.

For me, this is a kind of ruwatan ritual, which searches for more meaning," Sunaryo added. A number of the torches were places in high trees behind the open-air arena where they twinkled like stars when the wind blew.

Produced by Actors Unlimited from Bandung, Sunten Jaya was performed at Selasar Sunaryo was on Aug. 31, 2000.

The background

The script is rooted in the Sundanese folk story of Munding Laya, which was revitalized by Saini KM, in the form of lyrical prose. The original oral story of Munding Laya is similar -- or at least has a similar spirit -- to Beowulf in old English literature or Siegfried and The Knights of Nibelungen of Germany.

Prince Munding Laya (a protagonist, portrayed by Teddy Octora) of the Pajajaran kingdom is to be executed by his stepbrother, Sunten Jaya (an antagonist, played by Banban). Munding Laya is released and will be forgiven if he can take Lalayang Salaka Domas (The Holy Golden Inscription) which is kept by the Guriang Tujuh (Seven Guardians of the Sky).

Sunten Jaya and his grandmother, Suri Tejamantri (played by Rita Juwitae), are aware that there is no Lalayang. All who have tried to find it vanished.

Munding Laya goes to Heaven after he is able to overcome the Jonggrang Kalapetong, a very powerful giant -- Ayi portrayed Jonggrang perfectly -- and asks him to lead the way to the entrance of the sky. Jonggrang is ousted and the gates to the kingdom of "nothingness", of "strange winds and sounds", open. Guriang meets Munding Laya, but the seven guriang tell him they will never give the lalayang to him.

"The Lalayang should be kept in Heaven," says the highest Guriang. He ignores the words and insists on the Lalayang. The guriang (or angels) fight against him and he is killed. The Goddess of Soul, Dewi Suksma (soprano Ati Sudaryanto), gives him a rebirth, and Munding Laya returns to the Kingdom of Pajajaran, overcomes treachery and becomes the new king. He marries Dewi Asri (played by Heine), and they live happily ever after.

The story is based on the universal moral concept of "the search of goodness". Sunten Jaya is a symbol of evil, the dark world, Munding Laya represents humans' perennial questions of "who am I?; what am I looking for?; and what is the meaning of life?" Guriang (the archangel) and Sanghyang Tunggal (The Eternal One) are symbols of the buana nyungcung (the Higher Life or the Spiritual Life).

Silence says a lot

The combination of dancing and gestures was similar to that of a dance theater, yet the vocals were live instead of recorded. The dancing actors (mostly the seven Guriang) moved slowly.

"I tried to apply minimal gestures so that the movements are absolutely minimal," said Nanu, the choreographer. Nanu was successful as the minimal movements created a somber environment, which was also both sad and contemplative.

The solemn and subtle gestures were perfect. On top of this, Suhendi Afriyanto, responsible for the music, also created music from traditional instruments (bamboo flute, kecapi (guitar) harp and saluang (stringed instrument). The appearance of Umi as a goddess, and moving as a Pandji dancer (sacred dance of Cirebon), lent a more contemplative aura. Her soft and flowing movements showed she was a real dancer. The serene face of her white mask was memorable.

It was the silence that said the most. The highest Guriang (Yani) fulfilled the expectations of the audience by playing well.

Secondly, the music and dancing was like fish and water. The appearance of Dewi Suksma (Ati), who sang in order to make Munding Laya return to life, charmed the audience with her voice. It was like a lullaby.

In the words of musician Hary Pochang, "For me, the music was so effective that their minimal response to the action on the stage was always meaningful. Afriyanto and his friends were worthy of the applause."

Then there was the multimedia effects, which could have been better.

The backdrop could have been made more effective to show the many images (burning masks, sky and wind, the moon in dark clouds, black lines and moving lights). It was just too dim.

"Yes the stage should have been more colorful and lighter ... the director should think about this weakness ...," said Bedeng Siregar, an actor and professional photographer.

At the peak of the performance, the backdrop was burned.

The problem faced by this teater rupa (theater of arts) -- so called by Sunaryo -- is serious. The performance was too "arty", instead of being "an event of temporary reality," said Toni Broer, an actor.

"Basically, theater deals with an event, real or fiction, that takes place in a certain time and place," he added. The art is only an element but the main frame is the event."

Pondering Broer's words, the so-called teater rupa might be in a dilemma. It is worth discussing. The artistic manager, the director and the production manager did not seem to have time to discuss the problem beforehand.

For Fathul, the director who worked on the performance for four months, he should, it seems, keep in mind the old saying: "too many cooks spoil the broth."