Shadow play

I was surprised to see the picture of Putu Wijaya's Yel, in The Jakarta Post of Sunday, Aug. 20, 1995.

It happens that in 1985 I arranged this type of shadow play for the Women's International Club's Christmas party, which was to be held at the Hilton Ballroom. It was a big success as the performance was attended by some 300 ladies. It was only the year before that I started to become active in creating stage sets, etc. for the WIC's theater.

I had produced huge, man-size boxes decorated as Christmas presents for Tsaickovsky's Nutcracker's dolls which, in a dream, were to come to life.

So, during a meeting in preparation for the 1985 Christmas party, the theater group stuck their heads together for what would be the next play. Out of the blues I suggested: "What about a shadow play?" Nobody understood what I meant, or believed how it could be realized.

Anyway, activities went on, rehearsals, etc. until it was time that I had to see the place where the stage had to be set up. Then, even the Ballroom manager couldn't follow me very well on how it had to be done. Actually I was shocked myself to see a big stage, while we were only rehearsing with a makeshift small stage.

So I had to rearrange this small one on to the big one, which gave me some problems.

Anyway, the play, with sheep for the shepherd and all, became a success. After the show I was even told that some ladies shed tears watching it. Later I was asked to do this play once more, which I declined to do for the second time.

So, this explains why I was surprised to see the picture of Putu Wijaya's shadow play, because I only remember playing it during my childhood, as the Sleeping Beauty, when I was ten years old, at the Elementary School performance under a certain Mr. Dumpel in 1936-1937. Your never too old to start something!

NETTY MULIA

Jakarta