Shadow puppetry emvedded in Yogyakarta life

By Marina Kaneti

YOGYAKARTA (JP): In a world of terrorist bombings, crashing markets, and concern about global warming there seems to be less and less room for art. This must be especially true about art based on stories and tradition born around the time of the Athens Olympic Games and embraced and valued by people centuries before Shakespearean drama established itself as one of the most precious stones in the crown of Western art tradition.

How are stories about virtuous princesses and refined warriors, evil monsters and loyal monkey kings surviving the challenges of today's dynamic world? Incorporated in the drama and dance traditions of Indonesia, many of these stories, based mainly on the Ramayana and the Mahabharata epics, still survive the uncertainties of modern times.

Yogyakarta, renowned as a center of Javanese art, is unquestionably the Graceland of traditional art forms. Nevertheless, the spirit of commercialism that haunts Bali is no less noticeable here. Tourists are encouraged to mingle with dancers from the Ramayana ballet after the end of the nightly performance and even invited on the stage for a short introduction to the dance movements; trips to Borobudur have a mandatory, but not previously advertised, half hour stop at a nearby batik shop.

The one art form that is less commercialized and more appealing to local people than foreigners is wayang kulit or the shadow puppet theater.

Unlike other art forms, wayang kulit is less accessible to an international audience because the narrative and dialogue are conducted entirely in traditional Javanese. Indeed, not only foreigners, but also Indonesian youths from outside Java would rather not visit a wayang kulit performance.

Elizabeth, 21, from North Sumatra, complained about the language barrier and commented that wayang kulit is an entertainment mainly for kids.

Still, wayang kulit is as much part of life in Yogya as are the batik galleries or the annual Sultan's fair. Children learn to recognize famed heroes and bad monsters from an early age and many of them know Bima or Gatotkaca before they can utter full sentences.

Very telling in this regard is the story of Ki Ketheng, one of the many dalangs in Yogya. Unlike many other dalangs, who inherit the family tradition and start learning the art of the dalang from a very early age, Ki Ketheng was fulfilling his own childhood dream when he entered the sultan's professional school for dalangs at the age of 39.

Today, already a certified dalang, Ki Ketheng is not so concerned about glory, fame, or popularity. For him, what's important is the personal satisfaction of being a dalang, of having a chance to immerse himself in the story and life of all the characters on stage.

Ki Ketheng's attitude is quite understandable. To be a dalang, or a puppet master, is by no means an easy task. Apart from being able to manipulate some 30-odd puppets during an at least three- hour long performance, the dalang has to be a linguist who talks with 30 different voices and a musician who directs the gamelan orchestra seated around him.

Apart from the traditional legend retold, the dalang also incorporates current events and happenings in his narrative, so he has to be aware of the concerns and events that occupy the minds of the local population.

The only thing that can be added to the long list of responsibilities and qualities of a dalang is that a traditional performance lasts approximately from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. on the following morning. Currently, such performances are held in Yogya once a month, usually the second week of the month.

Ki Ketheng was only one of the many people in Yogya who exemplify the preservation and vitality of wayang kulit. Another eager preserver of this traditional art form and its beauty is Pak Olot Pardjono.

Pak Olot, a puppet maker, is in fact one of Yogya's most famous citizens. Every becak driver can take you to his leather puppet studio and almost anyone on the street would gladly show you the way to his house.

It is not by chance that Pak Olot is so famous. He has inherited the skill and tradition to make superb wayang kulit puppets from his grandfather, once a puppet maker for the sultan. Pak Olot himself has been employed by the government for the past 12 years and his puppets are part of the collections of many museums around the world. A US$400 Kumbokarno headed for the sultan's palace last week.

Although Pak Olot's puppets rarely end up in private customers' collections (prices range from $60 for a Gareng to $400 for a Tree of Life), people in Yogya respect him for the refined quality of his work and for his knowledge and understanding of wayang kulit and the different characters.

Despite his fame, however, Pak Olot humbly calls himself a student of a centuries-old tradition. Indeed, he constantly tries to perfect his skills and understanding of the puppets through the study of ancient texts in Dutch and Javanese.

Making the puppets also involves a degree of mysticism, as he himself acknowledges. Throughout the years, despite his enormous experience, Pak Olot is sure to make a mistake while making some of the puppets unless fasting while it is made.

Both Pak Olot and Ki Ketheng thought that asking how long the wayang kulit would last was irrelevant.

"As long as there is a sultan, there will be wayang kulit and sultans are forever," this is how Ki Ketheng tried to express the significance and importance of the wayang kulit.

What is more, neither the puppet maker, nor the dalang felt that the tradition should be changed or adjusted to the needs of modern times and new generations.

"If we use Indonesian instead of Javanese, we are not following the tradition," said Ki Ketheng, adding, "we are here to preserve the tradition, not to change it."

Pak Olot said that the most he would change is the mixture from which the different dies are made because it is extremely difficult to make the color mixtures with which puppets were colored in the past.

"Even if I am making puppets for myself, I would not make a single change from the traditional image. I would rather try to imitate the originals to the best of my ability," he added.

Apart from his insistence (some might say obstinacy), about the importance of preserving the tradition and uniqueness of wayang kulit, the spirit of non-commercialism and devotion to art for art's sake is also striking. Pak Olot sees the immersion in the process of puppet making as some sort of philosophy where the process of learning, hard work and mystery are intertwined with rich legends, myths and ancient rituals. Personal satisfaction rather than a quest for fame and glory made Ki Ketheng save money to study the art of the dalangs.

In Yogya different people and different generations have their own favorite dalangs and stories. The mysterious shadow play, however, is still in the hearts of all of those who can allow themselves to be lost in the romance, drama, comedy, and ancient dreams of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata.