Talipot: Journey to the root of the water dance

Talipot: Journey to the root of the water dance

By Wawan S. Husin

JAKARTA (JP): If you want to laugh and be happy and yet still
have something to think about after the curtain has fallen, you
may wish to consider attending a performance by Par Le Theater
Talipot (Talipot Theater).

In Bandung, Talipot Theater performed at Taman Budaya Jawa
Barat on June 22. The performance was part of a cooperation
between Taman Budaya and CCF Bandung. The company also performed
in Yogyakarta on June 25 and Surabaya on June 27.

What is Talipot? "It is the name of a kind of tree that lives
in the Reunion islands," said Eric, who has been the lighting
manager for the company for two years. "The most significant
characteristics of the tree is that the tree only blooms once in
a lifetime," he added with a smile. "And then it's finished."

The Talipot tree seemed to be represented during the
performance by the tree-like prop in the back-left corner of the
stage. The "tree" was a log with three curly and straight
branches, around which the four actors inexhaustibly played
during the performance, titled Les Porteurs d'eau (The water
carriers).

The performance -- dances and songs -- consisted of 12 scenes,
which flowed into one another. Between each scene the lights in
the theater went out for about 40 seconds. During these blackouts
a voice or other sound often could be heard, allowing the
audience to forget the scene was being changed and thus
contributing to the feeling that one scene drifted seamlessly
into the next.

The 12 scenes combined to tell the story of the Les Porteurs
d'eau, and yet each scene told its own little story and thus
could be enjoyed on its own. The title of the work seems aptly
chosen, as though the water was being poured down on a country
full of crises, just to remind people that the fires of chaos
could be overpowered by fresh water.

Talipot Theater was founded on Reunion island in l986 and has
performed in major cities in South Africa, Europe and Asia. In
Indonesia the company performed in Jakarta, Bandung, Yogyakarta
and Surabaya.

Simplicity

There are at least three significant characteristics that can
be discussed in regards to this performance of Les Porteurs
d'eau. The first is the simplicity of the stage. The use of a
minimum of simple props is a trademark of the Gotowskian School
and can be seen in this production.

The actors were all bare headed and wore nothing but yellow
loincloths. If there was music or sound it served simply to
emphasize accents. The four actors were very alive and
enthusiastic in their actions. They created their own world and
this was successfully communicated to the audience, bringing them
into this cosmology. The use of only loincloths can be
interpreted as the openness of the actors to their audience,
their readiness to understand and be understood by others.

The second characteristic of the performance was the actors'
mastery of their bodies. Their movements, gestures, voices and
self-control were extremely. It is obvious all these things could
only have been achieved through hard work, self-discipline,
dedication, meditation and also superb vocal training.

While the voices of the actors were not up to the quality of
professional singers, their capacity and quality could
particularly be seen in the scene The Women and the song
Aylakile.

The mastery of body and space control was at its most
impressive during the dancing and movements in The Witches with
Rods and The War. Regarding the mastery of body, Iman Sholeh, an
actor and a lecturer at STSI Bandung, states: "The actors have
really mastered their bodies perfectly, and so high is their
mastery that they can use their bodies as images, as function and
as emotion.

"This kind of mastery level could only be achieved through a
long tradition of hard training, meditating and exercising. On
top of all this, they have absolute dedication to their own
choice of life and in life. This is important and again a
cornerstone for those who want to achieve such professionalism."

After the performance, Sholeh said: "The result of training
means their bodies can 'speak' to the audience from their inner
intention .... Their performance then is evidence of what this
long and serious journey (of hard training, etc.) can create."

For me this performance by Talipot Theater was like unto a
Bordeaux wine, which is dry and sweet, and yet at the same time
strong and powerful.

The third characteristic of the performance which invites
contemplation is the actors' ability to communicate singularly
and as a group.

The actors' can communicate person-to-person in French and
other languages, such as English, and this ability makes
communication easier. As a group, their teamwork is evidenced by
the ability to achieve the proper reactions from the audience, as
well as to immediately respond to the audience. For example, when
the audience gave a standing ovation the actors immediately
performed the song Aylakile, as though they were not exhausted
after this 100-minute performance.

The Water Carriers consists of 12 scenes beginning with In the
Beginning is the Monkeys and ending with The Resurrection.

The performance was directed by Phillipe Beleen Baldini, who
also wrote the script for the play. The actors were Abdoel
Karimau Dit Dada, from Komoro, Faffa (Madagascar) and Jean-
Christophe Patin and Thierry Moucazambo (Reunion). The
choreographer was Savitri Nair, from India, the music was by
Ricky (Madagascar), and the lighting was by Eric Citony of
France. This lineup shows the melting (Tali)pot of cultures that
makes up this company.

For whom the bell tolls

The group's performances in Indonesia offered an excellent
opportunity for young actors and others involved in the theater
here to see how a professional company prepares for a tour.

In Indonesia -- so far as I know -- only Rudolh Puspa and his
Teater Keliling have really traveled overseas since the 1970s.
The tradition, management, total involvement of the members of
the company, the belief in the theater as a way of life and
profession and the courage to encounter new and foreign cultures
are details which must be pondered before such overseas touring
can be undertaken.

I think of a number of Indonesian actors, such as Iman Sholeh,
Wawan Sofwan, Deden Rengga, Toni Broer, Uwep and Pandura Dea from
Bandung, Lanjar (Surakarta), Wani Dharmawan and the actors of
Teater Garasi (Yogyakarta), the actors of Teater Ruang and Teater
Api (Surabaya), Dindon of Teater Kubur and the actors of Teater
SAE (Jakarta). Can they travel the globe in the near future or
become members of groups which enjoy worldwide reputations?

The reform era has given birth to pluralism. To be different
is no longer a sin. Human dignity is to be searched for and
found, and we are no longer as to hand-packed mackerels in a can.

Having been left behind in science, technology and moral
problems, can we do something for culture in Indonesia? It is a
challenge, particularly after being lullabied for so long by
heroical mottoes and bombastic adages.

From the small island called Reunion, Talipot Theater has
become a "troubadour of the New Ages", finding people (from
other cultures) to share with their brothers and sisters around
the world.

Talipot may then be viewed as an offering to be humble and
seek understanding. Something like the reunion of spirit and
body. They are the sky and the earth. Becoming and being water,
flowing peacefully over this Earth. Only once. Like the Talipot
tree.