Theater is part of my life: Suyatna
By Aendra H. Medita
JAKARTA (JP): Suyatna Anirun may not be as well-known as other playwrights such as Arifin C. Noer, Putu Wijaya, Teguh Karya and W.S. Rendra. Yet, he has made contributions to the development of modern Indonesian theater that are as valuable as any made by these theater workers.
Suyatna, who keeps a low profile in both his appearance and lifestyle, easily adjusts to his work, either when he is on stage as an actor or is directing.
In his work in the theater, Suyatna has his own typical style. Many critics have said the work of the director of Studiklub Teater Bandung (STB) theater group reflects Western realism.
Noted playwright Rendra has praised Suyatna as a tough man in the theater. "I became interested in joining the theater after watching some actors members rehearsing, and Jim Lim encouraged me to join," Rendra recently told The Jakarta Post.
Jim Lim, who now lives in Paris, Suyatna and several others established STB on Oct. 30, 1958. He remains today.
Born in Bandung on July 20, 1936, Suyatna is also known as the grandfather of Indonesian theater, both for his directing and his acting. Each year, he works on between five to six theater productions.
Suyatna, who is also a lecturer at the Indonesian Arts Institute in Bandung, has directed numerous plays by some of the world's greatest writers, such as Anton Chekov, Albert Camus, Goethe, Tagore, Tennessee Williams, Shakespeare and Ionesco.
While preparing to stage Moliere's play Tabib Gadungan (Fake Medicine Man) at the Taman Ismail Marzuki arts center in Central Jakarta on Oct. 5, Suyatna shared his views with the Post.
Question: How did you first become interested in the theater?
Answer: When I was still studying fine arts at the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB), it never crossed my mind that I would become involved in the theater. Why? Because since I was a child, I wanted to be an engineer. But I was not accepted by the school of engineering.
When I was in high school, I wrote poetry and my French teacher knew this. The teacher suggested all of the students attend a classical concert by Ida Prasty, a world-renowned classical guitarist. I was so touched by the show ... since then I developed a growing interest in the arts. I started watching films, concerts and tried everything, including singing.
When I was accepted at ITB, my family was against it. We're Christians and my father wanted me to go to theology school, but I refused and ran away to my uncle's house. My uncle taught me about poetry ... at that time, I loved Sitor Situmorang's poems of rebellion. Finally, my family allowed me to study at ITB, but after only one semester I was tempted to try the theater. I took part in the theater for the first time with Jim Lim. It was Di Pantai Baile (On Baile Beach) by W.B. Yeats. On Oct. 30, 1958, we and some friends officially set up Studiklub Teater Bandung.
Q: Did you have a theater teacher?
A: As a matter of fact, we all love reading. We started reading books on acting like Persiapan Seorang Aktor (Preparation to be An Actor) by Stanilavsky. So, experience became our teacher...
Q: Why does your group often stage Western dramas?
A: We are aware of this, but a theatrical work represents human desires. Many criticized us, saying we were too 'loose', not in our performances but in culture. But again, we were only in our 20s. But then, when Jim Lim went to Paris, we started to explore local theatrical arts... From this experience we started to understand local performing arts.
Q: Why are you more interested in the realist works?
A: Honestly, I am interested in all works. But STB happens to frequently stage realist plays because we like them. We find them workable. But we also have worked on unrealistic scripts, such as Ionesco's Badak-Badak (Rhinos) and Biduanita Botak (Bald Lady Singer), because at the time we saw that no one ever put on those works.
Q: What is your strong bond with the theater world?
A: The key is love and sincerity. The sincere love for the theater makes me feel that theater gives me many things and shapes my life, making me feel stronger in facing any problems... In short, theater has become part of my life.
Q: STB is identified with you. What is your comment?
A: In fact, this applies to other theater groups. For example, Teater Ketjil is identified with Arifin C. Noer, Popular with Teguh Karya, Koma with Nano Riantiarno, Mandiri with Putu Wijaya, Bengkel with Rendra. But that's not very important. The important thing is, theater will go on. STB is only a name, it can vanish. But the theater will go on.
Q: This October, STB will celebrate its 42nd anniversary. What do you feel?
A: I am happy. It turns out we've gone far.
Q: What does it mean for a theater group like STB to have been in existence for so many years?
A: We exist and we have so for some time .... If our group is the oldest, it's because we started early, but it does not mean we don't face any problems.
Q: During all this time, where has the funding for STB come from?
A: From my own pocket and from my wife Yati Sugiati, who is also an STB actress. Sometimes from sponsors or cultural foundations which invite us to put on plays. Once we were even helped by artists who raised funds through a painting exhibition. We used those funds to stage Julius Caesar in 1998.
Q: Why hasn't STB tried to perform abroad?
A: Once there were an offer from some people with the Cannes festival. But at the time, we weren't working on anything ....
Q: Do you believe there is regeneration at STB
A: I do; some young actors at STB have started to direct. I even used an assistant director to stage Moliere's Tabib Gadungan, something I never did before. I think it's important for regeneration.
Q: How do you see the current state of the arts?
A: I think it is still at the independent phase, not yet at the glorious phase. But it (the glorious phase) has started to appear, because in order to reach that phase, we have to be independent first. And this applies to all arts, not only the theater.