Top puppeteers in demand -- for a price
Top puppeteers in demand -- for a price
By Kafil Yamin
BANDUNG (JP): Udung Supriatna was forced to sell his car to
pay for that special something at his daughter's wedding
reception.
To the delight of everybody in his neighborhood, he hired
popular wayang golek puppeteer Ade Kosasih.
"It cost me Rp 10 million. I had to do it because it was the
request of my youngest daughter," he said.
Ade lowered his fee for his friend Supriatna, a former village
head.
"If somebody else hires Ade, the price can be Rp 15 million or
so," Supriatna said.
If a family plans to hold a wedding party or sunatan
circumcision ceremony) in a Sundanese community, people in the
neighborhood usually hope for an all-night wayang golek show.
They usually stay awake until the show's conclusion in the wee
hours.
Despite its popularity, the performances are increasingly
rare. For one, the show is expensive for middle-income families,
let alone low-income ones.
"Only the rich can afford to hire a top dalang (puppeteer),"
said Iwan Suryawan, a fan of the art form.
For another, there are few puppeteers left.
"Even those with talent would think twice about becoming
professional dalang because they would see gloomy days ahead,"
said Juju Juanda of the Bandung station of state radio network
RRI.
Data at Taman Budaya Sunda reflect the decline; only 53
puppeteers are registered at the Sundanese cultural center.
"Years before there were hundreds," said Eli Suliasih from the
center.
She said people were more concerned about saving money than
maintaining traditions.
"People will think about cost-efficiency. Instead of spending
tens of millions of rupiah, they would hire a fledging popular
music group. That would cost no more than Rp 2 million or so,
with the same potential to draw a huge crowd."
Many puppeteers acknowledge their high price but said there
was no other choice. They noted the problem was the number of
people required for the performance, usually from 20 to 25,
mostly members of the gamelan orchestra.
"All of them must be paid," said a puppeteer. "If a member of
the group gets Rp 400,000, then the whole group would need at
least Rp 10 million.
"The amount does not cover the puppeteer's fee and the money
that needs to be put aside for the period when there are no
bookings for performances."
Puppeteers argue their fees are low if their working hours are
factored in, including preparation for the show and the cleanup.
Their long working hours are due to the rigors of the script.
Wayang weaves in stories taken from the Hindu epic Mahabrata,
with local nuances added.
All wayang stories can be condensed in one theme: the war
between good and evil. Legend has it that Sunan Kalijaga, one of
the wali songo (nine holy men), created the art as a medium to
propagate Islam in Java.
Thus, the wayang is not only a cultural show, but also a
sacred performance, with a ritual opening led by the puppeteer.
The length of the shows is one of the difficulties for the
traditional art to make the crossover to modern electronic media.
Slow-paced and lasting for hours, Wayang cannot fit into regular
TV viewing schedules.
In a more industrialized society, people do not have the time
to devote to long stories like the wayang. The audiences are
still there, but they are limited in number and age group.
"Those who stay awake to listen or watch wayang performances
are old Sundanese people, or youths who are socially marginalized
just like the art they are enjoying," said a Sundanese culture
figure.
"The youths are usually jobless. They enjoy wayang while
playing cards or something."
In a bid to preserve the traditional art, the arts and culture
office of the Bandung city administration provided regular wayang
performances at affordable ticket prices in a modest theater
building on Jl. Naripan. It is a venue where fledging dalang have
the chance to perform.
Unfortunately, the audiences did not show up.
The regular shows were then moved to the RRI building -- and
the number of viewers was still low.
"Only when top dalang like Asep Sunandar Sunarya or Ade
Kosasih are on show will people flock to the hall," said Juju.
What does it take to be a top puppeteer?
According to RRI's survey, people like dalang for three main
reasons. First, a dalang should have a good voice, more
specifically a baritone with the flexibility to voice different
characters.
"When we hear a dalang with suara cempreng (a shrill voice),
we just ignore him," a fan said.
Second is the ability to characterize si Dawala alias si
Cepot, a popular clown figure in wayang golek. The voice and
jokes of si Cepot are specific to the play, and true wayang fans
can identify his voice with the dialect.
Inseparable with the perfect tone of voice is the skill of
playing the different characters.
"Every character in wayang has individual gestures, style and
expressions. Each character has specific ways of dancing,
greeting and fighting. And wayang fans know them well," said
Juju.
He added the other requirement was the ability to modify the
tales into short, condensed and interesting performances which
would fit in with the needs of modern audiences.