'Wayang orang' fighting losing battle against modern arts

By Rita A. Widiadana

JAKARTA (JP): A six-hour wayang orang played by the Bharata Group at a modest and decaying theater in Senen, Central Jakarta, finally reached its climax and the curtain came down.

The 30 members of the audience, all faithful regulars, warmly applauded the traditional Javanese dance-theater show even though they had watched Anoman Obong (Hanoman Burned), a part of the Ramayana epic, dozens of times at the 500-seat Gedung Bharata.

The visitors' sympathetic applause was so meaningful to the accomplished wayang orang actors and actresses who have dedicated their lives to one of the most Adi Luhung (highly refined) Javanese performing arts.

Wayang orang stories are derived from the famous Ramayana and Mahabharata epics.

Looking tired, bored and sleepy after playing similar roles for several consecutive nights, a few players started to pack up their belongings. Others were engrossed backstage in washing heavy make-up off their faces.

"It is hard for us to attract larger audiences these days when people are afraid to go out, especially at nighttime," complained Sangadi, the director of Wayang Orang Bharata Troupe, one of the few remaining professional wayang orang groups in Indonesia.

Sangadi, who joined the group in l972, admitted that the social and political unrest that had blighted Jakarta in the last few months had adversely affected not only the lives of many Bharata actors and but also the very existence of the group.

"In normal times, we were happy with an audience of 40 to 50 a night. Now, we are lucky if we have ten people watching our performance," he said.

Tickets for daily shows cost between Rp 2,000 (27 U.S. cents) and Rp 5,000. On Saturday nights the prices are double.

Sangadi said that running a wayang orang performance every night in a metropolitan city such as Jakarta was indeed very tough.

"We have to compete with so many glittering entertainment centers, cafes and other venues and our traditional art hardly appeals to many Western-oriented Jakartans," he said.

Set up in l972 by Djadug Djaya Kusuma, Bharata was an offshoot of the Panca Murti wayang orang group. Wayang orang arts were developed in the city by artists from Central Java, Surakarta in particular.

Wayang Orang Bharata Troupe is now funded by the Bharata Foundation and the Jakarta municipal government, as part of its commitment to nurturing and preserving traditional arts in the multiethnic city.

During its early years, the troupe was extremely popular. Every night, hundreds of people flocked to the theater to watch their favorite Ramayana or Mahabharata episode.

"We often received distinguished guests, such as the late Pak Boediardjo (former minister of information) and Pak Soes (the late Soesilo Soedarman)," he said.

Loosing battle

A number of prominent artists and scholars like dancer/choreographer Sardono W. Kusumo, Bagong Kusudiardjo, scholar Umar Kayam were also regular visitors.

But the popularity of wayang orang began to fade in the 1980s in line with the rapid development of entertainment centers and audiovisual technology.

"We are now fighting a loosing battle with modern and pop arts and even with other traditional wayang performances such as leather puppets," Sangadi pointed out.

Wayang kulit (leather puppet) shows gained popularity among urban Jakartans during the New Order regime, which tried to use the medium as a sociopolitical megaphone.

A number of favorite dalang (puppet masters) have become millionaires and led glamorous lifestyles.

"Many dalang (puppet masters) own luxury homes and drive Volvos or BMWs and were paid Rp 100 million per show, he said.

In contrast, the state of wayang orang groups in Jakarta, Surabaya, Semarang and Surakarta is really miserable.

Bharata member Rodiah, not her real name, complained that her honorarium as an artist was far below the government-set factory worker's minimum wage or even most servants' salaries.

She receives Rp 3,000 per night if she performs minor roles compared to between Rp 5,000 and Rp 6,000 for factory workers. Senior performers make up to Rp 7,500 a night.

"The price of a cup of Indomie rebus (a popular noodle soup) is now Rp 2,500. How can I live on such a meager payment in this big city," Rodiah said.

Another artist, Sumi (also a pseudonym), explained that she had to buy a set of cheap powder, lipstick, rouge, foundation because the company did not provide the artists with these necessities.

"If we want to perform, we have to make up our faces to fit with our roles. Can you imagine how we buy such luxury items with our own money?" Sumi said.

Sangadi agreed that Bharata artists were really underpaid considering the high artistic requirements for wayang orang performances.

Playing wayang orang is very difficult. Each artist is required to master basic and advanced Javanese dance movements, the antawacana (dialog) of each episode, pakem (the concise prose outline of wayang stories), karawitan (the art of Javanese gamelan and vocal music), according to Sangadi.

"Today, it is very hard to find good wayang orang artists; they are a really 'endangered species,'" he says.

The troupe's income from the daily performances is also completely inadequate considering the company's operational costs can be as much as Rp 15 million per month.

"We receive financial assistance from the foundation and the city government, but it is not enough to cover the expenses," Sangadi says.

Efforts

Efforts to improve the living conditions of Bharata performers have been made by the foundation. Bharata's 80 performers currently live in a modest housing complex in Sunter, North Jakarta.

All members of Bharata are allowed to perform with other groups and to work in other fields to compensate for the meager honorarium given by the company.

"If you watch any dance or theater performance, be it modern or traditional, you'll find members of Bharata there," Sangadi boasted.

With their dance and theater skills, it is easy for any member of Bharata to adjust to other forms of performing art.

Some work as dance trainers, radio presenters and film actors.

A number of Bharata artists are also hired by other groups like Teater Koma, for its Opera Anoman performed at the newly opened Teater Tanah Airku at Taman Mini Indonesia Indah, East Jakarta. Others play in Ketoprak Humor broadcast on the private RCTI TV station.

Help also comes from the management of Gedung Kesenian Jakarta. Since l994, Wayang Orang Bharata has performed at the sophisticated theater in Pasar Baru twice a month.

I Gusti Kompyang Raka, program manager of Gedung Kesenian Jakarta, explained that the Bharata shows earned particular acclaim.

"We are trying to capture a non-Javanese audience and expatriates and the programs work really well," Kompyang said.

Now, Gedung Kesenian's patrons who are used to watching Western-style performing arts are starting to watch wayang orang and other traditional performances.

"Of course, Bharata has had to adjust to its new audience which has a different cultural background. They have to modify the stories, settings and so on," Kompyang explained.

Gedung Kesenian also plans to send the Bharata troupe to the Netherlands to take part in an international traditional music festival next March.

"Despite the hardship, the all the Bharata members are very committed to the group. I am very proud of them," said Sangadi, the director.