Wayang performance for 50 nights

Wayang performance for 50 nights

SURAKARTA, Central Java: The city, one of the centers of Javanese art and culture, is hosting wayang (traditional leather puppet) performances for 50 consecutive nights beginning July 15.

Ichwan Dardiri, the head organizer of the 1995 Greget Dalang Festival, said the event is being held to mark the 50th anniversary of Indonesia's independence.

The performance will be conducted, in turns, by 50 puppet masters.

Ichwan said the organizers had originally planned to conduct the performance non-stop for 50 days and nights because it had enlisted the participation of 150 dalangs (puppet masters).

But at the suggestion of Soesilo Soedarman and Harmoko -- both senior cabinet members -- the organizers agreed to keep 50 dalangs in Surakarta to perform for 50 consecutive nights and send the other 100 to perform in other cities, Antara reported.

The performance in Surakarta will be opened by Ki Anom Suroto Lebdocarito and closed by Ki Mantep Sudarsono, both top puppet masters. (emb)