Workers' lot gets stage treatment

JAKARTA (JP): A lot of work and some play. A combination of these two elements makes Teater Abu, most of whose members are factory workers.

Teater Abu performed Mesin Baru (New Machine), their seventh production, at Bengkel Teater Rendra in Cipayung, West Java, last weekend. The venue was the studio of renowned poet W.S. Rendra. Like their previous performances, the play depicted the reality of their lives.

The play is bold in its message -- centering on controversial issues in workers' lives -- yet also entertaining. Mesin Baru is a collection of songs and dances offset by a serious monolog on low wages and other unfair practices of the employers.

The play was directed by Margesti, who, as an actress, had played for prominent theater groups such as Teguh Karya's Teater Populer and Teater Sae led by her ex-husband, Boedi S. Otong.

"Most members are still new to theater, that's why I approached them with singing and some light choreography," she explained.

Sharp and bitter dialog was uttered by two main characters, played by senior members, Yuli and Ami, who are both former workers. Yuli portrayed the wife of a rich factory owner and Ami was the wife of a worker who had just been fired. They brought wit to their parts, which included a bathing scene on stage.

"I got the idea from an untitled poem telling the true story of two female workers in Chile," said Margesti.

"It's very sad and describes the injustice they suffer, which brings the message that the workers in the world share the same fate," Yuli said.

Margesti said she got help on the music from people who sympathized with the goals of Teater Abu. For the last three performances, Sutan Vukarnie has arranged the music in cooperation with several of Teater Abu's senior members, who act as supporting musicians.

"Their acting comes from their honesty in bringing their own life on stage," Sutan said. "They are no ordinary actors."

Margesti included several familiar songs such as Bunga Seroja (The Seroja Flower) -- a Malay folk song -- and Di Wajahmu Kulihat Bulan (I See the Moon in Your Face), as well as new pieces composed by Budi LAB Studio. She also gave the group more leeway in the creative process this time by letting them cowrite some lyrics. These included, in translation, "our simple wooden rented room/it leaks when it rains/too much overwork makes me slimmer/ for lack of sleep".

Founded in 1993, Teater Abu was first organized by Yayasan Perempuan Mardika (YPM), a non-governmental organization dealing with female workers' issues. The YPM then appointed Margesti to train and direct the group, which consisted of around 30 people.

"In the first one and a half years, the organization gave some money to all members to cover transportation and meals during rehearsals as well as to support the performance," said Yuli, the producer, a member since the group's founding.

YPM stopped the funding as the theater group entered its second year. Many of its members left.

Teater Abu had performed in unusual places. In 1993 they played at the house of painter Jeihan in Bandung. In the next year, they performed outside the Bulungan Youth Center in South Jakarta, where the annual Jakarta Theater Festival was held inside. Their next stage was an open amphitheater-like stage in actor Ray Sahetapi's Studio Oncor, while the spectators sat on wet-grassy embankment under the sky. Last year, in celebration of Indonesia's 50th anniversary, they played on the street.

Four months ago, Yuli contacted some old members of Teater Abu. They introduced her to factory workers in Tangerang, who later became members of the theater group.

"These new members are amazing. They are really committed and diligently came at their own expense every Sunday to rehearse," said Yuli, who worked in a factory for seven years before she joined Teater Abu full-time. "They are also spontaneous and brave in their acting."

New member Ida, a worker in a shoe factory in Tangerang, said: "I was curious when first asked to join. I enjoy this very much now. Beside I now have a medium to get things off their chest, I also want to broaden my horizons and knowledge."

Mesin Baru was also the first time in Teater Abu's history when it managed all aspects of the performance.

In raising funds, Margesti and Yuli contacted several supporters. "They were surprised to find that Teater Abu still exists. Some of them even agreed to donate on regular basis," Margesti said.

They also opened a stall on the sidewalk, selling cheap snacks like baked bread. "We earned some money for transportation from this stall," Margesti said.

Some old members also lent a hand with other off-stage activities, such as use of space for rehearsals, transportation and meals arrangements.

Teater Abu will perform Mesin Baru once more on Sept. 14, at 8 p.m., at Studio Oncor in Pondok Pucung, near Bintaro Jaya Housing, Sektor 10, Tangerang.