Tanah Air to stage Remy's new play

A. Junaidi ,  The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Fri, 03/28/2008 1:39 AM

The award-winning Teater Tanah Air will present a play this weekend inspired by a local Cinderella story.

Set to be staged at Graha Bhakti Budaya theater at Taman Ismail Marzuki Cultural Park from March 29-30, the play Bawang Putih, Bawang Merah, Bawang Bombay (Garlic, Shallot, Onion) is written by Remy Silado of Ca Bau Kan fame.

The troupe secured 19 gold medals for the theater in the World Children's Theater Festival in Germany two years ago.

Using Beatles songs, the play, inspired by the popular tale Bawang Putih, Bawang Merah, aims to attract all ages.

"Although the actors are children and teenagers, adults can also enjoy the performance as it talks about contemporary issues," Remy told The Jakarta Post.

Remy said the play, first staged in a Jakarta school last year, touched on current events, including his suspicion that a superpower was behind the avian influenza furor.

"I started to talk about bird flu issues last year. I'm concerned why people were banned from keeping chickens and birds in their neighborhoods," he said.

"(In this play) Bawang Putih's friends are birds."

Directed by Jose Rizal Manua, the play centers around Bawang Merah, whose father died of a heart attack in prison, where he was serving time on corruption charges.

Bawang Merah and her mother want to take revenge against Bawang Putih's father, who is responsible for locking up Bawang Merah's father in prison.

With the help of Bawang Bombay and his gang, Bawang Putih's mother is poisoned and dies.

Bawang Merah's mother later marries Bawang Putih's father.

Bawang Putih, her father, Bawang Merah and her mother end up living in same house.

Far away in a Yogyakarta palace, a prince is asked by his parents to find his soul mate. The prince goes to Jakarta to meet Bawang Putih.

"I want to show that behind the bad character of Bawang Merah, there is a mastermind, Bawang Bombay. There is often a provocateur in a crime," said Remy, who has authored many novels, including Ca Bau Kan, which has also been made into a movie.

Asked why he used Beatles songs to accompany the play, Remy said, "the play is based on a classic story, and many consider the songs classics and love them".

The show's art director Inez Somellera from Mexico combines classical nuances and teenage issues in the performance while Indian designer Amsalan Doraisingam is behind the costumes.

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