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Teater Koma stages latest play ‘Warisan’ in silence
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Members of a nurning home who cannot afford the rent and are separated by a high wall from the rich members. (Teater Koma/File)
T
eater Koma’s 40th anniversary celebration features the theater troupe’s latest play Warisan (Legacy), running from Aug. 10 to 20 at Gedung Kesenian Jakarta, Central Jakarta.
Directed by N. Riantiarno, Warisan tells the story of a nursing home divided into two parts: the elite home, which houses high-class elders and the bare-minimum home, which acts like a shelter for less fortunate elders.
In the elite house, renowned writer Kirdjomuldjono (Idries Pulungan) faces writer’s block as he is troubled by the noises produced by another member of the house, Munan (Budi Ros), whose son’s involvement in corruption makes him scream out of depression.
Other members of the house, Sakiro (Sir Ilham Jambak) and Subrat (Bayu Dharmawan Saleh) can't seem to stop criticizing the government of a fictional country, Hindanasasa, which has a similar history with Indonesia. Amid the talk of politics, the elite house also becomes a residence for a mahjong-playing clique.
Read also: Teater Tetas performs legendary ‘Banowati’ tragedy
In stark contrast to the flower-gardened facility, with its lavish food and top notch security, in an area separated by a high wall without any connecting doors, lies a facility, which houses the less fortunate elders. The atmosphere changes as the philosophical discussions from next door evaporate with talk of survival dominating the residents’ days in this part of the nursing home.
Unlike Teater Koma’s previous plays, namely Semar Gugat, Opera Ikan Asin and Opera Kecoa that are heavily filled with music and dance, Warisan is performed with a silent background. The absence of tunes is instead replaced with the sounds of mahjong tiles, an abacus and a typewriter. Man-made noises from the poor area of the nursing house also give a different ambiance to the whole play.
The silent background gives a clearer audio reception, encouraging the audience to listen to the dialogue more intently as the characters love to talk. Notable conversations include those between Sakiro and Subrat who are the show’s scene stealers. Their comments about the presidents of Hindanasasa, which resemble Indonesian presidents and the country’s endless debt are sharp and funny.
Teater Koma, as usual, cleverly condemns the issue of corruption and openly criticizes the government in Warisan. Tickets are available at the theater troupe’s official website, with prices starting at Rp 100,000 (US$7). (asw)
