Women's Monologues lament country's wounds

The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Mon, 09/03/2007 2:11 PM  |  Life

Matdon, The Jakarta Post, Bandung

The inaugural A Week of Women's Monologues 2007, which presents four monologues by four women dramatists, is touring the three cities of Bandung, Yogyakarta and Karawang. Opening Aug. 23 in Bandung, Women's Monologues closes Sept. 6 in Karawang, West Java.

The program features Ronggeng Dukuh Paruk (Ronggeng dancer from Paruk village), adapted from the novel of the same name by Ahmad Tohari, directed by Agus Mehesa and played by Sophia Hapsah; Sewaka Darma (homage to duty) by Roni E.R.G., with El Carronte directing and Evi Sri Rezeki acting; Ontogenesis (ontogeny), written, directed and performed by Yunis Kartika; and Kunci Kontak (ignition key), written and directed by Yusef Muldiyana and featuring actress Puspitaningtyas.

According to program coordinator Eva Sri Rahayu, Women's Monologues is not an arena of rivalry or contest between genres, but rather is intended to be a forum of ideation involving women's performances to convey social values through dramatic monologue.

Theater is a medium of learning and creativity for many societal groupings, including women, and it can be observed that theatrical works approached from the female perspective appear to be perceived and expressed in a unique way. This can also be applied to the entire process of dramatic presentation.

The special feature of this production lies in the courage of the players in expressing themselves and developing their imagination and creativity.

In their Bandung performance, for instance, the monologues were rendered smartly and, coupled with their strong themes, left the audience with intriguing questions about the agonies and pleasures of life, especially with respect to the lives of women.

One drawback could be that, despite the all-female cast, not all the monologues were written by women -- when this event could be a manifestation of women's artistic expression in the exploration and revelation of their esthetic experiences.

Monologues are an apt choice of genre to demonstrate women's presence in the artistic world, let alone in dominant social issues like tradition, modernization and women's psychology put forth to promote the expression of populist culture.

The four monologues all explore the fate of Indonesian women, their sufferings a long account of the nation's wounds so far.

Kunci Kontak tells the story of Dariati, a prostitute who strives not to imitate her mother, but who is widowed when her husband is killed while collecting debts. Fate plays tricks on her as she becomes the wife of her own brother-in-law.

The marriage is threatened when her new husband is jailed for avenging his older brother's death. Dariati then causes a row in her husband's family, and she flees amid the confusion.

While on the run, several men assault her with an intent to rape her -- but she kills the potential rapist in self-defense. Even so, the act provokes an internal conflict, and Dariati is torn between the choice of turning herself in to authorities or committing suicide.

Ronggeng Dukuh Paruk depicts the life of Srintil, who revives this traditional dance form in Paruk village to entertain guests for a fee. A girl who becomes spiritually consumed, Srintil's life changes. She does not realize this change, nor does she want it, and the eventual awareness of her condition makes her lose meaning in her own existence.

In brief, Ontogenesis deals with the long journey of the genesis of humans from seed to ovum and toward physical and mental maturity, amid the pressures of 20th-century cultural hegemony.

Meanwhile, Sewaka Darma is about a woman who feels trapped in her civilization and becomes lost, even to the point of becoming alienated from herself. Some aspect of the past -- as seen in her preoccupation with a book called Sewaka Darma -- seems to haunt her through her dreams and reality, which finally become inseparable.

The touring theatrical production has been staged at the AACC Building in Bandung from Aug. 23-25 and at the Yogyakarta Cultural Center from Aug. 28-29.

On the last leg of its tour, the monologues will be presented from Sept. 3-6 at the Women's Organizations Building in Karawang, West Java.

The program will include ""Monologue Goes to School"", a workshop on monologue skits with a discussion on contextual elaboration by the relevant theatrical group, as well as special performances for local high school students.

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