T

racing the path of Karna’s life means recounting a tragic life of one of the great warriors from the epic story of Mahabharata.

Hundreds of people packed Salihara Theater in Pasar Minggu, South Jakarta, on Friday afternoon to enjoy an interpretation of his life and death in the form of a series of monologues. They listened to the story about Karna (played by Sitok Srengenge) from the perspectives of Radha (Sita Nursanti), the woman who found him as a baby in the river; Parashurama (Whani Darmawan), his Brahmin teacher; his mother Kunthi (Niniek L. Karim); and his wife Surtikanti (Putri Ayudya). Although he fought on behalf of the Kurawa, Karna was actually the first son of Kunthi and the brother of the five Pandawa.

Raised by a couple from the lowest caste of sudra, Karna strived against all of his misfortunes in the pursuit of his own identity. He bravely refused to allow his caste to decide his fate.

The monologue readings were held in remembrance of Karna’s death. Four people closest to him told his story as based on his last letters, which were written before the bloody battle in which he died.

The show started slowly with Radha talking about a letter from Radhea – Karna’s name before he became a Kurawa warrior.

The pace then moved to full speed when Parashurama recounted his first meeting with Karna and the event that made him dispel the talented student from his ashram.

Parashurama’s eloquent story-telling engaged the audience, absorbing them with his monologue.

Karna’s image strengthened throughout the night, especially when Kunthi described his birth and his appearance in the middle of a royal competition.

“But a warrior only has one way. I joined this war to determine who I am,” Karna said in his monologue.

The heartwarming show offered different interpretations of Karna, allowing the audience to see his character from different angles.

For the play, artistic director Jay Subyakto transformed the Salihara theater’s stage into a three-level design, with the middle turned into a terrace comprising four doors.

Costumes for the performance, he said, were inspired by the traditional costumes of Tanimbar Island in Maluku. The costumes were dominated by tenun woven cloth and accentuated by big round-shaped bracelets for legs and arms.

The play’s writer and director Goenawan Mohamad said that he had only inserted a tiny dose of humor, saying that the country already had Butet Kartaredjasa to serve that purpose.

“I always like wayang stories,” Goenawan said after the show, which runs until Sunday. “Karna is interesting because he’s the most complex character.”