What would unscrupulous individuals do if there was a rule prohibiting the burial of people like them? Teater Gandrik’s latest play, Para Pensiunan 2049 (2049 Retirees), aims to answer that.

Doorstoot (Butet Kartaredjasa) comes back from the dead after discovering that his remains are denied a burial because of his failure to acquire a Death Certificate of Good Conduct (SKKB).

The year is 2049 and every burial requires an SKKB, issued by the Death Advisory Commission (KPK), to confirm that the deceased was a good person.

It is, therefore, impossible for the corrupt Doorstood to get a certificate.

It is an intriguing start of Para Pensiunan 2049 (2049 Retirees) by Yogyakarta-based Teater Gandrik. Adapted from the theater group’s 1986 Lakon Pensiunan (Retired Play) production, the play will be staged at the Ciputra Artpreneur Theater in Kuningan, South Jakarta, on Thursday and Friday.

Para Pensiunan 2049’s recent staging in Yogyakarta highlights Teater Gandrik’s mastery in conveying sociopolitical criticism with lots of humor and a dash of horror.

Go away: Scared locals try to expel Doorstoot’s spirit who keeps demanding the burial of his corpse.

Doorstoot’s unburied corpse sparks concern among his friends and peers, who are afraid they will meet the same fate considering all the bad deeds they have committed.  

Relentless over the fate of his body, Doorstoot’s spirit haunts everyone in protest against the denial of his burial. But KPK official Kerkop (Susilo Nugroho) refuses to grant the certificate. In response, corrupt people conspire to topple Kerkop and remove him from the KPK altogether.

In a tragic turn of events, Kerkop is arrested by the KPK and is granted an SKKB even though he is still alive. Kerkop fights as hard as he can to overturn the ruling but to no avail. And with the issuance of his SKKB certificate, Kerkop is dragged into his own burial.

The two-hour play is quite amusing to watch despite its heavy theme. It can be attributed mainly to the acting skills of Teater Gandrik performers in dagelan mataram (a Yogyakarta theater style known for its humorous approach in conveying criticism).

When Doorstoot rises from the dead to seek “justice”, Butet as Doorstoot imitates the late dictator Soeharto, who led Indonesia into the New Order era.

“Enak pada jamanku to [life was easier in my time],” Butet says, cheekily mimicking those who wish to see a reemergence of the New Order.

Sing along: Slated to be staged in Jakarta on Thursday and Friday, Para Pensiunan 2049 is directed by Djaduk Ferianto (right) and features his ethnic music group, Kua Etnika.

The dialogue between Doorstoot and Slepen (Gunawan Maryanto), a grave keeper in charge of praying during a burial, also drew uproarious laughter from the audience.

One of the lines jokingly alludes to a certain presidential candidate.

“Rawe rawe rantas malang-malang putung. Bersatu kita teguh. Bercerai jangan dipilih lagi [Obstacles will be eliminated. United we stand. Separated, we cast no more votes].”

The play’s director, Djaduk Ferianto, also incorporates a typical wayang (shadow puppet) story arch in the play, starting from a conflict, leading to a goro-goro (turning point) and then the epilogue.

The play is jointly produced by Agus Noor and Susilo Nugroho based on Lakon Pensiunan, Teater Gandrik’s 1986 production created by Heru Kesawa.

Held prior to the April 17 elections, the Yogyakarta show included some dialogue on presidential candidates that may not be relevant for its two-day shows at Ciputra Artpreneur Theater in Jakarta. But Butet assured that his theater troupe would never run out of fresh ideas.

“Every day, we get fresh updates on the country’s [political] situation, which we can use for our Jakarta shows,” he said.

Turning tables: The crooks of the play conspire to topple honest official Kerkop (center, Susilo Nugroho), who refuses to issue a certificate for Doorstoot’s burial.

— Photos by JP/Tarko Sudiarno