Here they come: Teater Koma returns with Goro-Goro: Mahabarata 2 for its first production of 2019.

Indonesia’s beloved theater troupe Teater Koma is staying true to its tried-and-tested formula of gods and monsters for its first production of 2019.

Teater Koma’s 158th production and latest play, Goro-Goro: Mahabarata 2 (Total Chaos: Mahabarata 2), is a sequel of the troupe’s Mahabarata: Asmara Raja Dewa (Mahabarata: Love Story of the King of Gods), which it performed last November. Both of these plays are based on a tale derived from the Hindu epic Mahabharata.

Goro-Goro’s storyline centers on Semar and Togog, who are sent down to Marcapada (Earth) to serve as advisers to two warring kings.

Semar serves the king of Medangkamulyan, Prabu Srimahapunggung, while Togog advises the king of Sonyantaka, Prabu Bukbangkalan. As Medangkamulyan enters an abundant harvest season, Sonyantaka undergoes severe drought, which spurs Bukbangkalan to invade the neighboring kingdom.

On the other side of the story, Batara Guru puts a curse on Dewi Lokawati, turning her into a rice plant for spurning his advances. The rice paddy is then given to the kingdom of Medangkamulyan, to be presented as food for the wayang of Marcapada.

Teater Koma founder Norbertus “Nano” Riantiarno, who wrote and directed the play, said that even though Goro-Goro was a sequel of sorts, those who did not get to see the previous installment should not fret.

“It’s fine if people didn’t see [the previous play] because it is an entirely new story. When I started to write, I envisioned those going to see the play for the story alone. However, those who have seen the previous one will have a better sense of the continuity and background,” Nano said during a recent press conference.

Funny people: Teater Koma's plays always feature comic relief characters that take satirical shots at current political and social issues.

According to Nano, the story of Mahabarata is relevant in today’s context as it deals with issues close to the audience.

Teater Koma’s productions usually contain cheeky references to political events, such as 2018’s Gemintang, which contained a nod to graft suspect Setya Novanto’s car crash. Goro-Goro, Nano said, would be no different.

“The character of Semar serves knights who fight for the truth, while Togog serves people who are mbalelo [insubordinate]. The two meet in the end, with Togog saying that Semar has it easier because he is a panakawan [servant] to great men,” Nano explained, adding that the audience should see the play itself to further understand the nuances.

As in previous productions, Goro-Goro also features Teater Koma’s regular cast, such as Idries Pulungan, Budi Ros, Ratna Riantiarno, Ratna Ully and Tuti Hartati. This time, Slamet Rahardjo Djarot, a veteran actor with nearly five decades of experience in the film industry, also joins them for the production.

Returning home: Actor Slamet Rahardjo Djarot (center) speaks during a press conference on Teater Koma's latest play, Goro-Goro: Mahabarata 2.

Slamet, who alongside Teguh Karya founded the Teater Populer troupe in 1968, said that playing with Teater Koma was a sort of “homecoming” for him.

“Theater is detox for me. It provides inspiration, a renewed sense of creativity,” Slamet said.

“The difference between theater and film is that in film, there is more technology involved. [...] There’s no emotional contact, no meaningful human worth,”

“With theater, I act in front of an audience at the same time; if they don’t like it they’ll throw rotten eggs at me, if they liked it they’ll meet me backstage to shake my hand,” Slamet explained, adding that he considered this human contact to be priceless.

According to Slamet, Nano’s script suggested that technology was merely a tool for humans.

“As an artist, I can confidently say that technology can be as advanced as it can be, but humans will still remain the programmers,” Slamet said.

“Nano’s Mahabarata reminds us to step back on earth and realize that the so-called ‘4.0 industrial revolution’ starts from that mysticism. What’s impossible is made possible. It’s not impossible, just done in a different way, and Mahabarata has done it correctly.” (hdt)

All together: The cast and production crew of the play pose for a photo.

— Photos courtesy of Image Dynamics

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Goro-Goro will be staged at Graha Bhakti Budaya, Taman Ismail Marzuki, Central Jakarta, for 11 consecutive days, from July 25 to Aug. 4. Tickets start at Rp 75,000 (US$5.37), being slightly cheaper for the Monday show at Rp 60,000 and starting at Rp 100,000 on weekends.