Going up: Actors build a human tower during a scene in Sang Sukrasana, which will be held on Sunday.

Indonesia is home to a diverse array of cultures and customs. One such tradition is wayang (traditional Indonesian shadow puppetry).

Among the most recognizable pieces of Indonesian heritage, wayang tells a dramatic story with shadows. A puppet master sits behind a screen and brings the puppet’s projections to life. While the term wayang usually refers to the performance, it can also be used to describe the leather puppets themselves.

Another prominent form of wayang is wayang orang (human wayang), where puppets are replaced by real human actors. This type of wayang is an integral part of Indonesian culture.

Multitalented senior Indonesian artist Jaya Suprana knows the importance of preserving wayang. He founded the Laskar Indonesia Pusaka (LIP) art community in 2009 to preserve the wayang tradition and other manifestations of Indonesian culture.

In an upcoming performance, the LIP will perform a wayang orang play called Sang Sukrasana, featuring an ensemble of well-known Indonesian actors and a storyline that draws inspiration from recent events to appeal to a contemporary Indonesian audience.

Taking place on Sunday at Teater Besar Taman Ismail Marzuki, the performance will adapt a story that takes place between the ancient Indian epics, the Mahabharata and the Ramayana.  

While both the Mahabharata and the Ramayana were composed in Sanskrit, the story of Sang Sukrasana is truly Indonesian. Indonesian culture absorbed and elaborated upon the foundational ancient Indian lore.

Standoff: Ruth Marini (left) and Lukman Sardi come face to face in Sang Sukrasana, a wayang orang (human shadow puppet) performance, which will be held on Sunday.

Sang Sukrasana depicts a time when the gods lived side by side with humans. It tells the story of Sukrasana, a knight known for his unsightly appearance and grotesque figure. Despite this, Sukrasana possesses unimaginable powers, and his might is second to none.

The story explores Sukrasana’s loyalty to Sumantri, his brother.

Sumantri, however, does not take a liking to Sukrasana. This narrative, according to Jaya, has a profound meaning.

“It comes from my sorrow for the people [of Indonesia] post-election,” explained Jaya, referring to the 2019 presidential election.

“During the campaign, the people were hailed and acclaimed as if the nation was intended for them. However, after the elections, they were suddenly abandoned.”

Actor Lukman Sardi, who portrays Sukrasana in the play, recognized the timeliness of the story’s underlying themes.

“The character of Sukrasana is very interesting, and illustrates what’s happening right now,” he said.

“Not just in politics but in everyday life, we’ve seen people being alienated despite their skills. They were used, but after that, that’s it.”

“That happens everywhere, so for me, this is important.”

Delicacy: Kenthus Ampiranto (left) and Asmara Abigail perform a scene from Sang Sukrasana, a wayang orang (human shadow puppet) performance, which will be held on Sunday.

In addition to Lukman, the play will also feature actress Maudy Koesnaedi, actress Asmara Abigail, actress Ruth Marini, late former president Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid’s daughter Inayah Wahid and former child singer Agustina “Tina Toon” Hermanto, among others.

The production includes various elements of society across generations such as Jakartan art lovers, professional wayang players from Jakarta and Surakarta in Central Java, soldiers from the Indonesian Military and members of the National Police.

For Lukman, there was no reason to refuse the role of Sukrasana.

“As an artist, this is my way to give back to Indonesia,” said Lukman.

“My family, a family of artists, all lived in Indonesia. Everything they’ve achieved is due to Indonesia, and I was always taught to give back to Indonesia.”

Lukman also explained the performance sought to introduce traditional Indonesian culture to younger generations. Maudy shared this view.

“At the execution level the most important thing is to try to introduce [the culture] to all kinds of people,” explained Maudy.

“While we always emphasize introducing and encouraging Indonesian culture in the younger generations, I believe we should introduce the culture to other kinds of people as well.”

The writer is an intern at the Jakarta Post

— Photos courtesy of Image Dynamics