Wayang Performance

In order to support the government’s program, Visit Indonesia Year 2008, it is good to “peek” one of our cultures that is wayang. What is wayang and what crossing your mind when you hear that word? Is it only a bizarre thing that is performed behind the screen and accompanied by Javanese dialogues and gamelan?

Wayang performance unites various arts, such as drama, vocal, literature, painting, etc. In the performance, there is a central role that is a dalang (puppeteer) who is helped by pengrawit, swarawati, and so on. They create wayang to be an interesting art show in a complete form both esthetically, ethically, and philosophically.


So, what is the interesting part from that performance if we only see the shadow? Well, if you think that way, it is quite a big mistake. Wayang is not merely a shadow perform, but it is a yangane ngaurip that means humans’ life shadow. In other words, through wayang performance, we as humans can think and feel how lives start from the birth until the death and also humans’ life journey to fight for what is right and defeat what is wrong.

As a matter of fact, wayang and puppeteer art are often called total theater. It is so as each wayang character is performed in a total performance and its quality which is expressed in a form of symbols is prioritized. The story and all the equipments are made to express the whole life of human beings. The bare room for wayang performance symbolizes the universe before God created life. The kelir (screen) is symbolized as the atmosphere, the banana tree represents the earth, blencong (light) represents the sun, wayang itself represents people and other human beings, and gamelan represents harmony in life. Moreover, the presence of the audience has its own purpose that is as the spirit being there in the performance. In other words, spectators are the unity in the performance, not only to watch it, but also to think with their thinking ability, social awareness, and philosophy.

Enjoy, peace, and love from Sukra. (019 010108)

Reference:
Indonesian Wayang Encyclopedia, Sena Wangi, Jakarta, 1999.
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