Sawitri Adisti Sukma, the Post of Jakarta, Jakarta | People | Mon, October 22 2012, 7: 56 AM
Paper Edition | Page: 28
Maybe not so far, according to Gunawan Maryanto, a poet and playwright who is breathing new life into old Javanese texts.
Take the heroic story of Roro Mendut, a strong and assertive woman of Javanese folklore. She refuses to marry a patriarch in the 17th century and fights for her love — like a modern woman.
In Gunawan plays performed by Teater Garasi, lives the competent character as: Tarling from the coastal town of dangdut singer – a Indramayu Pada Tubuh yang Berada di Ketiga: Perayaan in Antara (third body: on embracing What Is in between) and as himself in the musical Kerontjong Y.B. Mangunwijaya Roro Mendut Temple, who adapted novel about.
But nevertheless the classic idea of Java.
Java remains a politically powerful island in Indonesia, hosting of the nation's capital. But the island is only a small part of the archipelago, that has grown dependent on mining and plantations, all located on the sea.
Islam is no longer a new religion that in the era of Majapahit against Hindu-Buddhist society. The fate of Islam have diminished and the religion has consistently held, in turn changing role in traditional Javanese society.
Stories about the Javanese are far from glorious. Plotted by urbanization and Western capitalist competition, many have turned to other islands such as Kalimantan and Sumatra, where palm oil, coal, oil and gas continue to be exploited. Others have gone abroad as unskilled migrant workers for small reward.
By Gunawan of eyes, is the story of the Javanese something contemporary. He shows a community that is no longer part of a tradition, but has been disowned by modernity. Gunawan tells the story of the people in-between; children of transition, which celebrate life despite their misery.
"My biggest Muse is a changing Java: Java today. When I use the ancient texts are interpreted, I entwine them with opportunities related to the current challenges, "says Gunawan.
Tubuh Ketiga tells the story about the difficult life of women in the poor region of Indramayu, West Java. They possess no land. If they do not choose dangdut singers, they should go abroad if unskilled migrant workers to make a life.
If the singers celebrate the women their pain, express themselves through their music. They write songs about their lives and dancing on them.
In the most recent performance of the theatre company, Gandamayu Repertoire, breathed Gunawan, who wrote and directed the play, new life in the traditional Javanese text Kidung Sudamala, a romance about young hero, Sadeva, that the curse on Uma, the wife of the most powerful deity in Hinduism, Shiva placed ends.
Unlike as in the old text and choose in Gandamayu, the novel by journalist Putu Fajar Arcana who inspired playing, heart-broken Uma, who has been the victim of her own man test of faith, her own way at the end of the Gunawan play. In the old text and the novel, Uma returns to the sky with Shiva.
Born in Sleman, Yogyakarta, grew Gunawan with Hindu Javanese wayang shadow puppet epics as stories told by his mother, Tri Purnami.
His mother would tell the stories for bedtime, Gunawan bring books and comic stories about the Mahabharata for her young son to read. The story of the brave knight Karna, the estranged son of Kunti and Surya, before her marriage to Pandu, the goddess was his first favorite.
' My mother stories made my love of art. They introduced me to art, "said the 36-year-old man, the oldest of six children, of whom three died. His mother died in childbirth when he was 12. The baby died with her leaving only Sumarto, Gunawan, with his father and two siblings.
Living in Karangmalang, allowed Central Java, an area surrounded by the nearby campuses of Indonesia Arts Institute (ISI) and Gadjah Mada University (UGM) in Yogyakarta, Gunawan to be exposed to theater since his youth.
He recalls a memorable theatrical performance look when he was in the fifth grade. An ISI student who rented a room in his house took him to watch a pantomime Show. In the theater there was a story about a Barber and an ensemble performance of the city of Yogyakarta.
Arguments with his father in high school made him leave the House. Then he joined the Sanggar Anom, a theater Community consisting of high school students in Yogyakarta. Well-known film maker Hanung Bramantyo was also part of the group.
Gunawan finally found a haven and later a new home and family with Teater Garasi, than an extracurricular activity of students at UGM. It was with the theater, led by Yudi Ahmad Tajudin, honed his art, his skill that Gunawan writing, including.
"The first time that I wrote the script for Waktu Batu [The Persistence of Time]. Yudi encouraged me to write, "said Gunawan, who since the playwright behind most of the performances of the company. He also has several projects with Yudi directed.
Waktu Batu muses about the rigidity of time, worked in dance and movement in a futuristic environment. In the play, time is seen as threatening, a curse, recurring — and sometimes even cruel and uncompromising.
Gunawan, who with writers Ugoran Prasad and Andri Nur Latif worked on the project, said that the script for Waktu Batu was based on several old Javanese texts including Purwakala, the story of the beginning of time; the Kidung Sudamala; Babad Watugunung, or the Chronicles of Watugunung, one of the first Kings of Java; and the fall of Majapahit Kingdom in the 15th century.
From then on he began to pen short stories and poems, who like his plays are largely influenced by Javanese mythology. He won the Khatulistiwa Literary Award in 2010 for his poetry collection Sejumlah Perkutut Buat Bapak (some turtle doves for the old Man), who talks about his difficult relationship with his father.
"My father had many turtle doves that I never really liked. I remembered him when I wrote the book and how I bother to communicate with him. That's why I left home, "he said. Gunawan itself has a 7-year-old son of his separated wife, poet Dina Oktaviani.
Utilization of the poetry of his own accident said Gunawan that it not take loneliness to craft a creative work. Gunawan said he always in a crowd, usually between his activities with Teater Garasi writes.
"I grew up in the crowd, with noise. I am not running if I'm alone. "
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