Dhianita Kusuma Pertiwi
Literature Science Department, University of Indonesia, Pondok Cina, Beji, Depok City, West Java, Indonesia
E-mail address: [email protected]
Abstract
Compare to the other literature forms, the development of drama in terms of analysis and work in Indonesia is both insufficiently and not widely encouraged. The history of modern drama in Indonesia can be traced back to Dutch colonialism period in which Western drama introduced to Indonesian people, while traditional performing arts has been developed far before the nation‘s independence. Unfortunately, the long tradition of Indonesian drama is not enough to encourage its development as one of the branches of literature, especially in the aspect of play script writing production. A solution is needed to boost the interest in play script writing especially among younger generation, especially university students. This study combines library-based research on related literature to gain adequate textual information on history and development of drama in Indonesia and case study on English-language theater club in State University of Malang, Maestro English Theater. Research findings will show that university-based theater club may become a media to develop Indonesian drama and encourage play script writing among university students of this country. This study can be used as a reference for the development of Indonesian literature, especially drama, and also for the establishment of theater club as a positive activity for learners.
Keywords: theater, literature, play script writing, university
Introduction
According to the generally accepted principle, literature is divided into three major forms namely prose, poetry, and drama. This study is focused on drama, a specific mode of fiction represented in performance.
Indonesia has a long and rich tradition of literature which particularly influenced by local culture and colonization by other nations. Commercial theater performance that we have today is the result of development that has been occurring for centuries. The tradition of old art performance is generally based on the indigenous culture of each region in Indonesia.
There is a limited literature on the development of Indonesian drama and theater. Compare to the production of other literature forms such as short story and poem
that keep on gaining high interest from generation to generation, the production of dramatic literature does not show significant development especially in the recent decades.
Based on the current phenomena, therefore, solution is needed to boost the interest in play script writing especially among younger generations, and also to enrich source on the development of Indonesian drama and theater. This research investigates the history and development of drama and theater in Indonesia and provides a solution to encourage play script writing among young generation by presenting the result of case study on one of the university-based club theater in Malang, Indonesia.
Referring to the background of the research above, the statement of the problem is formulated into:
124 ISSN 2580-1937 (Print); 2580-7528 (Online)
1. How is the history and development of Indonesian drama and theater?
2. How is the significance of university- based theater club to the development of modern drama and theater in Indonesia?
3. How university-based theater club is able to encourage play script writing passion among young generation?
The purpose of this study is to examine the history and development of Indonesian drama and theater. This research aims to reveal historical timeline of drama and theater development in Indonesia from prehistoric up to the modern literary period.
Besides, this study also aims to discover the significance of university-based theater club to the development of drama and theater in Indonesia, especially in the aspect of play script writing.
Methodology
This study combines two types of research design in order to be able to answer the research questions and fulfill the research purposes. Literature review and case study research designs are considered to be sufficient in providing the historical account of Indonesian drama and theater and also the information related to the significance of university-based theater club to the development of Indonesian drama and theater, especially in the aspect of play script writing.
Information related to the history and development of Indonesian drama and theater is gained from books, research journals, and articles. While case study by interview is conducted to provide descriptive information on the significance of university-based theater club to the play script writing movement in Indonesia.
Information gathered form the related literature is compiled then analyzed using historical approach. Meanwhile, the data collected by interview method is analyzed to
produce descriptive explanation on the significance of university-based theater club to boost young generation‘s interest in play script writing.
Finding and Discussion
History and Development of Indonesian Drama and Theater
The history of Indonesian drama and theater can be traced back to the development of folk theater which formed as the identity of a certain community in a specific area.
Starting from pre-historic period, the important element in the development of theatre or art performance during this period were the cultivation of rice, the practice of animism, possession of a common fund of myths, and bronze manufacture (Brandon, 1967). Animistic magic ritual, especially concerning the belief on rice spirit that influence their prosperity, was an important theme among the pre-historic civilization. In this period, oral myths and legends from Indian Sanskrit literature provided materials for much Southeast Asian drama, including Indonesia pre-historic community. The origin of Indonesian drama and theater is related to the emergen
ce of folktales (Gray in Sukada, 1973).
In the next period of time, Javanese wayang kulit shadow drama developed out of prehistoric animistic rituals in which ancestors of the tribe were contacted through the medium of shadow figures (Brandon, 1967). Theater in Java and Bali are significantly influenced by some aspects of Indian culture, particularly the Indian epic literature like Ramayana and Mahabharata.
Most of the Hinduism and Buddhism religious ritual inspired artists to form their artistic expression (Sukada, 1973).
The earliest form of Javanese theater are wayang kulit (shadow drama), wayang beber (paper-scroll play), and wayang topeng (masked dance). While Javanese court literature of the 11th and 12th century
ISSN 2580-1937 (Print); 2580-7528 (Online) 125 contains numerous accounts of wayang kulit
performances. Wayang orang was born in 18th century at the central Javanese court of Surakarta and Yogyakarta.
Hubojo (1950) concluded that traditional theater in Indonesia –especially in Java–
started from spiritual ritual towards gods, then developed to dances that based on epic stories of Mahabharata and Ramayana (wayang), and continued in the form of ketoprak which brings the history of Java on the stage.
Then from 1300s to 1750s, Southeast Asian theatre was influenced by two new cultural invasions, Chinese and Islamic (Brandon, 1967). Islamic faith had two main effects for the development of drama and theater during this period. First, the annihilation of image of man in stone or wood, with paint, or as portrayed in plays or dances. It is based on the concept of Islamic faith that the representation of human is considered as sin.
Consequently, Islamic teachers and rulers at that time tried to lessen the popularity of Hindu theater forms. The second impact was that Arabic, Persian, Mesopotamian, and Egyptian stories were introduced into the region.
The next development period in Indonesian drama and theater is the influence of Western art. The impact of the West was felt by theater of every country in Southeast Asia. One of the most disastrous consequences was the decrease of court theater everywhere. Interest in traditional literature was started to be viewed as outdated. This period saw the emergence of little drama society in almost every country in Southeast Asia, dedicated to introduce Western-style ―spoken‖ drama.
The diffusion of Western drama to Indonesian literary culture also changed the concept of traditional art performance.
Wayang orang which ever reached artistic
maturity as court-supported theatre changed into a solely commercial performance. Then it is recorded that the last great court- sponsored dance-drama in Indonesia was performed in Jogjakarta in 1939. Most court theater forms ceased to develop any further as art by the end of colonial period.
On the other hand, the most significant new development of ‗popular‘ theater took place during this period. During the 20th century, this type of theatre developed in every country in Southeast Asia, with the exception of Philippines. The example of
‗popular‘ theater in Java is ketoprak and ludruk (Damono, 2009). Ketoprak is the Central Javanese creation, while ludruk is an East Javanese product. It was started around 1920s in which both amateur and professional performed ketoprak. Since then, it became usual to act and dance stories based on Javanese history and legend on stage in a more informal way. Brandon (1967) found the phenomenon of ketoprak craze among Javanese people in the early 1920s.
Indonesian literary critics believed that any theater performances that developed before the diffusion of Western culture was a form of oral literary tradition. It is based on the assumption that those performances were mostly played without play script. Then in the first quarter of 20th century, drama was started to develop in Indonesia. Kwee Tek Hoay and Ferdinand Wiggers are considered as the initiator of early ‗written‘ Indonesian drama.
Japanese invasion to Indonesia in 1940s marked the change in development of local drama and theater in which all forms of art should be dedicated as propaganda to support Japanese militarism (Damono, 2009). Then in 1950s, new forms of drama, existentialism and absurd, started to develop in Indonesia as it brought by Indonesian
126 ISSN 2580-1937 (Print); 2580-7528 (Online)
intellectuals who studied in Western countries.
During Suharto regime, despite the strict censorship by the government, Indonesian writers were getting closer to the concept of theatrical production. Compare to the previous periods, play scripts are written not to be read alone (known as drama kamar), but to be produced and performed on stage.
Then following the fall of Suharto regime, several themes like social and protest developed more significantly
Maestro English Theater
Maestro English Theater is a university- based theater club formed by the students of Department of English Literature in State University of Malang. It was developed in 2000 as an alternative to gather students who interested in art performance, especially English-language theater. Initially formed as the sub-division of Legato, English department student‘s association, then it gained its independence and official name of
‗Maestro English Theater‘ despite its affiliation with Legato. This organization had experienced hiatus in 2007 due to internal dispute, then managed to reform in 2010.
The reformation is proven to give a positive impact to the development of this club. As since the club reformation, Maestro English Theater has managed to hold performances routinely. Besides, it also marked the development of script-writing aspect among the members. Previously, like any other university-based theater clubs, Maestro English Theater performed drama script written by famous writer. Then since 2011, some members are encouraged to write play scripts to be performed by the team. The following table shows the play scripts written by members of Maestro English Theater.
Table 1. Play Scripts Written by Members of Maestro English Theater
No. Title Writer Year of
Performance 1. A Sorry
Tomato
Natalia Wijayanti
2012 2. The Black
Book
Natalia Wijayanti
2013 3. Does It
Ever Start?
Dara 2013
4. Another Side
Ilma Syafitri
2014 5. The Haven Dhianita
Kusuma Pertiwi
2014
6. Lilac Melancholia
Mirta Dwi Hardini
2015
Figure 1. Maestro English Theater Stage Performance Posters
ISSN 2580-1937 (Print); 2580-7528 (Online) 127 The table above shows an increase in the play script writing interest among the members of Maestro English Theater.
According to the informant, influenced by better organizational management of the club and increasing enthusiasm on theater among the students. Additionally, all of the playwrights above wrote play scripts for the first time. The club willingness to work on play scripts written by its members positively encouraged them to develop their abilities in play script writing.
128 ISSN 2580-1937 (Print); 2580-7528 (Online)
From the information above, university- based theater club has a significant influence for young generation to write play script.
Then, university-based theater club should implement a specific program that give chances for its members to develop their play script writing ability.
Conclusion
Indonesia has a long and rich tradition of drama and theater. It is started from religious ritual related to the traditional concept of spiritualism, then to dances that based on epic stories of Mahabharata and Ramayana (wayang), and continued in the form of ketoprak which brings the history of Java on the stage.
The development of written drama is started around the early 20th century with the influence brought by Western colonization.
Japanese occupation in 1940s forced Indonesian dramatists to write play script according to the colonial government political interest. Then, Indonesian independence marked the development of new drama genres including existentialism and absurdism. The relation between play script and theatrical stage is getting closer
since Suharto regime and developed until the current days.
University-based theater club has been receiving few appreciation in the development of Indonesian literature. This research has discovered that university- based theater club has a significant influence to encourage its members to write play script and perform it on the stage. Then theater club can be an alternative to increase the interest in play script writing among younger generation. In the long term, it may significantly contribute to the development of modern Indonesian drama and theater.
References
Brandon, James R. (1967). Theatre in Southeast Asia, Massachusetts:
Harvard University Press.
Hubojo, Darmono S. (1950). Djalan Perkembangan Sandiwara di Indonesia. Penerbit tidak dicantumkan.
Sukada, Made. (1973). Sekelumit tentang Drama. Denpasar: Lembaga Seniman Indonesia Bali.
Damono, Sapardi D. (2009) Antologi Drama Indonesia 1969-2000. Jakarta:
Amanah Lontar.
ISSN 2580-1937 (Print); 2580-7528 (Online) 129