Panggung teater Usmar Ismail, Jakarta, yang remang-remang itu disulap menjadi sebuah daerah dengan dua rumah bertetanggaan. Bahasa juga dimatikan bersama dengan lampu. Lalu kata-kata itu disulap menjadi gerak lima boneka yang hanya bersuara ketika memanggil nama dan mengeluarkan ekspresi seperti tawa dan rengekan. Bagi saya yang baru pertama melihat teater boneka, Papermoon, dan kisah Mwathirika, tidak ada bayangan sama sekali bahwa lakon ini bisa sangat menyentuh sisi sejarah kelam negeri ini dengan cara yang amat sangat manis dan humanis.
Baba
Moyo
Pada Jumat malam tanggal 6 September 2013, teater boneka Papermoon menyajikan sebuah cerita yang menyentuh ruang luas walau hanya bersentuhan dengan dua buah rumah sebagai latarnya. Rumah pertama dihuni oleh Baba, seorang bapak bertangan satu yang memiliki dua anak, Tupu si anak perempuan bungsu nan manja, dan Moyo si sulung yang kerap jahil namun juga menyayangi adiknya. Rumah kedua adalah rumah Haki, seorang bapak dengan anaknya, Lacuna, yang hidup di atas kursi roda. Kehidupan bertetangga harmonis ini harus berantakan setelah simbol segitiga merah tertulis di rumah keluarga Baba. Simbol itu pula yang harus melenyapkan Baba dan Moyo. Sementara Tupu yang polos harus menelan pahitnya dikucilkan Haki yang tidak ingin dibawa-bawa ke dalam masalah apabila terlihat dekat dengan keluarga Baba.
Haki
Lacuna
Menilik ilustrasi di atas jelas akan membawa nalar kepada sejarah kelam tahun 1960an ketika seseorang yang dilekatkan simbol tertentu acap kali menjadi korban. Namun hal itu tidak lantas membuat pertunjukkan ini menjadi monoton atau sekedar dokumentasi penggalan sejarah. Lebih dari itu, kepolosan dan keluguan anak kecil yang dijadikan sudut pandang lakon justru mampu menghadirkan perasaan yang melebihi aspek historis itu sendiri. Ialah aspek humanis yang disentuh dengan manis.
Gestur yang dimunculkan benar-benar memberi nyawa pada geliat peran masing-masing tokoh. Saya dibuat tersenyum, tertawa, hingga gemas oleh tingkah polah Tupu yang kerap diganggu oleh kakaknya, Moyo. Baba, si bapak, tampil dengan sangat berwibawa. Pun ketika suasana makin menjurus haru, kelompok Papermoon ini mampu memaksimalkan segala penunjang, seperti pencahayaan dan musik, untuk memainkan rasa dalam cerita ini. Diamnya Tupu dan Moyo saat Baba diculik adalah diam yang berbunyi. Ia nyaring, namun tidak bising. Haki yang melarang Lacuna bermain bersama Tupu pun berhasil mengangkat ke permukaan persoalan "jaga jarak, main aman" yang lumrah terjadi. Lacuna yang diam-diam menghibur Tupu dengan kotak musiknya, berbalasan dengan bunyi peluit Tupu, memperlihatkan bahwa bunyi adalah juga pelantun kesepian dan kesedihan yang mampu mengusik.
Saya terkesima habis-habisan pada sosok Tupu. Entah kenapa. Saya yang tidak terlalu suka anak kecil merasa perempuan kecil ini menarik. Ia hidup benar-benar tanpa tendensi. Tupu yang kehilangan adalah Tupu yang sama saat ia bahagia. Ia yang mencari-cari adalah ia yang menepuk-nepuk tangan orang seenaknya, merengek saat balonnya diambil, dan ketika iri melihat Lacuna punya kotak musik. Kehilangan yang dirasakan oleh Tupu adalah kehilangan yang memunculkan. Memunculkan perasaan yang bukan belas kasihan. Perasaan itu lebih seperti perasaan ingin menjadi boneka keenam yang berperan sebagai kehilangannya itu sendiri.
Tupu
Pementasan cerita ini berhasil menyelamatkan diri dari tendensi untuk menghakimi pihak manapun. Menampilkan sudut pandang korban, tidak harus mereka tunjukkan penderitaan yang menyudutkan pihak "pelaku". Menampilkan sudut pandang korban, ternyata bisa berarti menggemakan sakit itu semata. Ketika teater ini menutup aksinya seraya berujar, "Semoga peristiwa seperti ini tidak terjadi lagidi belahan bumi manapun," maka memang harapan itu yang ingin ditumbuhkan. Saya hampir cemas di tengah babak. Cemas jika pesan itu berganti dengan pesan penuntutan tanggung jawab dari pihak tertentu yang akan mengubah sajian ini menjadi tendensius. Ternyata mereka bijak untuk mengajak sebatas berharap pada kebaikan. Ternyata mereka teduh sebatas memunculkan getir yang memaksa saya - dan mungkin penonton lain - untuk mengepulkan asa lagi sambil menjaga diri masing-masing. Menjaga untuk saling memunculkan perasaan peka pada manusia lain. Kepekaan itulah yang menjadi pintu untuk saling menjaga kemanusiaan itu sendiri, dan seni - seperti yang mereka tampilkan - adalah salah satu kuncinya.
Sampai pertunjukan selesai, saya dibuat berkaca. Berkaca dari sebuah keluguan, perasaan dimunculkan. Kisah keluarga boneka ini berhasil memunculkan banyak hal: keteduhan, kepekaan, empati, dan pelukan, yang segalanya dengan amat manis dimunculkan lewat sebuah kehilangan.
our last journey is the end of 2012..
and now we are so happy to say that Mwathirika will have a new journey to Darwin, Australia for Darwin Festival 2013.
with new form of puppeteers, we are so excited to share about what we do with old and new friends that we will meet in Darwin.
as the first plan, we will do 2 stage performances,
3 times roving performances, and 1 workshop.
but it was changed.
Since 2 days performances were SOLD OUT ( even 2 weeks before the show)
- which made us really surprised, excited, and thrilled in the same time-
Darwin Festival asked us to do an extra show.
And we say yes! :)
so, please wish us luck, dear friends...
and we hope to see you soon!
MWATHIRIKA
Papermoon Puppet Theatre
Origin Indonesia
Papermoon Puppet Theatre brings its exquisite blend of visual arts and theatre to Darwin Festival. This innovative Indonesian company takes an artform most often associated with children’s stories and uses it to uncover a country’s dark history in a charming fairy tale style.
Inspired by the events of the infamous ‘Year of Living Dangerously’ in Indonesia, Mwathirika explores themes of identity and society. It uncovers some of the turmoil and upheaval that occurred in the transition to modern-day Indonesia through thought-provoking stories that are highly relatable and ultimately uplifting. Using the whimsy and seeming innocence of beautiful, simple puppets and minimal dialogue, Papermoon Puppet Theatre has created a unique multimedia performance that goes beyond the actual historical events to explore the personal side of history and its effects on the family.
Original, imaginative and utterly stunning, Mwathirikatells the hidden and forbidden story of a nation. Though the events themselves were harrowing, Papermoon Puppet Theatre tells its story with such tenderness and beauty that it will linger long in the hearts and minds of those who experience it.
Discover Papermoon Puppet Theatre as they rove around Festival sites, creating enchanting one-on-one performances for children and adults alike.
Supported by the Consulate of the Republic of Indonesia.
Quotes
"Papermoon Puppet Theatre has transformed puppets the way graphic novels changed comics: taking a popular form too often dismissed as child's play and making it intellectually challenging, emotionally chilling, and visualy bold."
Center Stage (USA)
Performers:
Artistic Directors Maria Tri Sulistyani, Iwan Effendi Artistic Designer Iwan Effendi Assistant Artistic Designer Octo Cornelius Set Construction Anton Fajri, Beni Sanjaya, Octo Cornelius, Maria Tri Sulistyani, Iwan Effendi Puppeteers Anton Fajri, Beni Sanjaya, Octo Cornelius, Iwan Effendi, Maria Tri Sulistyani, Wulang Sunu Music Director Yennu Ariendra Lighting Director Banjar Triandaru Cahyo Video Artist Doni Maulistya
30 Agustus 2012 silam adalah kali kedua saya menyaksikan pentas Papermoon Puppet Theatre. Lakon yang diambil kali ini berjudul Mwathirika, diambil dari bahasa Swahili, yang berarti ‘korban’. Kali ini, saya menyaksikannya bersama Ana, Diba, dan Yoga, bocah tengil redaksi sekaligus mahasiswa jurusan Akuntansi 2011. Sayang seribu sayang, Faradilla yang menemani saya saat menyaksikan Setjangkir Kopi dari Plaja harus absen lantaran sedang menghadapi realita kehidupan berupa cacar air.
***
Baba, Tupu, Moyo, Haki, dan Lacuna. Tidak ada yang salah dengan kehidupan mereka. Tidak ada yang salah dengan Baba, sosok pria bertangan-satu yang begitu menyayangi Tupu dan Moyo. Tidak ada yang salah dengan Haki serta Lacuna yang berkursi-roda. Pun tidak dengan peluit merah yang dikalungkan di leher Moyo serta Tupu.
Alkisah, mereka hidup di zaman pemberontakan PKI.
Lantas, segitiga merah ditorehkan di jendela rumah mungil Baba, yang menyebabkan Haki tetiba berubah perangainya; menjauhi keluarga Baba dan melarang Lacuna bermain dengan Tupu. Kemudian, Baba dibawa pergi sosok-sosok bertopi hijau yang menentengi senjata api berlaras panjang.
Bilang saya cengeng atau kelewat sensitif, namun air mata saya tak bisa ditahan sejak Baba digiring pergi oleh para sosok-bertopi-hijau tersebut. Sejak Baba harus memperbaiki dulu mainan kuda-kudaan Tupu. Sejak Baba menciumi dahi Tupu dan Moyo. Dan air mata saya tidak berhenti mengalir sejak itu.
Tupu
Tupu adalah tokoh favorit saya. Masih ingat saya adegan di pagi hari, saat ia bangun tidur. Mengucek mata. Lantas kencing berdiri. Saya ingin melihat Tupu hidup di dunia dan masa yang lebih bahagia. Saya ingin melihat Tupu lebih banyak tertawa serta bergembira bersama Moyo, tanpa harus mencari pengertian mengapa Baba dibawa pergi. Tanpa keduanya harus menanti Baba. Tanpa Moyo harus mencari ke mana Baba pergi. Tanpa Tupu harus ditinggal sendiri.
Saya ingin ketiganya hidup bahagia, pada masa tiupan peluit merah Tupu tidak perlu terdengar begitu memilukan…
Dan pada masa ketika saya tidak perlu takut melihat Lacuna meniup peluit Tupu.
***
Belum pernah saya mendengar suara peluit yang terdengar begitu memilukan, hingga akhirnya saya menyaksikan Mwathirika. Apakah Baba, Tupu, Moyo, Haki, dan Lacuna benar adalah ‘korban’ dari apa yang diperangi negara? Atau mereka sekadar ‘korban’ dari waktu; mereka ‘hanya’ hidup di masa yang salah, ketika Baba, Tupu, dan Moyo sama sekali tidak paham mengapa harus ada segitiga merah yang tertoreh di rumah mungil mereka serta Haki hanya paham bahwa segitiga merah tersebut adalah tanda bahwa si empunya rumah harus dihindari.
Perasaan, bagi saya, adalah bahasa universal. Tak perlu banyak kata, tak perlu banyak dialog nan klise. Mood yang dibangun sepanjang pertunjukan Papermoon ini adalah bahasanya, adalah dialognya. Musik, setting, alur cerita, pencahayaan.Karenanya, saya sangat yakin pementasan-pementasan Papermoon akan sukses meski ditampilkan di luar negeri. Termasuk di Negeri Paman Sam bulan September ini.
Saya berjanji, ini bukan pementasan terakhir yang saya saksikan. Mwathirika ini akan menjadi yang kedua dari sekian pementasan Papermoon Puppet Theatre di masa depan yang akan saya tonton kelak!
Hanya sayang, pada pementasan ini saya tidak membawa kamera :(
Indonesia's Papermoon Puppet Theater is taking an art form we often associate with children's stories and turning it into a vehicle for addressing the country's dark history. The company, started by visual artists Maria Tri Sulistyani and her husband Iwan Effendi, uses whimsical puppets and multimedia performances to recreate personal accounts of the mass jailings and executions that took place in Indonesia in 1965. They are harrowing stories, meant to shed light on the emotion and complexity of a time period often glossed over in contemporary history.
Papermoon's performances reveal intimate moments of Indonesia's past, but the company maintains that a discussion of politically driven atrocities is something accessible to international audiences. And the U.S. State Department agreed, recruiting Papermoon for its Center Stage program that will be touring throughout the country this year. Sulistyani and Effendi will be showcasing their work, “Mwathirika," alongside ensembles from Haiti and Pakistan, sharing their brand of art as an initiative of cultural diplomacy.
We asked Maria Tri Sulistyani about her beginnings in the world of puppetry, the heavy themes she's chosen to present and how she thinks art can interact with diplomacy in an email interview:
Can you tell us a little about traditional shadow puppetry in Indonesia? How does your style of puppetry compare?
Wayang kulit (Shadow Puppetry) has been an important art form – especially on Bali and Java – for almost 1,000 years. Its stories of good and evil, of love and death and transformation are most often taken from the Hindu epics Ramayana and Mahabharata. A single dhalang (master puppeteer) manipulates all of the many two dimensional leather puppets from behind a screen (to cast shadows). He also voices all of the characters. It is a virtuoso performance! While reaching back in history to tell his tales, the master puppeteer always makes reference to current happenings. Traditional puppet theater has played an important role in communicating values to communities.
There is also another kind of puppetry – Teater Boneka – that is generally just for children and it is a much less formal. Inspiration for the stories and the puppets come from lots of different influences – even Sesame Street.
The interesting part is that people in Indonesia had never connected these two types of puppetry before. Papermoon makes that link, and this is something new. Our pieces are performed on stages, like a theater play. Several puppeteers are on stage manipulating the puppets. Mwathirika, the piece we are presenting on tour, is really for adults, not kids and is a story told without words, without speaking. But we are telling stories about values, too -- about moral choices and conflicts and relating to everyday life. Our stories are really personal and focus on individuals. From there we can see the bigger issues. Though Papermoon is not really creating a performance in the traditional form, we too want to share and talk about the values and ideals and choices of Indonesian people's life.
Your earlier work, "Noda Lelaki di Dada Mona (A Stain on Mona's Chest)," used puppets to convey a politically and sexually charged story. What was the reaction in Indonesia to such a performance?
It was very interesting because Papermoon had created performances for children since 2006, and "Noda Lelaki di Dada Mona" was the very first time we created a piece for an adult audience. That was also the first time we sold tickets to a performance, 300 seats, and it sold out!
People were shocked with what they saw. Not just only about the theme, but also by the kind of puppets we performed with, how realistic they were, and how we combined puppets with the actors who spoke as individuals, which had never been seen by people in Yogyakarta. Together with our audience, we started to realize that puppet theater could reach many people, including adults. Instead of having one puppeter verbalize all the voices, we decided each puppeter will speak for his own puppet. I would say that "Noda Lelaki di Dada Mona" was a kick start for Papermoon to do more performances, based on social themes, to communicate with many different types of audience.
In "Mwathirika" you have again focused on more serious accounts, this time of imprisonment and violence. Do you think the use of puppets makes it easier to express these heavy themes? Or easier to digest on the part of the audience?
Yes. For us, puppets are the perfect medium to bring an unexpected moments or difficult subjects to the audience. Puppets always have the image of cuteness, happiness, sometimes scary, but mostly FUN. So when people come to the theater, with a certain expectation of puppetry, they can be surprised, because what they see is totally different from what they thought.
Many people feel like the story of 1965 is already over, it's expired, helpless, over-researched, or it's never been heard. By seeing a poster of two little boys with a red balloon, people will think about something sweet. They don't have fear to come, they feel relaxed, they are open. It’s perfect.
You spoke to a number of people - parents, grandparents, neighbors - who provided their stories for "Mwathirika." Could you tell us about one story in particular that sheds light on the historical situation in Indonesia?
We asked them about what they felt at those moments in their lives. There was a lot of data, books about the 1965 tragedy, but very few could give insight into their feelings. And by interviewing those people, we could see their eyes, and what they really felt in their hearts – uncover their personal stories.
One of our company member's uncle, told a story about how he, a 12 year old boy, had to take care of his little brothers and sisters, after their father was taken away by government officials, and didn't come back for 13 years. He had to catch frogs in the rice fields, for his family to eat. And how the family grew in the middle of these chaotic moments, with children with no parents, and no one in the village dared to help, because if they helped they might be caught by the army too. In Mwathirika, we are not pointing fingers; we are not saying that one person is right and one person is wrong. But we tell a story about the impact of political turmoil on those who lived through those terrible times and the huge effect it has had on the next generation.
Your project has now become a tool for cultural diplomacy, helping to foster greater understanding in the US in particular. How do you view art in the greater scheme of international cooperation? Do you think that art has the potential to bring people together in a way that other diplomatic tools can not?
Yes. What people know about other countries or cultures, is mostly from the media. And it's usually about all problems of economy, technology, war, conflict, and how to deal with that on a big scale. Of course people need to do big things, but sometimes people forgot how important it is to build a personal solution for the problems. And for us, Art is a personal thing. It’s about how we can reach out one person to another. When people meet, exchange their cultures, see another art from those who live in another country, then they see a different thing, they learn to respect each other. If people can share, talk more about their culture, the respect will go deeper, and hopefully an understanding of each other will be built there. Like we said, Art gets personal. This is where those big actions made by government might not reach.
Last question: Indonesia has become one of the region's largest markets for contemporary art. How has the art scene changed in Indonesia since the 1960s?
When Indonesia became an independent country in 1945, art was seen as a big strength and unifying force for the country. The government put a lot of attention on the development of the arts. Sometimes, art was also used as a political tool.
In 1965, the art scene was changed by the political turmoil, lots of critical artists were jailed, silenced, disappeared in the violent political battles between the government and the Army. There were three years of chaos. When General Suharto took power in 1968, the government centralized the arts. Artists that had not been caught, and were still active, could develop their careers, but always had to support – promote --the government. And though things loosened up little by little over time, that was really the case up until the 1990s. The government was still very oppressive, and they didn't want people to say bad things about them.
In 1998 when there were riots in the streets all over the country because of the falling economy, Suharto resigned and things began to change again – to open up and become less centralized. Since then, the art scene is changing (very quickly) again, because of the openness of information through internet, etc.
Papermoon will begin their US tour on September 8th, 2012 at The Kennedy Center Millenium Stage. For more dates, check out their schedule here.
