THE POWER OF ART
Lose courage is losing everything
Prostitute & The President
at The 7th Women Playwright Conference ( 26 November 2006)
D'Performance
Pelacur & Sang Presiden
Kolaborasi Jeihan - Ratna Sarumpaet2 Desember 2005 - Balai SudirmanJakarta.
Writer & Director : Ratna Sarumpaet
Co Director : Syahrul Buchori
Artistic Director : Joel Thaher
Music Director : Sugeng Pratigno
Sound : Mogan & Team
Coreography : Boi G Sakti
Main Character : Atiqah Hasiholan, Lola, Aniek.
Some FOTO'S
2003 - Children Of Darkness
Writer & Director : Ratna Sarumpaet.
Co Director:
Asisten Director
Artistic Director
Music Director :
Lighting Director : Joel Thaher
Main Character : Atiqah Hasiholan, Lola ......
Sinopsis
Ceritra ini tentang nasib korban tidak langsung sebuah partai Komunis di Indonesia, PKI. Para korban ini puluhan tahun hidup dalam kegelapan. Tidak dianggap ada, dikucilkan dan dilecehkan. Tentang sorang penguasa otoritwr yang ditentang anak sendiri. Dia membesarkan anaknya untuk dijadikan monster seperti dirinya, tapi anaknya melawan.
Zuraida, satu dari dua tokoh sentral dalam cerita ini adalah seorang perempuan cantik berusia 24 tahun. Dia lahir ditengah keluarga sederhana yang dikelilingi konflik. Sebagai seorang sarjana sastra Sejarah, ia rajin membaca dan memiliki rasa ingin tahu yang kuat tentang masa lalu dan kesejarahan. Karakternya yang khusus itu, dikemudian hari, seperti sudah menjadi bagian takdirnya sebagai seorang anak manusia yang memiliki kehidupan muram dan gelap. Sejak Zuraida sadar tentang hidup, ia sudah tahu ada yang tidak wajar didalam kehidupan keluarganya. Ketidak wajaran semakin terasa buruk oleh sikap Ibunya yang tidak terbuka, dominan dan sangat keras. Begitulah Zuraida dengan tiga orang saudaranya seolah hidup dalam kegelapan. Zuraida tidak memahami kenapa kehidupan mereka demikian gelap dan kenapa kegelapan itu ditutupi rapat-rapat. Dia tidak paham kenapa dia dan tiga saudaranya Malik, Rachman dan Aini, dibesarkan dengan tangan besi. Dia tidak paham kenapa diluar rumah ia dan saudara-saudaranya tersingkir secara sosial. Dia juga tidak tahu dimana Ayahnya. Kenapa Ayahnya tidak pernah berada disekitarnya. Dia tidak tahu kenapa seorang lelaki bernama Paman Har, selalu tampak mendampingi Haryati Ibunya. Dia bahkan tidak tahu siapa paman Har sesungguhnya.
Begitulah Zuraida tumbuh menjadi perempuan yang didewasakan oleh berbagai tekanan dan dibebani bertumpuk-tumpuk pertanyaan. Satu-satunya cerita menarik yang berulang-ulang diceritakan pada mereka adalah cerita tentang seorang perempuan bernama Ibu Sepuh. Perempuan ini disebut-sebut sebagai nenek mereka. Meski Ibu Sepuh mendekap dalam penjara sebagai seorang pembantai manusia, dimata Ibu mereka Ibu Sepuh adalah pahlawan, dan itu tidak boleh disanggah. Sampai Zuraida dewasa Ibu Sepuh hanya nyata dalam cerita-cerita yang disampaikan Ibunya. Zuraida, begitu juga saudara-saudaranya boleh mendengar dongeng tentang Ibu Sepuh sebanyak mereka mau, tapi jangan pernah bertanya tentang perempuan itu menyimpang dari ketentuan yang dibuat Ibu Haryati dan jangan meminta untuk menemuinya di penjara karena itu akan membuat Haryati murka.
Waktu berjalan. Kerasnya terpaan diskriminasi yang dirasakan Zuraida dan kakak adiknya sejak masa kanak-kanak pada usia remaja mereka, perlahan mulai menguak. Entah kenapa berita-berita simpangsiur tentang Ibu Sepuh; Tentang perjalanan politik dan ideologi politiknya; Tentang peran dan keterlibatannya dalam sebuah pembantaian massal, tiba-tiba saja mencuat kepermukaan dan menjadi berita panas di tengah masyarakat. Diskriminasi atas Zuraida dan kakak adiknya otomatis ikut memanas. Saat itu, mereka jelas sangat membutuhkan perlindungan dan satu-satunya yang bisa diharapkan memberikan perlindungan itu adalah Haryati tapi Haryati justru semakin tak tersentuh.
Sejak itu Malik, kakak tertua Zuraida, seorang lelaki berpendidikan dan cerdas itu, mulai menutup diri. Ia menolak bekerja apalagi bersosialisasi. Ia lebih banyak mengunci diri dan mengunci mulutnya rapat-rapat. Kalaupun ia bicara, ia hanya bicara pada dirinya sendiri. Aini, adik bungsu Zuraida, serta Rahman, kakak langsung Zuraida memiliki sikap yang hampir sama. Mereka memilih menjadi anak manis bagi Ibu Haryati dan tidak banyak mengeluh. Mereka memenuhi tuntutan-tuntutan Ibu Haryati dalam diam. Setiap hari mereka tampak meninggalkan rumah untuk bekerja dan menyerahkan hasil keringat mereka secara berkala dan teratur pada Ibu Haryati.
Zuraida, dengan kepribadiannya yang kuat, cerdas dan kritis adalah satu-satunya anak Ibu Haryati yang tidak bisa menelan begitu saja misteri yang mengelilingi kehidupan keluarganya. Ia memerlukan jawaban dan karena ia tidak mendapatkan jawaban itu dirumah, ia lalu mencarinya ke luar rumah. Dengan berbagai cara ia melakukan penelitian serius tentang latar belakang keluarganya terutama tentang Ibu Sepuh. Berbagai lembaga ia masuki termasuk perpustakaan-perpustakaan, besar maupun kecil. Ditengah pencariannya itulah ia kemudian bertemu Imam. Ia awalnya menjadi dekat dengan Imam karena memiliki ketertarikan yang sama tentang sejarah masa lalu. Sikapnya Zuraida itu membuat hubungannya dengan Haryati Ibunya menjadi sangat tidak harmonis. Haryati gusar melihat sepak terjang putrinya. Ia jengkel karena tidak dapat menghentikannya.
2000 ALIA, The Wount of Aveh
(ALIA, Luka Serambi Mekah)
Writer : Ratna Sarumpaet
Director : Ratna Sarumpaet
Artistic Director : Roedjito
Music Director : Sugeng Pratikno
I would like to particularly highlight this play, as the violence in this probllem ridden province continues to take the lives of innocent people. SERAMBI MEKAH is an another term for Aceh, a province at the tip of North Sumatra. From 1990 to 1998, Aceh was classified as an Area of Military Operations(DOM) to counter operations of a Free Aceh movement. During that period, serious human rights violations -- including extrajudicial executions, "disappearances", torture and arbitrary arrests – were commonplace. The DOM was lifted in August 1998, just three months after Soeharto was forced to step down, but intensive counter-insurgency efforts continued and new atrocities have continued to come to light, fueling separatist sentiment in Aceh. There had been hundreds of cases of alleged abuses against civilians resulting from a decade of counter-insurgency operations in the province. The Indonesian army had been killing more than a thousand civilians, often leaving their mutilated bodies by the side of roads or rivers. Many more were arrested, tortured, and arbitrarily detained for months, sometimes years. Hundreds of men "disappeared". Many women whose husbands or sons were suspected of involvement with the armed opposition were raped.
Aceh is one of the regions that has fallen victim to Suharto's political engineering. The violence that continued to plague the people never diminished. No government policies have ever contained positive signals. My involvement in the investigation of what is called ‘desa janda' (the widows' village) provided me with insights and understanding of what the DOM (Military Operated Region) entailed, and how it has impacted on women and children.
The Role of Women in areas of armed conflicts
ALIA,Luka Serambi Mekah is the first work I wrote after Suharto's regime was brought down. I started writing the play while incarcerated under the Soeharto regime, and had a title I thought fitting for that time ‘Sang Raja', The King, focussing on the man who had held the reigns of injustice for 32 years. However, it remained an unfinished document.As more and more atrocities came to light, I felt a heightened outrage fueling my urge to finish the script, with the same content but highlighting the otherwise hidden courage of women. The change of highlight was more of an inner urge as I gradually identified myself with the women in the midst of armed conflicts in the region.
Alia, the Wound of Serambi Mekah is a reflection of women transcending from their conventional image of creatures shackled in the confinement of the house, into leaders of truth and justice.
Alia used to be a pious and obedient daughter, whose mother is the manager and owner of a ‘pesantren', a Muslim boardinghouse for girls. As far as she knows, her father died, a man of noble visions and intentions for his people, at least, that was what she was told to believe.
But the violence sweeping over the lives of the people opened her eyes to the many injustices inflicted upon them. She is particularly upset about the way the dead had been ‘thrown' in mass graves, unworthy of a Muslim. Giving the dead a decent burial becomes her obsession. She makes every effort to get ‘followers', but the authorities accuse her of spreading hatred against them and she is persecuted.
Alia flees the house where she has spent her youth. She becomes the number one enemy of the authorities and the military, a fugitive who manages to slip away from the brutal hands of the authorities each time they think they have got hold of her. She has to flee from one place to another place, threatened, terrorized, harassed and persecuted and suffers the anguish, the fear and the uncertainty with the people. She tries to give them courage, opening their eyes to the injustices and assuring them they have to stick together for the sake of the dead. But she can't escape being raped brutally, and she can't avoid grave disappointments in relation to her father who appears alive and well but is on the point of fleeing the country. He tries to pursue her to come with him, but she refuses.
Likewise she had refused her childhood sweetheart who had urged her to join him abroad and continue the fight from a distance. Never once compromising her integrity, Alia becomes stronger the more she is persecuted. Breaking through the trap of traditional convictions for a woman, she becomes a person of vision and carries out the teachings of her religion with the perspective of justice, the rights of men and women, including the rights of the dead.
Rooted in a society where women used to be invisible, and had to endure a triple discrimination (as a child before the parents, as small people before the power holders, and as a woman in many situations) Alia reflects the changing tide in the lives of Aceh women. Emerging as the modern Muslim woman who knows about her responsibilities, but also insist on her rights as a citizen.
Prospect ...
If I were asked whether I continue to be haunted by fear in relation to the staging of ALIA, I would answer, yes I am. Although it is true that we no longer have an anti-democrat for a President and the gate to democracy is wide ajar, the position of the military is still too strong to be ignored just like that. They are believed to be Suharto's extension in stage and spreading vendettas. Horizontal racial or religious conflicts are everywhere and violation of human rights proliferates in various places: West Papua, Maluku, and Sulawesi, Aceh and many more. My experiences during the past five years have not pushed me into oblivion. On the contrary, all that has contributed to the fullness of my art expression. More than ever I am convinced that a work of art inspired by an emphatic soul is a powerful mechanism to empower the people, men and women. While we do not wish to set forth political policies, it is imperative that we offer political ethics. In this sense I hope Alia is a contribution to women's leading roles to bring about ethics in political solutions leading to continued peace in their province. Meanwhile, Marsinah is the plight of the weak and powerless. Both plays highlight the courage of women in seeking justice.
I would like to end on an optimistic note by informing you that in Medan, rural women have started to use the theatre as a way of empowering themselves. While professional skills may come second, it is uplifting to know that women are recognizing the necessity to speak up in favor of truth and justice. As for myself, this is the path I have chosen, and this is how I wish to continue. As a human being, as a playwright and as a theater artist, I consider it my duty to uphold the truth. Nothing will stop me from doing so.
1997 - MARSINAH ACCUSES
(Masinah Menggugat)
Writer : Ratna Sarumpaet
Artistic : Joel Thaher & Fardanah
Lighting : Joel Thaher
Production Manager : Adi Digul
Actor : Ratna Sarumpaet
But not only the authorities and businessmen denied the play, there were also people in society who renounced it. Even several artists of name harshly critisized me of taking Marsinah case on stage. They accused me of taking advantage of one's misery to gain popularity. But how could I stop in the face of so much injustice and violence? I did not give up, and took all criticism as a boost to dare take a firm stand. In September 1997, the chief of the national police instructed to close the case, on the grounds that Marsinah DNA's sent to a lab in U.S.A. had not delivered any results, due to contamination, and as a consequence it could not be used to testify. This added even more to my anger. The investigation, the proceedings and the trial of the Marsinah case was drenched in lies and the involvement of the military in the Marsinah murder, the conspiracy of the Military with the police, the public prosecutor and the judiciary was clear enough in a disgracefully engineered trial. Nine persons were tormented, tortured and forced to admit that they had killed Marsinah, after which they went to prison.
Therefore, to me, the decision of the chief of national police was made for the sole purpose of putting an end to the suit and force people to stop talking about the Marsinah's case. This pushed me even further in my creative efforts. It took me only a month to prepare a monologuein which Marsinah's voice comes from the grave. "Marsinah Menggugat" (Marsinah Accuses) was staged in 11 cities throughout Java and Sumatra. As could be expected, intimidation arrived in the earliest start of writing the script and continued throughout the process of preparing the staging and the staging itself . The first performance in Jakarta was heavily guarded with about four trucks of security officers placed on the alert around the place of the theatre. Heavy guards were also put in place in other cities where we performed. In Surabaya (East Java), the city where the Marsinah case was tried, also Bandung (west Java) and Lampung (Sumatra) were experienced grave repressive treatment and were ultimately banned.
EMPATHY AND COURAGE
The many bitter and fearful experiences I have had since I began building my career as a playwright has convinced me of the fact that courage is a conditio sine quo non for artists. Sadly, the Suharto regime had successfully imprinted a sense of fear in virtually all layers of society, including the artists. They disstinctly took distance from social problems and sought to take refuge behind esthetic terms. After the latest ban in Lampung I decided to take a break from the theatre. The tiring and fearful events I had experienced, particularly during the performances of "Marsinah Menggugat" had made me see the real problem of my country, namely the existence of this very greedy, tyrannic and authoritarian person who had used his power to justify any means for remaining as a ruler. This made me decide to be politically involved. I directly led the greatest pro-democratic alliance, named the "National Coalition for Democracy" whose only goal was to bring down Suharto. Since then my days were filled with even more intimidations and terror. They burnt the gate of my house and brought down the brick-wall of my yard . Eventually I was arrested and incarcerated. It was March 10, 1998. But, even after I had been officially released, I continued to be the military's target. Whenever there was a commotion, my name would emerge as the scape goat to be forever chased.
Therefore, to me, the decision of the chief of national police was made for the sole purpose of putting an end to the suit and force people to stop talking about the Marsinah's case. This pushed me even further in my creative efforts. It took me only a month to prepare a monologuein which Marsinah's voice comes from the grave. "Marsinah Menggugat" (Marsinah Accuses) was staged in 11 cities throughout Java and Sumatra. As could be expected, intimidation arrived in the earliest start of writing the script and continued throughout the process of preparing the staging and the staging itself . The first performance in Jakarta was heavily guarded with about four trucks of security officers placed on the alert around the place of the theatre. Heavy guards were also put in place in other cities where we performed. In Surabaya (East Java), the city where the Marsinah case was tried, also Bandung (west Java) and Lampung (Sumatra) were experienced grave repressive treatment and were ultimately banned.
CONTEMPORARY SIGNIFICANCE
In a society that has for ages been subjected to a gender concept that images women as pleasant, subdued and obedient, it should actually not be a surprise when women's new assertive stand shocks like a bombshell. Women's subordination to men is also enforced by (mis)interpretations of certain relgions. The intimidation and harassment I experienced in relation to the Marsinah and Alia plays, may be related to the shock of the changing tides, which confuses men AND women. Realizing the strength and the power of a theatre play, written and put on stage by a woman at that, was evidently too much. I had to be silenced.
1994 - MARSINAH, The Song From the Underwor(MARSINAH, Nyanyian Dari Bawah Tanah)
Writer : Ratna Sarumpaet
Director : Ratna Sarumpaet
Art Director : Roedjito
Music Director : Abdul Syukur
Ass Director : Dindon
Main Character : Meylin, Syachrul, Ipet, Ratna Sarumpaet
EMPATHY AND COURAGE
The many bitter and fearful experiences I have had since I began building my career as a playwright has convinced me of the fact that courage is a conditio sine quo non for artists. Sadly, the Suharto regime had successfully imprinted a sense of fear in virtually all layers of society, including the artists. They disstinctly took distance from social problems and sought to take refuge behind esthetic terms. After the latest ban in Lampung I decided to take a break from the theatre. The tiring and fearful events I had experienced, particularly during the performances of "Marsinah Menggugat" had made me see the real problem of my country, namely the existence of this very greedy, tyrannic and authoritarian person who had used his power to justify any means for remaining as a ruler. This made me decide to be politically involved. I directly led the greatest pro-democratic alliance, named the "National Coalition for Democracy" whose only goal was to bring down Suharto. Since then my days were filled with even more intimidations and terror. They burnt the gate of my house and brought down the brick-wall of my yard . Eventually I was arrested and incarcerated. It was March 10, 1998. But, even after I had been officially released, I continued to be the military's target. Whenever there was a commotion, my name would emerge as the scape goat to be forever chased.
During twenty years of my time in the world of theatre I have been presenting works by Western playrights in adapted--to- Indonesian settings and existing ethnicities. In the early 90s, however, when Indonesian socio-political conditions continued worsening, I became less interested with Western plays. On the other hand, I became obsessed with the idea of writing my own works and bringing them to the stage.This obsession became even more articulated as the available dramas in my country were all written by men whose subject themes and approach to the matter did not match my own aspirations. It was not an easy thing to do, particularly as I was not certain at all about my ability of writing theater plays.In 1993, as I was still searching for a suitable angle, I was struck by the news about a young, poor, woman laborer, who had been found dead in a teak forest after being brutally raped. Marsinah, as the young woman's name was, had led a rally in the watch factory where she worked as one of the lowest class laborers. All she demanded was for her and her peers to have a salary increase of Rp. 500 (five-hundred Rupiah).
Marsinah's tragic lot shook me. There was a woman- like myself, a human being- like myself, brutally murdered just because she wanted an increase of the little sum of five hundred Rupiahs. It >made me sad and angry at the same time. I had to do something. Conducting a research on the case, I came to the conclusion that the Indonesian authorities give priority to stability instead of humanity. Industrialization was designed with an arrogance that abused the laborer to make huge fortunes for those who own the capical and those who hold the power. To continue such practices, the authorities deliberately trampled on democracy and human rights. Deliberately and by justifying the means Suharto's regime has exhaustively looted the people's right to democracy and successfully created an environment that enforced the sense of fear.
The death of Marsinah has been a very significant milestone on the path of my career as a playwright. The Marsinah case pushed me to put on paper everything that was touching my emotions relevant to upholding the truth and justice. I felt a particular empathy, probably because she was a woman like myself. That is how the script for ' Marsinah, the Song from the Underworld' came into being. I did realize that this script would not bring Marsinah back to life, but it is my tribute to her and to the fate of of the weak proliferating in my country. This is also to pay homage to the cause of human rights. By presenting this script I wish to remind all parties to stop sitting still while violation of human rights continues before our eyes.
From the very beginning I realized that writing the script and staging it would mean facing the wrath of the authorities, including the banning of the play, harassment and scaring off prospective donators, and any other measures they could possibly think of. Unfortunately, my fears came true.
With no financial support but from peers who were in tune, I somehow managed to stage the play MARSINAH the Song from the Underworld (1994) anyway, and performances proceeded in Jakarta, Bandung (West Java), Surakarta (Central Java). And true to our fears, our performance was banned just two days before the actual staging on International Human Rights Day, December 10, 1994.
1993 - Dara Muning
Written : Ratna Sarumpaet
Director : Harris Priyadi Bah
Artistic : Sonny Sumarsono
Music Director : Tony Prabowo
Whole Characters playd by anak-anak muda dari Sintang (Kalbar)
1991 – Antigone - Batak
Written: Jean AnouilhDirected : Ratna SarumpaetMusic Director : Adi MS / Sianjur Mula-mula.Theatre : Gedung Kesenian – JakartaMain Character : Ratna Sarumpaet, ….., …….,
1989 - Hamlet – Bali
1988 - Othello,
Written: William Shakespeare
1987 - Romeo and Juliet – Opera
1976 - Hamlet – Batak/Si Gale-gale
1975 - Romeo and Juliet
Written: Willian Shakespeare
Translated : Trisnosumarjo
Directed : Ratna Sarumpaet
Theatre : Teater Terbuka – Taman Ismail Marzuki.
Main Character : Ahmad Albar, Awul (Sri Eko Wulani) …..
1974 - Rubayat Umar Khayam
Written: Ratna Sarumpaet
Directed : Ratna Sarumpae
Theatre : Teater Terbuka – Taman Ismail Marzuki.
Main Character : Riris Sarumpaet, Ratna Sarumpaet, …..
