Written by Serla Rusli. Photography by Yong Chuen Siang
Having been involved in GAYA in one way or another over the past three years, sitting at the audience seat at the fourth GAYA was definitely a refreshing experience.
What I saw (and heard) over two hours was certainly not disappointing. Right from the start I was impressed. The opening music, performed by GAYA 2010 band “Sederhana”, straightaway took me into a roller coaster of emotions as it depicted the feelings that each part of the play was supposed to bring out. ‘Sederhana’ was an overly humble name for the band as it consisted of a bunch of musically talented students and the pieces performed were far from, well, sederhana. Cast with sufficiently melodious voice also completed my musical experience of GAYA 2010.
Based on the much loved novel by Marah Roesli, ‘the Tale of Sitti Nurbaya’ had a predictable storyline. What was unexpected was the excellent performance by the supporting roles – sometimes outshining that of the main cast. The hilarious Shaman, the nosy Village Gossiper, the comical Pendekar Lima and the amusingly monotonous Bakhtiar certainly satisfied my craving for laughter for the night. These characters added nice touches of humour to an otherwise rather emotionally unmoving play.
Which brings me to my next point: how this fourth edition of SMU Komunitas Indonesia’s annual musical might fall behind the previous three. ‘The Tale of Sitti Nurbaya’ told the struggle and tragedy of a young lady and her lover. Yet I felt nothing, let alone shed any tears, when Sitti and Samsul were both killed. I could barely feel the chemistry between the two lovers who were supposedly willing to sacrifice anything for each other. That being said, Dennis as Datuk Maringgih still deserved a round of applause as he played his role well as someone you would loathe once you laid your eyes on him.
I will now come to what I think has to be the best part of GAYA 2010: the dances. Supported by the reputable Filomar Tariao (who had also been the choreographer for the past 3 GAYA’s), the dances were always something to look forward to. One memorable piece was the explosive and breathtaking dance depicting the fire that engulfed Sitti’s father’s house. This year’s GAYA also brought forward more talents among SMUKI members. Della and Jessica successfully took on the role as student choreographers. Their debut piece, Nirwana, stole my heart and left me speechless throughout the scene.
Whether you would have loved GAYA 2010 depends on your expectations before stepping into the theatre. If you stepped in expecting a mind-blowing and tear-jerking play, you would not have lasted half the show. However, if you were expecting a cultural showcase that is both traditional and entertaining, then you would have had an enjoyable 2 hours and sufficient laugh to last you the night.
[cincopa 10552447]
