Prodita Sabarini, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Wed, 10/20/2010 10:51 AM
When Javanese royal Bandoro Raden Ayu Atilah Soeryadjaja read a headline on a Singaporean newspaper stating that her hometown, Surakarta, was haven for terrorists, she was furious.
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JP/Prodita Sabarini |
Central Java city, also known as Solo (Surakarta), had been used as a hiding place for terrorist leader Noordin M. Top before he was killed last year in a siege on the city’s outskirts.
The headline sent shivers down 49-year-old Atilah’s spine. As the granddaughter of the Javanese king Mangkunegara VII — born and raised in the court of Mangkunegaran — she felt inspired to restore Surakarta’s image as one of the country’s centers of Javanese culture in the way she knows best.
One of the founders of the Mitra Wayang Orang Indonesia, a group of Javanese opera lovers consisting of socialites who train and perform Javanese plays, Atilah decided to produce an epic Javanese play based on the life story of her ancestor, Raden Ayu Matah Ati, the wife of the first Mangkunegaran King Raden Mas Said.
With a team of 95 dancers and musicians, Atilah will present the play Matah Ati on Oct. 22 and 23 at Singapore’s prominent art center Esplanade.
At her house in Imam Bonjol, Central Jakarta, Atilah said she had set her eye on Esplanade for her play since she had conceived the idea — one of the reasons being the art center is located in Singapore, where the newspaper with the disturbing headline is based.
Esplanade’s prominence in presenting high quality performing art attracting thousands of tourists from all over the world was another reason.
“We can’t counter [the headline] with anything. But with our best work, we can show them. I didn’t tell anyone. For two years I developed the play, and rehearsed. This is for our culture and to return Solo’s image [as a center of Javanese culture],” she said.
The play is presented in the spirit of langendriyan, which Atilah explained as Javanese opera consisting of dance and singing. Atilah wrote and directed the play after carrying out extensive research on her ancestor. She was also hands-on with the actors’ costumes.
Atilah said the story highlights the life of Rubiah, who became Raden Ayu Kusuma Matah Ati after tying the knot with Raden Mas Said, and portrays her as a strong Javanese female. Rubiah was the leader of a 40-strong group of Javanese female warriors.
“I wanted to share that during that time, in the 18th century and even before, Indonesia already had a tradition of female warriors, consisting of farmers and housewives. They joined the fight.”
Rubiah, Atilah said, was a simple village girl from the village of Matah who was a gifted dancer. “She is actually the descendant of Sultan Agung, from the fourth of fifth line. Her father hid in Matah when there was conflict in Mataram,” she said, referring to the 17th century king of Mataram kingdom.
There are two versions of Rubiah’s name after she married Mas Said: Raden Ayu Kusuma Matah Ati and Raden Ayu Kusuma Patah Ati. Both “Matah” and “Patah” mean “to serve” in Javanese.
Atilah chose to use Matah Ati for her play as Patah Ati might be interpreted as broken heart, while the real meaning of her name was to serve the heart of the prince.
Atilah said she supported gender equality between men and women. However, she emphasized that as a wife, a woman’s role was to take care of the children and serve her husband. “In essence, men are above us. We should not forget our values — our eastern tradition,” she said.
Atilah learned Javanese dancing when she was little. She lived in the Mangkunegaran palace until she moved to Jakarta to attend junior high school. She felt repressed at the court when she was growing up, as she was not allowed to go out.
She was forced to fast on Mondays and Thursdays, and would have to wait until her elders had finished their meals before she could eat.
“However, I realize this training was beneficial for me as a woman,” she said.
Atilah likened herself to a lost monkey when she moved to Jakarta. The sight of tall buildings and cars overwhelmed her. In Surakarta, she used to climb trees in the palace’s court to catch a glimpse of the city.
She remembers riding a double-decked bus with her school friends without getting permission from people from home, and getting lost. “There were afternoon discos at Hotel Indonesia at that time, and I went with my friends. I was so shocked by the loud music. All this time I had only listened to Javanese gamelan,” she said.
Atilah said she had always been in love with Javanese plays, but she only put her writing and directing skills to work recently.
Married to businessman Edward Soeryadjaja, Atilah used to spend most of her spare time supporting her husband’s business. But when her children returned from studying overseas, she was able to shift her priorities. “Before, I had to help out with my husband’s business. But now, since my children have returned and taken over, I have more time,” she said.
Atilah is already currently writing her second play.
After Singapore, Matah Ati will travel to Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Beijing, Hong Kong and Tokyo.
‘Matah Ati’
Oct. 22 and 23
Esplanade Theater
Singapore
8 p.m.
