Ngesti Pandawa

Ngesti Pandawa is a professional wayang wong or wayang orang art company located in Semarang. The Ngesti Pandawa wayang orang is housed in the Ki Narto Sabdho Hall in Taman Budaya Raden Saleh or the Taman Raden Saleh Cultural Complex at Jalan Sriwijaya 29, Semarang City, Central Java Province, Indonesia. Ngesti Pandawa is one of three surviving wayang orang troupes in Indonesia, besides Wayang Orang Sriwedari in Taman Sriwedari Solo and Wayang Orang Bharata in Jakarta. It is hoped that wayang orang will again be able to entertain generations of audiences while sending a timeless moral message.

Ngesti Pandawa was founded in Madiun by Sastro Sabdo on July 1, 1937 with the aim of reviving the art of wayang orang panggung, wayang plays performed by human actors on a proscenium stage. Wayang orang panggung is a blend of court wayang orang (which was also called pendhapa wayang orang because it was performed in the pendhapa [the spacious open hall of Javanese stately mansions] instead on a stage) with western theater. The first wayang orang panggung troupe was first established in 1895 by Gan Kan, a Chinese entrepreneur from Surakarta (Solo).a The founding of wayang orang Ngesti Pandawa was intended to preserve the art of wayang orang, and inspire a sense of love in traditional arts. The wayang orang performances also provide entertainment to the public. Sastro Sabdo's mission was supported by Sastro Sudirdjo, Narto Sabdo, Darso Sabdo, and Kusni.

Since its founding, wayang orang Ngesti Pandawa has been much liked by the public. Not only by the Javanese but also by the Dutch and Chinese population. Wayang orang, from its early beginning, was a performing art that was enjoyed by a diverse audience, indigenous and non-indigenous.

Ngesti Pandawa has gone through a long historical journey in the city of Semarang. During that time, Ngesti Pandawa has had to move several times. In 1954, Ngesti Pandawa occupied a new building in the Gedung Rakyat Indonesia Semarang (GRIS) building complex at Jalan Pemuda 116 (currently Paragon City Mall Semarang). From the 1960s to the 1970s, under the leadership of Sastro Sabdo and Narto Sabdo Ngesti Pandawa reached its peak of popularity and became an icon of Semarang. Ngesti Pandawa became a point of reference for other wayang orang groups in that era. Its theatrical scenery, musical accompaniment, costume, choreography, and stage tricks were emulated by other wayang orang groups.

The popularity of Ngesti Pandawa attracted the attention of President Sukarno. When Mount Merapi erupted 1953, Ngesti Pandawa was called to raise funds for the victims. President Soekarno invited Ngesti Pandawa to perform at the Istana Merdeka or Merdeka Palace in Jakarta and Istana Negara or the Palace in Bogor. This was certainly a proud moment for Ngesti Pandawa. For a wayang orang company, being invited to perform at the State Palace is certainly a great honour. Due to its achievements, Ngesti Pandawa in 1962 was again invited to the Presidential Palace to receive the Wijayakusuma Award from the President of the Republic of Indonesia.

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Wikipedia