Semar Gugat
| Semar Gugat | |
|---|---|
Cover, Bentang Budaya edition
|
|
| Written by | Nano Riantiarno |
| Characters | |
| Date premiered | November 25, 1995 |
| Place premiered | Graha Bakti Budaya, Taman Ismail Marzuki, Jakarta |
| Original language | Indonesian |
Semar Gugat (Indonesian for Semar Accuses) is a stage play written by Nano Riantiarno for his troupe Teater Koma. It follows the traditional wayang character Semar as he attempts— and fails— to take revenge against Arjuna and Srikandi for humiliating him by cutting off a lock of his hair while they are under the influence of the demon queen Durga. Completed in mid-1995, the play consists of 559 lines of dialogue spread through 30 scenes. Semar Gugat has been read as a critique of the New Order government under president Suharto. It was first performed on 25 November 1995 after the government withheld permission for several months. After Teater Koma gave an initial two-week run, it was adapted by various amateur groups. In 1998 Riantiarno won a S.E.A. Write Award for the work.
The kingdom of Amarta is preparing for the wedding of Arjuna and Srikandi. The Punakawans—Semar, his wife Sutiragen, and their children Gareng, Petruk, and Bagong—prepare to attend the ceremony.
However, the bride-to-be is fraught with doubt. Arjuna is already well known as a womanizer and has been with an untold number of women. She decides to test Arjuna's love by giving him a test. At this moment, Durga, the queen of demons, chooses to possess her body and, controlling Srikandi's voice, demands to see Arjuna even though tradition forbids it. With the support of Arjuna's two other wives, Sumbadra and Larasasti, she succeeds in meeting Arjuna and tells him to provide a lock (kuncur) of Semar's hair as proof of his devotion. Arjuna reluctantly does the deed and the ceremony goes as scheduled. However, Semar is unable to accept the humiliation, stating that not even gods dare touch his head. The family does not attend Arjuna's wedding, despite being palace servants, and Semar cries at home for the remainder of the day. Meanwhile, Arjuna's brothers, including King Yudistira, leave the kingdom to meditate; Arjuna is left to rule over Amarta.
...
Wikipedia