Indonesian theatrical traditions
Proposed to be offered next in 1998
B Hatley
Objectives On successfully completing this subject students should have gained an understanding of the main theatrical genres traditionally cultivated in Indonesian communities, and their roles in ritual and social life. They should also have developed familiarity with major trends in contemporary performance, in relationship both to traditional theatrical models and to the present-day social context.
Synopsis This subject consists of a study of Indonesian theatre traditions in their social contexts and in the light of theories of performance, particularly semiotic and anthropological approaches. The major focus will be the theatre forms of Java and Bali, but examples from other areas will be included where appropriate. The subject will begin by examining the roles of performances in the ritual and social life of `traditional' Indonesian communities. We shall attempt to define the formal qualities of different theatre genres and the nature of their links with the religious, social and political contexts of performance. Then attention will focus on changes in theatrical expression associated with modernisation, Westernisation and Indonesia's development as a nation state, and the concern to create in modern theatre a distinctive Indonesian identity.
Assessment Essay (3500 words): 50%
* Seminar presentation and paper
(2000 words): 40%
* Seminar participation: 10%
Recommended texts
Brandon J On thrones of gold Harvard U P
Brandon J Theatre in Southeast Asia Harvard U P
Keeler W Javanese shadow puppets, Javanese selves Princeton U P
Pavis P Theatre at the crossroads of culture Routledge
Peacock J Rites of modernization: Social and symbolic aspects of Indonesian proletarian drama Chicago U P
Rafferty E Putu Wijaya in performance U Wisconsin
Riantiarno N Time Bomb and Cockroach Opera Lontar
Schechner R Between theatre and anthropology Pensylvania U P
Rendra The struggle of the Naga tribe UQP
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