The puppet show with the play “Amarta Binangun” performed by Ki Cahyo Kuntadi closed the Community Service and Empowerment Festival of the Universitas Indonesia (UI) which was held on October 2-4, 2024. The all-night puppet show which took place at the UI Library, Depok Campus, told the story of the young Pandavas in their efforts to build the Amarta kingdom. This play depicts the spirit of development and improvement, so it is very relevant to the current situation in Indonesia which will enter a new era of leadership.
According to the Lecturer of the Javanese Study Program, Faculty of Humanities (FIB) UI, Dwi Woro Retno Mastuti, M.Hum., who was responsible for this performance, UI has a big vision to preserve culture that has been rooted for thousands of years. This is in accordance with the lyrics in the UI march, namely the center of the nation’s cultural knowledge. “These lyrics tickle me. UI as a fostering and leading university, which bears the name of Indonesia, should have superior cultural products, and puppetry is the answer,” she said.
Dwi Woro said that wayang is not only the art of storytelling, but also a legacy of national values that contain character, morals, and wisdom. In the midst of today’s digital technological advances, culture has only become virtual content. For that, the younger generation needs to be exposed to the real world. “With the show, we can introduce wayang directly to young people. This is it, nduk, the name of wayang. Try holding it, feel it with your heart,” said Dwi Woro.
However, presenting a wayang show that maintains authenticity, but remains relevant today, is not an easy matter. The puppeteer must be able to bridge tradition and modernity because wayang must be able to adapt to the times without losing its spirit. Therefore, Ki Cahyo Kuntadi, who is a favorite puppeteer for young people, with a relaxed style, brings modern elements to the show, including jokes that are close to the daily lives of the millennial and Gen Z generations.
Before the puppet show by Ki Cahyo Kuntadi, the UI Community Service Festival also featured a shadow puppet show performed by a child puppeteer, one of whom was Fakih, a student at FIB UI. According to the FIB UI Literature Lecturer, Dr. Ari Prasetyo, S.S., M.Si., the appearance of the young puppeteer is an effort to regenerate Indonesian puppet shows. “Regeneration is important. Therefore, in this festival, I want to make sure that there are young puppeteers performing, so that we can see the future of Indonesian puppetry,” he said.
In addition, this event featured Yogyakarta cinema puppetry that combines traditional elements with modern technology. In the show, classic elements of puppetry are combined with modern touches, such as projectors and digital music, so that the black-and-white shadows displayed get musical and visual effects that make them more relevant in today’s era. UI also presented Reog Ponorogo and collaborated with various art studios, such as Sanggar Ayodya Pala, Sanggar Panji Laras, and Sanggar Rumah Cinwa to present various arts, ranging from dance to painting.
The entire series of art performances in the Community Service Festival are expected to not only be a space for the public to enjoy the arts, but also function as an educational medium for the public to maintain and preserve culture. Vice Rector for Research and Innovation UI, drg. Nurtami, Ph.D., Sp,OF(K), said that at this festival, the public can enjoy various activities, ranging from talk shows to cultural performances, as well as witness the results of innovations from community service programs that have been carried out in the last five years.
“On this occasion, we also give our highest appreciation to the 70 Best UI Community Service and 17 Research and Community Service Managers from various faculties in three scientific groups, who have contributed to creating innovations and building joint solutions for the community at the grassroots level. Hopefully, in the future, we can continue this service, so that the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals can be accelerated and we can face increasingly complex global challenges together,” said drg. Nurtami.
