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''Lenong'' is a traditional theatrical form of the
Betawi people Betawi may refer to: * Betawi people *Betawi language *Betawi cuisine *Betawi mask dance See also * Batavia (disambiguation) * Batavi (disambiguation) Batavi may refer to: *Batavi (Germanic tribe) **Revolt of the Batavi * Batavi (military unit) * ...
in
Jakarta Jakarta (; , bew, Jakarte), officially the Special Capital Region of Jakarta ( id, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta) is the capital city, capital and list of Indonesian cities by population, largest city of Indonesia. Lying on the northwest coa ...
, Indonesia.


Description

''Lenong'' is a form of
theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perfor ...
traditional to the
Betawi people Betawi may refer to: * Betawi people *Betawi language *Betawi cuisine *Betawi mask dance See also * Batavia (disambiguation) * Batavi (disambiguation) Batavi may refer to: *Batavi (Germanic tribe) **Revolt of the Batavi * Batavi (military unit) * ...
of
Jakarta Jakarta (; , bew, Jakarte), officially the Special Capital Region of Jakarta ( id, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta) is the capital city, capital and list of Indonesian cities by population, largest city of Indonesia. Lying on the northwest coa ...
, Indonesia. Dialogue is generally in the Betawi dialect. Actions and dialogue are often presented in a humorous manner on top of a stage known as a ''pentas tapal kuda'', so named for the way actors enter the stage from the left and right. Audiences sit in front of the stage. The number of performers is determined by the needs of the story. Male performers are referred to as ''panjak'', while female performers are known as '' ronggeng''. A performance is generally opened with a prayer, known as ''ungkup'', and a ritual offering. The performers are then introduced. ''
Gambang kromong Gambang kromong is a traditional orchestra of Betawi people which is a blend of gamelan, Western music and Chinese-style pentatonic base tones. Gambang kromong is closely associated with the Chinese Betawi community, especially the Chinese Perana ...
'' is one of the musical genres which may accompany a performance. Musicians may use various instruments, including flutes, gongs, accordions, or drums. The songs are traditionally quite formulaic, and several songs are common in performances, including "Cente Manis" and "Jali-Jali". Chinese musical influences can be seen. Performances can be classified under many genres, although most are about heroes or criminals; tales adapted from folklore, such as from the ''
One Thousand and One Nights ''One Thousand and One Nights'' ( ar, أَلْفُ لَيْلَةٍ وَلَيْلَةٌ, italic=yes, ) is a collection of Middle Eastern folk tales compiled in Arabic during the Islamic Golden Age. It is often known in English as the ''Arabian ...
'', are also common. In broad strokes there are two main subdivisions of ''lenong'', namely ''lenong denes'' and ''lenong preman''. Stories in ''lenong denes'' focus on the exploits of the nobility, the rich, and the powerful. ''Lenong preman'' stories are always about commoners or folk heroes. The type of performance will affect the costumes worn. Stories are not memorised from a script. Rather, performers will memorise an orally-presented outline and follow that, with improvisation as necessary.


History

''Lenong'' developed from the earlier form ''Gambang Rancag''. In its earlier years, beginning around the turn of the twentieth century, it was promoted by
ethnic Chinese The Chinese people or simply Chinese, are people or ethnic groups identified with China, usually through ethnicity, nationality, citizenship, or other affiliation. Chinese people are known as Zhongguoren () or as Huaren () by speakers of s ...
. This has left fairly extensive Chinese influences in the genre. ''Lenong'' performances from the 1920s and 1930s often focused on the exploits of bandits, including
Si Pitung Si Pitung (Old spelling: Si Pitoeng; or sometimes written just Pitung) was a 19th-century bandit in Batavia, Dutch East Indies (modern-day Jakarta, Indonesia). His exploits have since become legendary, with numerous accounts of his life, deeds, an ...
and
Si Tjonat ''Si Tjonat'' (Perfected Spelling: ''Si Conat'') is a likely lost 1929 bandit film from the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia) directed by Nelson Wong and produced by Wong and Jo Eng Sek. Based on the novel by F.D.J. Pangemanann, the silent f ...
. These bandits, though portrayed as despicable people by Dutch and ethnic Chinese writers, became more
Robin Hood Robin Hood is a legendary heroic outlaw originally depicted in English folklore and subsequently featured in literature and film. According to legend, he was a highly skilled archer and swordsman. In some versions of the legend, he is dep ...
-like in ''lenong''; Si Pitung, for instance, became a humble person, a good Muslim, a hero of
Betawi people Betawi may refer to: * Betawi people *Betawi language *Betawi cuisine *Betawi mask dance See also * Batavia (disambiguation) * Batavi (disambiguation) Batavi may refer to: *Batavi (Germanic tribe) **Revolt of the Batavi * Batavi (military unit) * ...
, and an upholder of justice. During the 1950s, Sudiro, the governor of Jakarta, restricted performances of traditional theatre such as ''lenong''. Meanwhile, the booming domestic film industry meant that ''lenong'' performances could not compete on the market. Troupes had to go from ''
kampung A kampong (''kampung'' in Malay and Indonesian) is the term for a village in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore and a "port" in Cambodia. The term applies to traditional villages, especially of the indigenous people, and has also been used ...
'' to ''kampung'', offering performances for money which, ultimately, was not always enough to survive on. By the early 1960s ''lenong'' was nearly extinct. During the 1970s, Governor
Ali Sadikin Ali Sadikin (7 July 1926 – 20 May 2008), better known as Bang Ali, was an Indonesian politician who served as the fourth governor of Jakarta from 1966 until 1977. Prior to becoming governor, he served as Minister of Transportation from 1963 u ...
gave greater freedom to traditional culture. In this atmosphere, cultural critic and film director D. Djajakusuma worked to promote and preserve ''lenong'', with regular performances at
Taman Ismail Marzuki Ismail Marzuki Park, ( Indonesian: Taman Ismail Marzuki, TIM), is an arts, cultural, and science center located at Cikini in Jakarta, Indonesia. Taman Ismail Marzuki complex comprises a number of facilities including six performing arts theaters, ...
; as a result, S. M. Ardan considers him as having saved the genre. Many ''lenong'' actors, including Benyamin Sueb, Madra, and Enung Tile bin Bayan, began making films in the 1970s. ''Lenong'' has been televised before. In the early 1990s, Harry de Fretes combined ''lenong'' and
sitcom A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use ...
s to create ''Lenong Rumpi'' (literally ''Gossip Lenong''), which was broadcast on
RCTI RCTI (''Rajawali Citra Televisi Indonesia'') is a West Jakarta-based Indonesian free-to-air television network. It is best known for its soap operas, celebrity bulletins, news, and sports programmes. It was first launched in 1989, original ...
from 1991 to 1992. Unlike stage performances, performers on this televised ''lenong'' were mostly not native Betawi speakers.


See also

*'' Ketoprak'' *'' Ludruk''


References


Works cited

* * * * * * {{Comedy footer Indonesian culture Betawi people Theatre in Indonesia Traditional drama and theatre of Indonesia Oral tradition