''Sandiwara'' ( Indonesian term for: "

drama Drama is the specific Mode (literature), mode of fiction Mimesis, represented in performance: a Play (theatre), play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on Radio drama, radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a g ...

") is a genre of traditional theatrical drama of

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...

. In general, it refers to any kind of drama or theatrical performance, and literally, ''sandiwara'' means "to pretend" or "to act". However, the term is often used to describe a genre of traditional drama of

West Java West Java (, ) is an Indonesian Provinces of Indonesia, province on the western part of the island of Java, with its provincial capital in Bandung. West Java is bordered by the province of Banten and the country's capital region of Jakarta to t ...

. ''Sandiwara Sunda ''is a type of ''sandiwara'' performed in Sundanese and presenting Sundanese themes, folklores and stories. It is quite similar to Javanese '' ketoprak'' or '' wayang orang''. Today, this traditional drama has become less popular. Many ''sandiwara'' troupes are struggling to survive, including the once famous ''Sandiwara Miss Tjitjih''.

Form

''Sandiwara'' might be accompanied by a live traditional

gamelan Gamelan (; ; , ; ) is the traditional musical ensemble, ensemble music of the Javanese people, Javanese, Sundanese people, Sundanese, and Balinese people, Balinese peoples of Indonesia, made up predominantly of percussion instrument, per ...

'' degung'' orchestra, a modern electric organ and guitar, or recorded music. Sometimes traditional '' tembang Sunda'' and '' jaipongan'' dance interludes are included during the play. The play is usually presented in Sundanese, Indonesian, or

Cirebon Cirebon (, formerly rendered Cheribon or Chirebon in English) is a port city on the northern coast of the Indonesian island of Java. It is the only coastal city of West Java, located about 40 km west of the provincial border with Central J ...

dialect A dialect is a Variety (linguistics), variety of language spoken by a particular group of people. This may include dominant and standard language, standardized varieties as well as Vernacular language, vernacular, unwritten, or non-standardize ...

. Some thriving local ''sandiwara'' troupes can be found in the town of Indramayu, West Java, where it is a popular form of traditional entertainment. A notable ''sandiwara'' troupe is Miss Tjitjih, established in Batavia,

Dutch East Indies The Dutch East Indies, also known as the Netherlands East Indies (; ), was a Dutch Empire, Dutch colony with territory mostly comprising the modern state of Indonesia, which Proclamation of Indonesian Independence, declared independence on 17 Au ...

back in 1928.

Theme

Unlike the European-influenced ''toneel'' that often adapt Western themes and adaptation of foreign plays, ''sandiwara'' is mostly derived from local sources; including folklore such as " Sangkuriang" and " Lutung Kasarung", epic stories such as "King

Siliwangi Siliwangi may refer to various people and institutions in the past and present of West Java, Indonesia: * King Siliwangi (1482), eponymous ruler of Pajajaran Kingdom, a fifteenth century kingdom in West Java, centered in modern Bogor * Siliwangi D ...

of Pajajaran", local Sundanese comedy such as " Kabayan" to local horror stories and urban legends such as "Si Manis Jembatan Ancol" to "Beranak dalam Kubur" retelling the legend of demonic female spirit Kuntilanak.

Toneel

''Toneel'' ( Dutch word for: "theatre") is a genre of theatrical

performance developed in early 20th-century

(modern-day

). Compared to earlier native musical dramas, such as the Malay '' bangsawan'' and '' Komedie Stamboel'', ''toneel'' adapted more European stylings, with an emphasis on spoken dialogue and a reduction in the amount of music used during the performance; thus the genre is called ''toneel'', an adaptation of the Dutch word for theatre. One of the notable ''toneel'' troupe is

Dardanella "Dardanella" is a popular song published in 1919 by McCarthy & Fisher, Inc., a firm owned by Fred Fisher, lyricist, for music composed by Felix Bernard and Johnny S. Black. Bandleader Ben Selvin (1898–1980) recorded "Dardanella" for several ...

that gained popularity in East Indies back in the 1920s. The play is presented in Malay and often featured themes and adaptations derived from popular

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood ...

productions for the stage, including '' The Mark of Zorro'', ''

The Three Musketeers ''The Three Musketeers'' () is a French historical adventure novel written and published in 1844 by French author Alexandre Dumas. It is the first of the author's three d'Artagnan Romances. As with some of his other works, he wrote it in col ...

'' and '' The Thief of Bagdad''. The ''toneel'' drama later influenced the development of film industry in the Dutch East Indies, and also influenced native Indonesian musical dramatic forms such as sandiwara, lenong, and

ludruk ''Ludruk'' is one of the theatrical genres in East Java. It is a form of traditional performance presented by a troupe of actors (or comedians) on a stage, re-telling the life stories of everyday people and their struggles. Its origin is unclea ...

References

Bibliography

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External links