WS RENDRA : The Peacock (English Version)

 

Rendra was born in Solo, Central Java on November 7 1935 to Raden Cyprianus Sugeng Brotoatmodjo and Raden Ayu Catharina Ismadillah. 

His father was an Indonesian and Javanese teacher at a Catholic school, as well as a traditional playwright; while his mother was a srimpi dancer at the Surakarta Hadiningrat Palace. 

Rendra spent his childhood and adolescence in his hometown, and studied at Xaverius Middle School and De Britto College High School. 

Since he was young, he has written poetry, drama scenarios, short stories and literary essays in various mass media. 

Rendra continued his education at the Faculty of Letters, Gadjah Mada University, Yogyakarta, majoring in English Literature. He is active in various artistic activities, such as theater, music and dance. 

In 1964, he received a scholarship from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York, United States, to study drama and art. There, he met Sunarti Suwandi, an Indonesian dancer who later became his wife. 

After graduating from the academy, he continued his studies at the École Internationale de Théâtre Jacques Lecoq in Paris, France, in 1967. There, he studied physical theater, mime, and comedy. 

Rendra learned a lot from various teachers and literary figures, both in Indonesia and abroad. Some of them are: 

Raden Mas Noto Soeroto, an Indonesian poet and politician who was his teacher at Xaverius Middle School. He taught Rendra about Javanese poetry and literature. 

Sutan Takdir Alisjahbana, an Indonesian writer and cultural figure who was his teacher at Gadjah Mada University. He taught Rendra about modern literature and literary criticism. 

Chairil Anwar, an Indonesian poet who inspired Rendra in writing poetry. Rendra admires the language style and themes of Chairil Anwar's poetry which is full of enthusiasm and social criticism. 

Jacques Lecoq, a French actor and theater teacher who was his teacher at the École Internationale de Théâtre Jacques Lecoq. He taught Rendra about physical theater, mime and comedy, as well as developing creativity and body expression. 

Antonin Artaud, a French writer, actor and theater theorist who became Rendra's influence in developing theater as a medium of protest and social criticism. Rendra adopted Artaud's theater of cruelty concept in his works. 

Rendra began his career as a poet and writer by publishing his first collection of poems, Ballad of Loved People, in 1957. Many of his poems raised themes about religion, love, nature and humanity. In 1961, he founded the Little Theater in Yogyakarta, a theater group that presented plays by Rendra and other writers. 

In 1967, after returning from France, he founded Bengkel Theater in Yogyakarta, a more professional and experimental theater group. Through the Theater Workshop, Rendra produced many famous theater works, such as The Struggle of the Naga Tribe, The Story of the Struggle of the Naga Tribe, Sekda, and Sajak-Sajak Merdeka. 

He also trained and inspired many artists.

In 1985, he moved the Theater Workshop to Depok, West Java, due to political pressure from the New Order regime. 

Rendra was married three times in his life. His first wife was Sunarti Suwandi, an Indonesian dancer he met in the United States. From this marriage, they had four children, namely Theodorus Setya Nugraha, Andreas Wahyu Wahyana, Daniel Seta, and Samuel Musa. 

His second wife was Raden Ayu Sitoresmi Prabuningrat, a princess of the Yogyakarta palace who was also a member of the Theater Workshop. They married in 1970 and divorced in 1979. From this marriage, they had three children, namely Clara Sinta, Yonas Salya, and Sarah Drupadi. 

His third wife was Ken Zuraida, a theater artist who was also a member of the Theater Workshop. They married in 1974 and remained together until the end of Rendra's life. From this marriage, they have six children, namely Naomi Srikandi, Rachel Saraswati, Isaias Sadewa, Maryam Supraba, and two adopted children, namely Rendra and Rendy. 

Rendra is a critical artist and dares to voice his opinions on various social and political issues. He also opposed the New Order regime led by Suharto, which he considered to be corrupt, repressive and anti-democratic. 

He often wrote and read poems containing criticism and protests against the government, such as I Write This Pamphlet, Blues for Bonnie, and Sajak-Sajak-Sajak Merdeka. 

He also presented dramas depicting the injustice and arbitrariness of the authorities, such as Sekda, Siti Jenar, and Mastodon. 

As a result, he often faced pressure, intimidation and arrest. He was also banned and prohibited from appearing in various places. 

Bengkel Theater has had a big influence on the world of Indonesian theater, because: Bengkel Theater often presents social and political problems in unexpected settings, thus providing a new atmosphere and sharp criticism of the authorities and society. 

The Theater Workshop produced many prominent artists and writers, such as Sitok Srengenge, Radhar Panca Dahana, Adi Kurdi, Wiji Thukul, and others. They continue Rendra's enthusiasm and style in working. 

The Theater Workshop developed various theatrical forms and techniques, such as Mini Kata Theatre, Physical Theatre, Atrocity Theatre, and Epic Theatre. 

They combine traditional and modern elements, and adopt concepts from world theater figures, such as Berthold Brecht and Antonin Artaud. Some of his best theater works include: 

People at the Bend of the Road (1954): This drama depicts the lives of city people who are poor, oppressed, and alienated by modernization and capitalism. This drama also criticizes the indifference of the government and elites to the fate of ordinary people. 

Sekda (1977): This drama is a drama that tells the story of a Regional Secretary (Sekda) who is corrupt, cunning and opportunistic. This drama condemns the practices of collusion, corruption and nepotism (KKN) that are rampant in government bureaucracy, and shows the negative impact on the people and development. 

The Story of the Dragon Tribe's Struggle (1975): This drama is an epic that tells about the struggle of the Naga tribe, an indigenous tribe that lives in the interior of Papua, against colonialism and exploitation from foreign parties. This drama evokes a sense of nationalism and solidarity between oppressed nations. 

The Mastodon and the Condor (1972): This play is an allegory that compares two ancient animals, the mastodon and the condor, with two political powers, the United States and the Soviet Union, competing for influence in the world. This drama exposes the brutality and greed of the two superpowers, and invites other nations not to get caught up in their cold war. 

Apart from the dramas above, WS Rendra also wrote and directed several other quality dramas, such as Penembahan Reso, The Meaning of an Entrustment and Old Shoe Poems. 

WS Rendra earned the nickname The Peacock because of his way of reading poetry and his appearance on stage which was full of charm and flamboyance, like a peacock flapping its beautiful tail. 

This nickname came from a friend of Rendra who came from Australia, who saw Rendra fascinated by a male peacock surrounded by female peacocks at the Gembira Loka Zoo in Yogyakarta.