UGM Students Perform ‘Jenaka KR’
News Friday, 11 August 2023
Six students of Archipelago Literature at Gadjah Mada University (UGM) Yogyakarta who are members of the Yogyakarta Javanese Literature Studio (SSJY) staged a radio play at the DIY Language Center, Monday (19/10) evening. They presented a manuscript by Handung Kussudyarsono entitled "Isih Jembar Kalangane" from the book collection of KR's Plays of Jokes. Because the format is a radio play, the supporters of the story just sit and read the script. Six people read the dialogues of the story characters, while the other reads the narrative. To liven up the atmosphere, the stage was accompanied by gamelan. Before presenting "Isih Jembar Kalangane", UGM students first staged "Layangan Tatas" by Margareta Widhi Pratiwi who was also present that night to watch the script being staged. The dialogue and narration of this play several times made the audience laugh. The staging of the radio play is part of the DIY Language and Literature Week which takes place Monday-Saturday (19-24/10) with various activities, such as language and literature workshops as well as language and literature competitions. According to the DIY Language and Literature Week Coordinator who is also chairman of SSJY, Yohanes Adhi Satiyoko, the selection of the script from Jenaka KR was because in the 1980s Jenaka KR was close to people's hearts with its figures such as Handung Kusudyarsono, Suwariyun, and others. “I feel happy because almost all of the young people who attended this activity attended. It turns out that Javanese literature is still attached to the hearts of young people," he said. In addition to the drama script, there was also a performance of a 'short story' entitled "Sandhal Goreng" by Stella, a UGM student who is also an alumnus of the Javanese Literature Workshop at the DIY Language Center. There is also a story about a ghost, entitled "Pocongan Numpak Pit Modifikasi" by Harya Widada which was delivered in a monologue by Mas Lurah Citra Panambang (Bagus Febrianto) which ended the performance that night. At the beginning of the performance, Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta students who are members of the Gandewa Studio presented an 'acapella geguritan'. Supriyanto from the Bantul Studio also read geguritan to fill in the pause after the performance of “Isih Jembar Kalangane”. (Source: KR 21/10).