''Sandiwara'' ( Indonesian term for: "

drama Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has b ...

") 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 and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...

. In general, it refers to any kind of drama or theatrical performances, 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 ( id, Jawa Barat, su, ᮏᮝ ᮊᮥᮜᮧᮔ᮪, romanized ''Jawa Kulon'') is a province of Indonesia on the western part of the island of Java, with its provincial capital in Bandung. West Java is bordered by the province of Banten ...

. ''Sandiwara Sunda ''is a type of ''sandiwara'' performed in Sundanese and presenting Sundanese themes, folklores and stories. It is quite similar to Javanese ''

ketoprak ''Ketoprak'' ( jv, ꧋ꦏꦺꦛꦺꦴꦥꦿꦏ꧀, Kethoprak) is a theatrical genre of Java featuring actors who may also sing to the accompaniment of the gamelan. It draws its stories from Javanese history and romances and in this differs from ...

'' 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 with a live traditional

gamelan Gamelan () ( jv, ꦒꦩꦼꦭꦤ꧀, su, ᮌᮙᮨᮜᮔ᮪, ban, ᬕᬫᭂᬮᬦ᭄) is the traditional ensemble music of the Javanese, Sundanese, and Balinese peoples of Indonesia, made up predominantly of percussive instruments. T ...

degung ''Gamelan degung'' is a form of Sundanese musical ensemble that uses a subset of modified gamelan instruments with a particular mode of '' degung'' scale. The instruments are manufactured under local conditions in towns in West Java such as ...

'' orchestra, modern electric organ and guitar, or recorded music. Sometimes traditional ''

tembang Sunda Tembang sunda, also called seni mamaos cianjuran, is a style of classical vocal music that originated in the Priangan highland of western Java. Unlike Sundanese gamelan music, tembang sunda was developed in the court of the regent Kabupaten Cian ...

'' and ''

jaipongan Jaipongan (), also known as Jaipong, is a popular traditional dance of Sundanese people from Indonesia. The dance was created by Gugum Gumbira, based on traditional Sundanese Ketuk Tilu music and pencak silat movements. Background In 1961, ...

'' 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 The term dialect (from Latin , , from the Ancient Greek word , 'discourse', from , 'through' and , 'I speak') can refer to either of two distinctly different types of linguistic phenomena: One usage refers to a variety of a language that is a ...

. Some thriving local ''sandiwara'' troupes can be found in the town of

Indramayu Indramayu ( jv, ꦆꦤ꧀ꦢꦿꦩꦪꦸ; zh, 南麻由), named after the God Indra, is a town and district which serves as the capital of Indramayu Regency in the West Java province of Indonesia, and is located in the northern coastal area of ...

, West Java, where it is a popular form of traditional entertainment. A notable ''sandiwara'' troupe is Miss Tjitjih, established in Batavia, Dutch East Indies 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 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 The Kuntilanak (Indonesian name), also called Pontianak (Malay name), is a mythological creature in Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. It is similar to Langsuir in other Southeast Asia regions. The Pontianak usually takes the form of a pregnant ...

References

External links

Sandiwara Sunda Miss Tjitjih in Youtube
{{Dance of Indonesia Javanese culture Sundanese culture Theatre in Indonesia Traditional drama and theatre of Indonesia Dances of Java

Form

Theme

See also

References

External links