Urban Puppet Performance Art

Urban Puppet Performance Art

Urban puppet performance art is a contemporary wayang show that combines wayang kulit, gamelan, contemporary music, theater, parody and monologue. During the performance the narration and dialogue were in Indonesian.

The puppeteer who usually sits in front of the screen (white big screen) and becomes the sole narrator, in urban puppet shows, he often gets up from his seat. He greets the audience present and interacts with the audience then explains things related to the show. For example about the puppet character, he brought while greeting the audience, or the philosophical values behind the accompaniment.

Urban Puppet was first staged by Ki Dalang Nanang Hape in 2006 in Solo. At that time he still used Javanese but in the packaging of contemporary shows. The show was welcomed by young viewers, who really wanted a different form of performance, not monotonous and boring like traditional shadow puppets.

The puppet elders and artists did not criticize the show, even supported it because the story he raised remained rooted in tradition. In 2009 Ki Dalang Nanang performed in Jakarta, and used Indonesian in his performances. He also received appreciation from the young audience.

The barriers that prevent young people from being able to enjoy and understand wayang kulit performances have finally disappeared. Uniquely in staging urban puppets, Ki Dalang Nanang Hape is actually assisted by his friends who come from various regions in Indonesia, such as Manado, Sumatra, and Kalimantan.

This is in accordance with its purpose to introduce traditional puppets to anyone. In the big celebration of the National Cultural Week organized by the Ministry of Education and Culture in September 2019 at Istora Senayan, urban puppets also attended to entertain the visitors.

In the show, Ki Dalang Nanang still presents the accompaniment of gamelan and wayang kulit purwa as a game of shadows on the screen. But he combined it with modern music in the form of band accompaniment. The song is not limited to traditional songs that are usually sung by pesinden, but also pop songs and songs of his own creation.

The language he uses is adapted to staging locations that can be understood by young people. The concept of the performance is in the form of a monologue that uses various arts such as theater. The story is taken from the repertoire of wayang but is re-interpreted and adjusted to the issues in today's society.

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