Wayang Shows Spread Harmony, Tolerance

The wayang performance held at the Gereja Hati Kudus Tuhan Yesus church in Bantul regency was more than a cultural performance, spreading messages of maintaining harmony with nature and tolerance for other religions.

KOMPAS/HARIS FIRDAUS

A dalang (puppet master) presents a wayang puppet show on Christmas Day (25/12/2019) at the Ganjuran Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Bantul regency, Yogyakarta. The performance by Sanggar Bhuana Alit puppet troupe of Bantul – of which the puppeteer and several members of the gamelan orchestra were Muslim – combined three types of wayang: wayang beber, wayang wahyu and wayang fabel.

The dalang (puppeteer) raised the deer wayang (shadow puppet) with his right hand, while he manipulated a tiger puppet with his left hand. The two animal puppets looked at each other, and then fought.

The puppeteer skillfully twirled the two puppets to show the deer evading the tiger through acrobatic movements. In the end, the deer was unable to match the might of the tiger and fled to escape being eaten.

The deer’s defeat also meant that he was unable to save his forest home. The tiger seemed to support the intention of human beings to clear the forest and capture the animals that lived there, and to turn the forest into a factory to make money.

The wayang performance, which told the tale of a group of animals trying to save the forest from the threat of human greed, took place on Wednesday (25/12/2019) after Christmas Mass at the Ganjuran Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (GHKTY) in Sumbermulyo village of Bambanglipuro district, Bantul, Yogyakarta.

Because the audience is mostly children, the show’s message is simple.

The Sanggar Bhuana Alit puppet troupe that held the show wanted to spread a message on protecting nature and the environment.

"Because the audience is mostly children, the show’s message is simple, that is, how we must love the environment," said Indra Suroinggeno, 33, founder of the Sekeberaji Wayang Beber Museum and the Sanggar Bhuana Alit puppet troupe.

Christofer Delano Lisniawan Putra, 13, a member of the GHKTY Ganjuran congregation, enjoyed watching the puppet show. "From the performance, I learned that animals need a place to live. So we must protect the environment from when we are [little]," he said.

Indra explained that the show used three types of puppets: the wayang beber made of paper or cloth, the wayang wahyu (revelation) whose stories and characters are taken from Christian scripture, and the wayang fabel (fable) shaped like animals. The wayang wahyu and wayang fabel are similar to the wayang kulit – leather shadow puppets – of Java.

In addition to its environmental message, the show also incorporated messages on faith, like the importance of prayer that was conveyed in a story of animals praying to God to save their forest. God answered their prayer by sending eagles to drive out those who were trying to destroy the forest.

KOMPAS/HARIS FIRDAUS

A number of children watch the wayang puppet show at the at the Ganjuran Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Bantul regency, Wednesday (25/12/2019).

Tolerance

The shadow puppet performance at GHKTY Ganjuran also shared a message about interreligious diversity and tolerance. This message was evident in part through puppeteer Yuli Wiryanto, 49, who is Muslim.

"Pak Yuli Wiryanto is Muslim, but he is willing to perform in a church. Some of the gamelan musicians are also Muslim and some are Catholic," said Indra.

The religious diversity of the show’s audience, continued Indra, also carried the message about the importance of maintaining social diversity and harmony.

Pak Yuli Wiryanto is Muslim, but he is willing to perform in a church.

"In this show, we have also shared a message about pluralism and diversity. So even though we are different, we are still one," he said.

As for Yuli, the performance was a way of showing respect for communities of other religions that were celebrating a religious holiday.

"This is my first time performing in a church. But it is not a problem. The important thing is [that] we protect and respect each other [along] with our peers from other religions," said Yuli, who is a self-taught puppeteer.

Regular shows

Irmawati Setiawan, the coordinator of the GHKTY Ganjuran children\'s faith program, said that cultural performances were a regular part of the church’s Christmas celebration. This year\'s celebration was also enlivened by traditional and modern dance performances by children.

"Through the puppet show, we want to bring children closer to Indonesian culture. In addition, by watching performing arts, we hope the children will grow to be more creative," she said.