JAKARTA, KOMPAS — Norbertus Riantiarno alias Nano Riantiarno, founder and leader of Teater Koma, passed away on Friday (20/1/2023). Dedicating his life to theater play for more than 50 years, Nano will be remembered as a stage performer who never gave in to political pressure as well as economic and health adversities.
Nano died at his theater studio-cum-house in Bintaro, South Jakarta, at the age of 73. He will be buried at the Giri Tama cemetery, Tonjong, Bogor, West Java, on Saturday (21/1).
Nano's eldest son Rangga Riantiarno, who is also a theater actor, said that after having been treated for his illness for almost three weeks, his father was discharged from the Dharmais Cancer Hospital on Monday (16/1). However, his condition slowly declined and he died on Friday around 7 a.m.
His last play script titled Matahari Papua emerged as one of the nine award winners at the 2022 scriptwriting competition hosted by the Jakarta Arts Council (DKJ).
According to Rangga, presenting a recount about the land of Papua being ruled by a “dragon”, the script was scheduled to be brought to stage next November. “The production meetings were held but rehearsals had yet to be done,” he said.
Shrugging off pressures
Nano's trace in the world of modern Indonesian theater dated back more than 50 years. He built his early play career with Teguh Karya-founded Teater Populer, which he joined in 1968. As Teguh Karya was becoming more focused on filmmaking, Nano was resolved screenplay was not his world.
He traveled around Indonesia to explore folk art and stage play. This exploration gave him insights he incorporated into modern theater styles to become the hallmark of Teater Koma.
Nano founded Teater Koma on 1 March, 1977 with 12 other actors, including Ratna Karya Madjid, who he later married the following year. They shared roles in engaging the household but also in navigating the "big ship" of Teater Koma throughout and until Nano’s last destination.
Nano's trace in the world of modern Indonesian theater dated back more than 50 years.
“Nano was lucky to be married to Ratna, both supporting each other as an extraordinary couple," said theater actor Gandung Bondowoso, adding that Ratna had been of much help to Nano in raising funds for their stage performances.
With Teater Koma, Nano performed many play works, which brought issues of daily life onto the stage with criticism of those in power and the upper-middle income bracket. Some plays carried mockery of rulers for being deceitful and greedy. Crazy-rich people were not immune to his criticisms either with him taking a shot at their behavior. Consequently, especially during the New Order regime, Teater Koma endured intimidation several times from the authorities in the form of interrogation, bans and forced cancellation of performances. Among the banned performances were Maaf. Maaf. Maaf (Sorry. Sorry. Sorry) in 1978, Sam Pek Eng Tay in 1989, Suksesi (succession) in 1990 and reproduced Opera Kecoa (opera of cockroaches) in 1990. The repression of Teater Koma stirred people’s censure that the New Order authorities curtailed the citizens’ freedom of expression.
KOMPAS/YUNIADHI AGUNG
Nano Riantiarno
In the midst of persisting political pressures, Teater Koma continued to work consistently and build a loyal audience base through routine performances every year. One play script would be staged by Teater Koma in repeated performances for days and still made a great appeal to the audience.
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit the world, Teater Koma was forced to tweak out its way out of economic pressures and health problems. Being unable to perform due to the implemented public-activity restrictions, Teater Koma saw funding sources dry out. In addition, several crew members, including stage performers, succumbed to COVID-19.
We are incredibly happy. I am happy, they are happy, and we are all happy.
However, they worked hard to survive, among other things, by going online through what was called the Digitalisasi Koma program. It produced several performances online, both in the form of a rerun of documented plays and new script-based performances involving actors, directors and production designs. Nano admitted performing online robbed his imagination given the fact that it deprived direct contact with audience. He begrudged it so much he said he was putting his decades-built reputation as a performing-arts director on the line.
When the pandemic began to subside last March, Teater Koma was finally able to come back on stage with the performance of Sam Pek Eng Tay; Nano said the script had been played 120 times. “We are incredibly happy. I am happy, they are happy, and we are all happy," he said about first appearance after the pandemic (Kompas, 13/3/2022).
Role model
Given Nano's long-lasting career, film director Garin Nugroho gave his appreciation, saying Nano was not simply an actor but was making the history of Indonesian theater, with him building theater, audience base and developing an organizational system. He was also lauded for his totality, consistency, dedication and never-ending creativity.
“It is proven from the long history of Teater Koma. [Theater play] will never see an endpoint because his art work will become a large theater library,” Garin said.
Seno Gumira Ajidarma said Nano was the most exemplary person, who lived and dedicated his life to theater. Teater Koma, which has survived since 1977, also inherits the best theater-management today.
“Teater Koma shows how to live, not to perform…. [stage play]. Apart from that, Teater Koma has been the most successful [theater] in keeping the audience following each of its performances," said Seno, who recently met Nano and was given a copy of his authored novel titled Perang Jin (demonic war).
/https%3A%2F%2Fasset.kgnewsroom.com%2Fphoto%2Fpre%2F2023%2F01%2F20%2F4fc14d0c-76ff-4a0f-905a-f4c65914d278_jpg.jpg){kind=logo}
/https%3A%2F%2Fasset.kgnewsroom.com%2Fphoto%2Fpre%2F2023%2F01%2F20%2F6e717b07-2f89-459b-b10b-a2872902575c_jpg.jpg){kind=logo}
