The Innovation and Creativity Hub at Universitas Gadjah Mada (GIK UGM) hosted a unique collaborative event that opened with a soulful Javanese song that evoked a deeply traditional atmosphere.
The event featured a ketoprak performance titled “Mendung ing Karangwuni” on Tuesday night (Aug. 20) at Joglo GIK UGM.
In addition to highlighting social issues, this ketoprak performance incorporated elements of the romance genre, where a young girl in the village is forced by her father to marry the son of an investor in exchange for improvements to their village.
This romantic element kept the storyline engaging, entertaining the audience even as the play tackled heavy topics. The conflicts presented, and their logical resolutions made this ketoprak performance a complete and perfect show.
Enhanced by appropriate props, lighting, and gamelan music, the play’s atmosphere made the audience feel like they were in the actual setting.
Many audience members interacted with the dialogues during the performance, which the actors responded to, evoking laughter. At the end of the show, the audience enthusiastically applauded the hard work of all the performers.
Throughout the performance, the audience was treated to spontaneous and humorous dialogues, resulting in bursts of laughter. The story begins with a group of men discussing how to improve their village, which then evolves into various conflicts that are ultimately resolved through appropriate resolutions.
This ketoprak initiative was highly flexible, using just a treatment (without a complete script). The actors’ improvisations made the story dynamic and unpredictable, keeping each scene fresh and relevant to current conditions.
With only five rehearsals, Bambang Paningrom, one of the directors and initiators of this ketoprak, successfully guided his fellow actors to deliver a compelling story. The play’s title was inspired by an area north of UGM, Karangwuni.
However, the story’s setting focuses on values and current issues relevant to today’s society rather than on this specific location.
Paningrom explained that the story represented specific situations and was created freely, containing current critiques and symbols. He also noted that Karangwuni served as a symbol in this ketoprak performance.
“The imagined events are contemporary ones, where people make decisions without listening to the voices of their closest environment. Many violate norms and ethics, which are reflected in this play,” he explained.
This collaborative ketoprak was a trial effort to make Universitas Gadjah Mada more inclusive and open. Paningrom expressed that UGM should not be seen only as an “ivory tower” because UGM still engages with the surrounding community and those beyond.
“What’s the point of being a prestigious university with so many advantages if it neglects the communities around it?” he remarked when asked by the media.
He hopes that the success of this ketoprak performance will offer more than entertainment. Instead, it should convey values worthy of emulation by the audience: critical thinking, openness, integrity, respect for ideas, and appreciation for others.
“So ketoprak is not just a performance but truly a medium for conveying ideas, sharing, and honoring traditions, especially Javanese culture,” he added.
This collaborative ketoprak performance was organized by the Community Outreach division of GIK UGM and involved various parties, including local residents around UGM, alumni, UGM staff, and other communities.
Author: Lintang
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Photo: Tom Blero/Kagama.id
Post-editor: Afif