Why Wayang People used to be elite entertainment, now it is fought for to survive

Javanese news – Wayang is one of the peaks of Indonesian cultural arts that combines role, music, speech, literature, painting, to philosophy.

In the past, puppets became an elite entertainment that was closely with the rituals of state and character education, now must struggle to survive in the face of modernization, reduced interest in the younger generation, and the high cost of production.

Film: cultural heritage that goes beyond age

Wayang is often referred to as the masterpiece of Indonesian art. Inside combined various branches of art: roles, sounds, gamelan music, literature, painting, chisel, to philosophical symbols.

Not only present as a spectacle, puppets also become the order and guidance and a reflection of human life from birth to death.

History records that puppets have been known in the archipelago since around 1500 BC. Initially, he was closely related to the ritual of the worship of ancestral spirits called Hyang or Dyang.

The initial form of the show is still simple, but developed rapidly in Hindu-Buddhist times with the stories of Ramayana and Mahabharata. In the Javanese kingdom era, the story of Panji was also born which tells the heroism of Raden Inu Kertapati (Panji Asmarabangun) and Dewi Sekartaji (Galuh Candrakirana).

The entry of Islam brings other changes. Wayang is used as a da’wah media by adjusting the characters and storylines to be in harmony with religious teachings. Even in the modern era, puppets were once used as a means of political propaganda. It is this flexibility that makes the puppets last thousands of years, although it continues to experience acculturation with new cultures that enter.

The central role of the puppeteer and supporting the show

Behind the magnificent performance of wayang, there is a puppeteer who is the center of everything. The puppeteer not only plays the puppet character, but also acts as a director, narrator, as well as controlling the course of the story. In their duties, the mastermind is assisted by:

• Honor, which is in charge of singing to revive the atmosphere.
• Condoli, a special assistant for the puppeteer who prepared a puppet according to the scene.
• Gamelan, a set of traditional music that creates magical atmosphere, ranging from fiddle, drums, sarons, bonang, to gongs.

The show always begins with the Dalang narrative, then continued dialogue between characters. From here it appears that puppets are not only entertainment, but also the stage of moral education, philosophy, and spiritual.

Why did the wayang people used to be elite entertainment?

Someone’s film or Puppets Has been at the peak of glory, especially in the Javanese palace environment. Some of the main reasons include:

1. State rituals and legitimacy of power
   Puppet people are often staged in the palace to strengthen the authority of the king. The story of the Satria and Dewa is used as a symbol of the legitimacy of power.
2. EDUCATIONS
   Puppet shows people are full of moral values, manners, and ethics. The children of the aristocracy learned the soul of the knight, justice, and harmony through their stories.
3. Representation of social status
   Because it is closely related to the palace, only the elite can enjoy this show. Its presence is a symbol of prestige and culture of culture.

Why do wayang people now have to struggle to survive?

Entering the era of globalization, wayang people face big challenges:

• Decreased interest in the younger generation
  The show is considered ancient, difficult language, and the time is too long. Young people prefer modern entertainment such as movies, Korean dramas, or music concerts.
• Hampered regeneration
  The puppeteer, sinden, and new players are increasingly difficult to find. In fact, the continuity of puppets is very dependent on the existence of the successor to master this art.
• Expensive production costs
  Puppet people need a lot of players, complicated costumes, magnificent stage arrangements, and complete gamelan accompaniment. This makes it difficult for performances to compete with cheap and quickly accessed entertainment.
• Competition with modern entertainment
  Films, social media, and games are far more interesting to the current generation. Puppet puppets are considered stiff and monotonous so that the audience is left.

Criticism of performance patterns

Many viewers consider the story of shadow puppets and puppet people too standard. Repeated scenes such as royal meetings, jokes, war, and the climax of goodness to defeat evil and are often considered boring.

The current generation prefers stories with complex characters, full of inner conflict, and realistic, as in Hollywood films or Korean series. The character who is described as good or even evil is considered to be less relevant to real life.

Unfortunately, some puppet observers reject innovation. When there is an experiment to shorten the duration or rearrange the scene, protests appear. As a result, the exploration and improvisation space is very limited.

Efforts to preserve people’s puppets

Despite facing big challenges, various parties are still struggling so that wayang people are not extinct. Some steps taken include:

• Cultural and Education Festival
  The government together with the cultural community routinely hold festivals, competitions, and put puppets into the school art curriculum.
• Performance innovation
  Groups such as Sriwedari puppets try to add modern elements: more dynamic lighting, gamelan music combined with orchestra, as well as synopsis in Indonesian and English so that it is easily understood by the younger generation and foreign tourists.
• National Wayang Day
  Since 2018, the government has established November 7 as a National Wayang Day, to coincide with UNESCO’s recognition which established wayang as a cultural heritage of the world.

Puppet people are one of the masterpieces of Indonesian arts that are full of moral, spiritual and philosophical values.

In the past, he became an elite keraton entertainment as well as a symbol of power, now struggling to survive in the midst of a onslaught of modern entertainment.

In order to stay alive, it takes a combination of preservation of tradition and creative innovation. Without it, it is not impossible that future generations only know wayang as a historical record, not as the art of life that continues to breathe in the nation’s culture.

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