"The Death of Kumbakarna" of I Ketut Madra: A Balinese Wayang Ramayana Play

Abstract

Balinese wayang kulit, or shadowplay, is a still vital part of one of the world's oldest and most vivid theatrical traditions. Despite the relentless influx of all the modern media of art, information, and entertainment into even the remotest villages of the island, dozens of dalang, or master shadow puppeteers, continue to perform regularly before enthusiastic crowds and maintain the popularity of the medium in contemporary Balinese society. The shadow puppeteer brings to life mythic episodes based on the great Hindu epics of India-the Ramayana, Mahabharata, and other textsat temple festivals, rites of passage, and other religious and public events, by animating shadow images of his intricately carved figures on a white screen. He (and, lately, she) is at once priest, preacher, and entertainer, drawing from and contributing to the impressive contemporary strength of Balinese-Hindu religion. And surely it is the very close bond with religious customs and practices that accounts for the apparently secure position of this ancient theatre form in the present generation, for shadow performances are a necessary ingredient in or complement to many Balinese religious ceremonies. Yet, for all the well-documented importance of the ritual dimension of wayang kulit, it is soon apparent to the interested observer that more secular features of the genre are also vital to the continuing health of the medium. This is no mere ceremonial survival. At a typical nighttime shadow performance the Balinese audience watches with rapt concentration, especially as the evening progresses and the plot develops.