d'lick In " The Jakarta Post"

The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Thu, 02/08/2007 4:58 PM | Life

Grace Siregar, Contributor, Medan

In early November 2006, I met Yondik Tanto and his d'lick Theater troupe in Medan for the first time. They told me about their work and performed some sections from one of their pieces on the spot. Liking what I saw, I booked them for the opening of an upcoming solo exhibit by Antara senior photographer Oscar Motuloh at Tondi Gallery.

The short piece they presented then was so impressive that we immediately arranged for a one-off performance of an original piece, PLEK, a few weeks later.

D'lick performed to a transfixed audience at the beginning of December, again at the gallery. The simple gallery space was transformed into a simple stage with lights, black fabric draping the walls and a bright red backdrop with a round hole cut out in the middle. A subtle accompaniment of music interacted with the performers' movements.

D'lick comprises Ojak Manalu, Zali Kendy, C. Rizky, Buche, Roy Moningka, Ilham Wahyudi, Eko Uma, Yusra Lubis and founder Yondik Tanto. PLEK was directed by Tanto, and brings back the intensity of live performances audiences in this country had experienced before the advent of television.

Seemingly influenced by French writer and playwright Antonin Artaud's Theatre of Cruelty, PLEK is a very physical piece laden with the realities, dilemmas, problems, greed and cruelty that lead to both physical and spiritual death. These themes are presented with a somewhat ambiguous clarity. The punchy, sparse dialog strengthens PLEK's emotional impact, and these ingredients result in a rapt audience engulfed by the emotional force of the performance.

""Since d'lick Theater was founded in 1992, we have presented a whole range of pieces,"" said Tanto. These include original repertoire such as A Bunch of Atma Flowers, Fools Mafia, Eleven Days in Prison, Modern Aristocrats, My Body Becomes You and Oh I Don't Know.

Considering the humble behavior of d'lick's performers and technicians, it is not surprising that they have earned themselves a place in the hearts of the North Sumatran people.

The current economic and financial reality in Indonesia have contributed to both the slow death and sudden demise of new and established theater groups, which cannot survive due to the complete lack of sustained financial support in the country.

Against this situation, d'lick prevails.

""Frankly speaking, d'lick's life is like this because this is our calling and this is the way we have to exist. If we couldn't create we would die -- our souls would die,"" said Tanto. ""So whatever happens, d'lick Theatre will always survive, with or without funding. That's why we never have a set fee when we perform. We're grateful for whatever the audience or the organizer gives us.""

In 1987, long before the birth of d'lick, Tanto had founded QUE, a drama group that produced a number of pieces such as Insane Code, Gigolo Auntie Bonny, Pocong and Operetta Ocah.

""When we perform, we never worry about the venue or about who the audience is. Wherever we perform we always respect the audience, whether it's ordinary people on the streets, in the markets, in their own neighborhoods, or in Medan Culture Park, Payung Teduh Gallery, or in hotels in Medan or the rest of North Sumatra,"" said Tanto.

He also hopes that there will be a ""sea change"" and that the media would begin to pay more attention to the performing arts -- and to theater in particular.

""So far, the press and electronic media have written very little about the pieces we have created and performed. We have worked on many site-specific open-air pieces in public places, but there has been very little coverage. How can the general public respond when there is such a deafening silence in the media?""

But the minimal attention paid to theater compared to other art forms has not dampened d'lick's enthusiasm.

From Aug. 11-12, 2006 they worked with Satu Merah Panggung led by well-known theater director Ratna Sarumpaet, and performed Jamila and The President at Medan Culture Park.

And on Nov. 12, they collaborated with factory workers in producing Heritage, written and directed by Tanto.

""We never differentiate between our partners, whether they are famous or ordinary people, we look at them the same way. They are all part of the struggle to maintain Indonesian theater's vitality,"" he stressed.

D'lick Theatre is currently rehearsing Fools Mafia, written and directed by Tanto, and which involves 25 performers. The piece will be performed on May 5 as part of a theatrical comedy festival at Medan Culture Park.