Renowned shadow drama master Purbo Asmoro and his troupe of gamelan musicians will present Javanese traditional theater (wayang kulit), one of the world's great classical theatrical forms and often lauded as the pinnacle of aesthetic achievement in Indonesia. The remarkable visual effects of wayang, to the sounds of a full gamelan ensemble, will be accompanied by projected English translations of the narrative. The glittering cast bronze instruments of the Indonesian gamelan orchestra match every detail of the puppeteer’s performance with an elaborate musical response. Our performance presents an episode from the Javanese version of the ancient Hindu epic the Ramayana, featuring the beloved Prince Rama and the white monkey Hanuman and their heroic attempts to rescue Rama’s wife Sita from a powerful demon king. English subtitles, performed by the Javanese troupe of Ki Purbo Asmoro, with the UM Gamelan.

 

Other programs included in this Javanese Theater and Gamelan Residency include:

 

Lecture: Javanese Shadow Drama: The Challenges of Translation, by Kathyrn Emerson and Purbo Asmoro, Saturday, March 10, 2012, 10:00-11:30 AM, Rackham Amphitheatre.

 

Workshops:

 

Techniques of Moving and Breathing Life into Wayang Characters (Javanese shadow puppets), by Purbo Asmoro, Saturday, March 10, 2012, 1:00-3:00 PM, East Quad 126, 701 E University Street.

 

The Art and Craft of How to Make a Wayang (Javanese shadow puppet), by Purbo Asmoro, Sunday, 11 March 11, 2012, 10:00-noon, Multipurpose Room, University of Michigan Museum of Art.

 

Contact Ryan Bodiford (bodiford@umich.edu) for information on free workshop tickets.