In an open-air theater in the outskirts of Yogyakarta, I had the rare opportunity to talk with the actors and watch a performance of the Ketoprak Tobong, the last surviving Javanese nomadic theater troupe. I have seen dancing performances and puppet plays in Indonesia before, but those were usually put on for tourists. Therefore, I was interested in seeing the Ketoprak Tobong, as it draws a crowd from mostly the village where it was given some land -- the troupe does not travel around this part of Java anymore. Like many things, this type of theater, accompanied by the gamelan -- a traditional percussion instrument of Bali and Java -- is not popular with the young people here.
The audience had a wonderful time. Several people came over to thank me for coming. I was surprised how many children were in the audience, given the late hour, but they were thrilled with the drama -- the gamelan playing loudly when the action picked up.
The audience had a wonderful time. Several people came over to thank me for coming. I was surprised how many children were in the audience, given the late hour, but they were thrilled with the drama -- the gamelan playing loudly when the action picked up.
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