Nyonya-nyonya Istana (Palace's Ladies) is the title of a great theatrical art performance I was watching last saturday afternoon Nov 17th 2012 at Taman Ismail Marzuki, Cikini. It was a performance with a stamboel-humor style combined with comedy fragments, dances, and dangdut-disco music. It was really-really spectacular art performance. It was very funny, very entertaining, and very comforting. I really-really missed such a performance. It has been very long I have no longer seen such a funny and entertaining show since I moved from Yogyakarta (studying city) to Jakarta (working city). To me, it is like a date-back to my study-years when I was studying in Yogyakarta as I saw some similar performances supported by more or less the same actors during my study in Yogyakarta. Unfortunately the commitee/organizer prohibited the audience to take picture with flash-on mode whereas most scenes were under glimmer and low light (kinda dark). And of course I had no choice as an officer was always near and keeping his eyes on the audience near him and eventually willy-nilly I took picture with flash-off mode.
The performance was starred by a collaboration of seasoned actors and Jakarta's socialites such as Butet Kartaredjasa, Cak Lontong, Hanung Bramantyo, Dibyo Primus, Susilo Nugroho (Den bagus ngarso), Marwoto, Amie Ardhini, Jais Hadaiana Darga Widjaja, Vivi Yip, Flora Simatupang, Febrianti Nadira, and many others.
Nyonya-nyonya Istana was telling a parody story in a cabinet (ministerial cabinet), which was obviously subject to the wives of ministers, including of the president. It was telling that the president and his ministers were wife-scared men. We might say that the real leaders were those wives (ladies) instead of the husbands (men).
Needless to say, Nyonya-nyonya Istana was presented as a tickling performance leaving a big question, how far do we as leaders have an autonomy and stand tall and strong to act firmly?
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