Komen-komen Pementasan "Sidang Burung"

[S.K CintaZeni]

Salam,

S.K pegi pementasan "Sidang Burung" hari sabtu yang lalu...

Nak kumpulkan komentar saja di sini...

Sebahagiannya merasakan apa yang S.K rasakan...

Wassalam.
PS: Honestly, it wasn't an easy play to do... and I really do applaud Ekamatra for doing it... At the end of the day, they DARED... and of course, they trusted a Cultural Medallion Award winner to do it... However, a sufi text has subtexts, so, maybe, next time, they could run it by one of the younger, hip ustazs/ustazahs first or something... I'll give a simple example - the ending of the Conference is based on a hadith that I'll loosely translate as, "He who knows himself knows his God"... but you don't get that in the poor script coz the writer had his own understanding and provided his own perspectives on priorities... While some things in the text are an abstraction and multidimensional, some are very clear cut to asatizah, especially, those who do advanced Usuluddin...
So, please-please-please, continue with your efforts and get an ustaz or two to comment on the next work...

PPS at 6.25pm:
OH! SMS from director at isakamari's forum -
"I had a long chat with young asatizah after the play. And now dia nak dekatkan para asatizah dengan teater pulak!"
===> That was me and anakdidik lah, but I didn't wanna do it 'cos of the play, lah, bro! Donch anyhow quote you know!
It's been my vision after returning to dunia sastera melayu to bring asatizah closer to seni dan sastera sebagai wadah da'wah. Some of us are thinking of films, even, lah... glad to have a filmmaker with us that night, too, alhamdulillah...

[S.K CintaZeni]

unpoeticpieces (part 1)

Sunday, October 26, 2008
11:57 PM |

ke-sidang burung-an

si*dang bu*rung was a theatric (i don't think you can find this term in the dict) performance, an attempt to adapt for Fariduddin Attar's Conference of the Birds. in malay, directed by sa-ni hus-sin and playwright by is-a kam-ari.

everytime i went to the library, i will come across a version of Attar's translated Conference of the birds but i have never took the effort to even read it and now i wish i had! because only then would i know where the flaws would be. not that i'm coming to a theatre to rant out comments. but then i would be more critical and not blindly accepting the whole performance....

...because even a person like me, amateur to the arts line, could sense that the actors and actresses of the play might not even understand what they are reciting~ but i'm sure they have done their research. and kesidang burungan, being an originally a sufistic literature, is spiritualistic and mystic, i believe it's a poem of love to the Lord.
and Attar, being a sufi, must have gone through many stages to obtain even an idea, a slight image of Him. and i'm afraid the actors and actresses don't really get that. they're just, well, acting. there's only one actor whom i think understand the spiritualistic process of Attar's.

kesidang burungan quite briefly:
a hoopoe bird aka hudhud desires to search for the king of kings known as Simurgh all the way from across the lands, seas and mountains. and he urged other kinds of birds, like the merak, the parrot, merbuk, even a duck and rooster, bat and a rajawali, and many others, i suppose to follow him on this quest. but all these birds had their own reasons but it turned out they all followed him through highs and lows.

now they have reached the gates of a Qaf mountain, believed to be the abode of Simurgh. out of millions who have followed them all the way, many have failed and left only thirty of the birds who have strived on. the gatekeeper of the abode welcomed them. the birds asked to see Simurgh. however, the answer given by the gatekeeper was simurgh refers to themselves. for simurgh means 30 in persian. and they are only searching for themselves.

well you know what? i'm going to look for Attar's Conference of the Birds and read!

anyway, i hate the costumes worn by the actors/resses. i don't think the expressions given by them suits the lines. and i almost thought a Hindu song was played! but it turned out to be a Persian song named Simurgh. (that's only because i ASKED THE DIRECTOR, read: sa-ni hus-sin)

however, i think kesidang burungan is a huge good step in the Malay arts. a performance which wanted to bring meaning. i'm sure the play didn't start out to be portrayed as Islamic. and people might get confused. but i guess it will somehow open up people's minds, especially the mainstream people, the play is not too difficult to understand if you do away with the details and the original work of Attar. the physical movement, the little humours, the brief songs and musics, it will be stamped to the mainstream's minds, and tell them: Look! there is this sufistic islamic artwork known as the Conference of the birds, full of meaning and wise teachings, which you can apply to your life, read it and realise it. your love is for God.

well, i can say, i enjoyed ke-sidang burung-an and it has opened up my mind and create a critical channel in my thinking system. we definitely should have more of this genre in the arts scene.

[S.K CintaZeni]

unpoeticpieces (part 2)

good morning. apparently my blog has been scoured by writers and directors and quoted aka copypasted. even if i'm talking about a theatre or a song or a book or a competition like a certain anugerah band, i'm thinking it's my own views writing in a blog which i did not think will get to the first ten links to come up when you do google. i wrote something yesternight and today i got to find out it's been quoted. my Lord, i'm only trying to be neutral. and that's the thing, i trash something out, i got all these anonymous tags, i commented in my silly amateurish way, i got quoted blindly. it was ok initially but now i don't like it.

but, that's web 2.0. i know. well, it's been said and done. all i'm thinking, this meagre theatric performance, has open up my own critical thinking system, and that's a part of me which are rarely woken. and when this happens, it means, there is something close to my heart which is 'mutilated in translation' and quite simply, turned out wrong.

even though i said it was a STEP forward, they shouldn't think it's perfect. because eventually, a first step will set a benchmark and if there is something way much better than the first, the benchmark will definitely change. there is no need to be complacent in praises.

people often misunderstand sufism and mysticism. Captain Makh*doum personally, said it right to my face, "the path to sufism is not easy, you need to go through and understand the syariah carefully" the very system of syariah is simply said, difficult. there is no short cut i say.

i hope further plays which want to adapt sufistic elements, should be done with the utmost care and detail, up to the actors chosen and costumes, the lines of course, and take into account the people you are going to attract. for a circle of us, sufi is inseparable from being islamic. you don't take it for granted. it's not about laila and majnun, it's not just about ana alhaqq, because once you misunderstand it, means that, you misunderstood it, that's it. don't take it for granted.

scary.

Labels: light.with.a.sharpened.edge, sound.effects.and.overdramatics
unpoeticpieces.blogspot.com/

[S.K CintaZeni]

lemauku.blogspot.com

(Part One)

I am writing this entry because someone asked me to write my comments on the above.
I am too disappointed to write anything for now but would like to apologise to all the birds who watched or are watching the play. I am posting this video instead because I think this would have made a great adaptation of Attar's Conference of the Bird. In this video one is convinced that the players are intoxicated with Love and it's not because of the jubah or the turban or the swirling... if there is any. In this performance, Love resonates in every beat and utterance


My one line verdict...

Sidang Burung, the play, is devoid of Love.

[S.K CintaZeni]

Lemauku

(Part Two)

Monday, October 27, 2008
Sidang Burung, my views
Bismillah.

Warning: I am not a drama critic, just a fan and hopefully a friend of the local arts groups, giving my point of view as a matured audience. My personal perception of the play has probably been greatly influenced by my intense love for the original work. And so I haveto agree with Sang Jebat that we, the local artists, are not ready to deliver such a heavy responsibility. We haven’t got the talents, namely the players, the director and the playwright with the capability and conviction to deliver the essence of the Conference of the Birds responsibly.

No doubt Sidang Burung appealed to those who enjoy seeking meanings in the abstract and it would probably lure them into reading the book. Unfortunately, those who are familiar with the content and/or the intent of the book would probably feel that the book had been poorly represented in the play. Generally, this is the sentiment shared by friends who went for the play because of their fascination for the revered text. The fact that the play neither entertained nor provoked them did not affect me as much as the play’s lack of spirituality.

In the play, it was not clear what drove the birds into seeking the Simurg. The catalyst to the search must be clearly evident for the search to appear meaningful and for audience to remain glued for the resolution at the end of the play. The Hoopoe who delivered the most lines didn’t appear to be intoxicated with love as he should be. His conversations with the other birds were filled with anger and frustrations and the tone he adopted was hardly inspiring to his listeners. At this point I wonder, if the same lines were given to actors like Rahim Razali or Ahmad Yatim, how it would have sounded.

The conversations between datuk and cucu were laden with cliches, redundancies and repetitions. The use of the Jurong Bird Park as a setting and birds as characteristics are too simplistic and amateurish. I personally feel that the best way to safeguard the sacredness of the original text is to claim it to be the writer’s adaptation or interpretation because even though the lines of the original text are untouched, the visual representations, the mood and the tone might fail to depict the original intent. Technically, the play has failed to explore the use of appropriate costumes and props as it reminded me of the staging of a primary school musical. I have always have high regards for Eka’s concern for details so personally I find this production appalling beyond comprehension.

All these flaws are linked to one ‘loose nut’, which is the lack of common understanding on the intent and meaning of the play. The costumes, the tone of the players and the movements do not complement one another. The lack of coherence plagued every scene and there seemed to be an attempt at the end to reconcile with a song that finally provides the essence of the text.

Unfortunately by then, much had been misconstrued and damage had been done. Will end with an entry from Hoopoe's blog as a reminder to myself that I am equally or more flawed.

Wassalam

WEDNESDAY, MAY 30, 2007

Self-Reflecting Mirror

In our book-reading club yesterday, we touched on the topic of self-reflection, of looking within ourselves for our strengths and our weaknessess, and I wish to share in the hope to benefit others as well in reflecting upon this.

"To share His hidden glory you must learn
That others' errors are not your concern -
When someone else's failings are defined
What hairs you split - but to your own you're blind!
Grace comes to those, no matter how they've strayed,
Who know their own sin's strength, and are afraid"

"You cannot love, and this is why you seek
To find men vicious, or depraved, or weak -
If you could search for love and persevere
The sins of other men would disappear"

... Conference of the Birds, Farid ud-Din Attar

thehoopoesodyssey.blogspot.com/2007/05/self-reflection-mirror.html


Lemau will resume its retreat as planned. You may leave your comments in www.isakamari.com or my facebook.

Thank you.
Posted by saedah at 11:55 AM
8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the comments Saeda. With a small budget less than 20K we could not bring in Rahim Razaly or have better costumes.

The targe audience for Pesta Raya is the family. The script is written with that in mind.

- Isa Kamari
27 October, 2008 16:43
Anonymous said...

I think Conference of the Birds is too heavy for the local art scene. Budget shouldn't be an issue, it is the artistic touch that is lacking. Something is amiss. -Suryani-
27 October, 2008 17:12
Jazzy said...

bismillah.

I dun hv u on FB. So, I'm gonna juz comment here.

Totally agree with Suryani that it's not about the budget. Agree with everyone that it's a text that's too spiritually-beautiful to be produced without careful planning - budget, notwithstanding.

It's a supposed spiritual play devoid of spirituality.
Readers are, of course, disillusioned. Non-readers have nothing to compare it with - it's just a play that's different from the normal fare as it's trying to present a certain kind of philosophy. Different does not mean better! And the philosophy doesn't even really get represented!

I can only hope that local productions would be more sensitive about the intellect of the local audience after this fiasco.

Hopefully.
27 October, 2008 22:01
Anonymous said...

Thanks Suryani & Jazzy for the legitimate comments.

The spirituality of Conference of the Birds is contained in the simple message : There Is Only Him.

It was a question of whether to depict this message by a heavy rendition of the original or make it more accessible as an entry point for comprehension and appreciation.

I chose the latter. You might be surprised that those less initiated than your intellectual selves found the play meaningful and beautiful.

How do you then reconciled the disparate perceptions?

Isa Kamari
27 October, 2008 22:27
Anonymous said...

Takyah defensivelah Isa. Tak semua yang kau buat orang akan suka. U've failed twice in being a playwright although kau ahli sastera,so muhasabah dirilah...maybe u need to find the reason why, god will help u if u really nak tahu puncanya.Both "Pintu" & "Sidang Burung" gagal dipentas. maybe to me its not actors friendly...direktor pon boleh mati kutu dengan naskah macam tu...why not u ask them secara ikhlas n put all ego aside...insyallah they will tell u. jangan give up! i still want to see ur future works di pentas.Salams.
27 October, 2008 23:41
saedah said...

Sorry Bruder? Sister?
Berani buat berani tanggung eh.
It is cowardly to remain anonymous after making such strong comments.
Please introduce yourself like the rest. Thank you.

Nampaknya, LEMAU harus kembali lagi untuk bersidang.
Ruang dibuka semula dengan rela. Silakan.
28 October, 2008 00:14
Anonymous said...

How to reconcile? I don't think you can make everyone happy. Translating the written word into a play has its shortcomings. People who didn't read the text beforehand came with no expectations. But those who are well versed and revered the text definitely will feel shortchanged. I felt the text was butchered beyond recognition.

I guess it is difficult to hold a candle against the real masterpiece.

I just feel that the play will be more successful if it loosened its grip on the text, the idea of birds conferencing and searching then finding could still be incorporated, but more like an abstract backdrop, a general theme. And the first step is to find a title more relevant to the play than to borrow fully the title of the text. Because once you read the title as Sidang Burung you would expect a close adaptation of Conference/Parliament of the Birds. And when that didn't materialized, needless to say, it was disappointing and to borrow Saedah's word - Appalling.

But if the title was I dunno... Sayap or Parlimen di Jurong... smtg totally different but circling around the play... then even those who have read would be open to new characters and openly accept that Attar's work is just a reference, a secondary read instead of the other way around.
-Suryani-
28 October, 2008 05:13
Jazzy said...

Suryani, I tink we readers come from the same viewpoints. I agree with you once again. OF COURSE, readers of the text will have a certain paradigm of reference. OF COURSE, non-readers will have no expectations and therefore accept what is there. OF COURSE, the perceptions will differ.

At the very least, we just expected better treatment of the text and it didn't happen. The essence is lost.
Please forgive me, but what is sooo wrong with doing a reflection/muhasabah on what was right and what could be better? We only give these comments because we want to see more quality local productions in the future.

Sis Saedah, may you stay humble as a writer, always, inshAllah, ameen.
28 October, 2008 10:19

Anonymous said...

Salam and thanks everyone for the comments. The issue of the heart is sacred and if we are truly readers of Attar we will know that beauty lies in everything including the imperfect.

The birds have flown? Have we all?

-Isa Kamari

Anonymous said...

Encik Isa, you should relax and be cool. The play is done, the birds have flown, pple are just giving their views. You don't have to justify every critic. It looks very petty on your side. Seriously man, how many bridges have you burnt because you can't take criticism?

Everything made by humans is imperfect. And the little beauty in all art belongs to Him. We are mere channels for His divine inspiration.

Take a chill pill man, and let pple discuss openly on their thoughts and views.

Why so serious?

-Bob-

28 October, 2008 22:48

[S.K CintaZeni]

This blogger actually doesn't want her/his post to be copy-pasted... but it's one of the most heartfelt defense of the actors I've read thus far, so, it's just fair to paste it.

I oso agree with many things you said, blogger, like changing the main points of the conversation between datuk and cucu, great ideas those - about homelessness or losing loved ones, coz then, it'll bring in the focus of the play back to love... You can call me unethical and unprofessional, dear blogger, but good reviews in defense of the play from a participant should be spread... dapat pahala, what?

I will remove this if you still strongly disagree.
Email me at jahmujahadah-at-gmail-dot-com to let me know

wassalam.

deepinside-karma.blogspot.com/

The Birds Rage On.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008

We compare 'Conference of The Birds' to 'Thus Spoke Zarathustra'. Different readers may have a different perspective on the book and may have different levels of understanding of what the author is trying to convey. When play writing such stories, we understand that it is a challenge for it to be written in a comprehensible way and ensure that it is relevant to this generation.

Watching a play which was adapted from ‘Conference of The Birds’ is different from watching a play that is based on ‘Conference of The Birds’. It would be unfair to those involved in the production to have their work and efforts based on the book itself. Firstly, I’m sure none of the actors have read Conference of the Birds prior to Sidang Burung thus their emotions and understanding is based on the script entirely, not from Conference of the Birds. To have people coming in and criticizing Sidang Burung just because they have the pre-notion of the text from Conference of the Birds and the performers failed to match the emotions from the book would be uncalled for, as what you see on the stage is something that is based on a piece of script not from the book.

Hence, when presenting scripts inspired by such texts, make sure you become an active participant during the constructive process of the rehearsals. This is to help you see what challenges the director and actors are facing and guide them to understand the piece under your vision.

Never undermine the competency of the director and the actors, or even the company. Never blame others when your piece is a failure. Especially when you are not there to help them succeed. Learn from your mistakes. To the critics, if you are a fan of such texts, understand how the text is written and never compare it to the work of the originator.

The actors are inspired by how the script is written and will research on how they can help bring the script to life. However, if the playwright only defends his work, is an elitist, and refuses to see others' perspectives, the essence of a play is lost.

I defend the actors who put their heart and soul to help this play succeed without your help. We are said as young and 'inexperienced' but we did not back out from this production. We had faith in it because of the originator and we dedicate ourselves to research and immerse ourselves in our roles.

If you think that we did not try hard enough, you were NOT in the constructive process. You were NOT part of the thought process.

As a side note, there are a lot of things which i wish the writer replaced, such as modifying the whole grandfather-child relationship to something more real, such as homelessness, lost without someone to love, etc. but I am a mere stage-player, so green in artistic thought.

To all the stage-players, the crew and the director of Sidang Burung, i thank you from the bottom of my heart for striving to stage this play despite remarks and unethical practices which are uncalled for. We were of pure hearts and pure minds when working on this play and I thank Allah s.w.t for allowing me to work with all of you. Each and every one of you has helped me and taught me that passion, dedication, honesty, and a positive attitude will help us in our lives.

RAGE ON.

Disclaimer: This post is for my own leisure. However, i wish for you to NOT cut and paste my words on your own blogs. It is unethical and you will be plagiarizing. If you still use my work, it only goes to show how unprofessional you are.
1:17 PM

[S.K CintaZeni]

khatuliscita.wordpress.com/2008/10/27/kebebasan-n-cinta/

kebebasan & cinta

25 October 2008, 8pm.

Watched Sidang Burung with my pri sch best friend, Zati, last sat. We enjoyed the show. The penghayatan was magnificient. Each of the birds had their own view of life and the way they express themselves can really make you think.

n of course, you can never escape from the subject of Cinta.

like burung hudhud said:

“Cinta sejati itu adalah apabila kita melupakan diri.”

Subhanallah, boleh ker mcm tu?

N there’s this one part i find interesting, when the Atuk told his grandson, Farid, how wonderful it is to be a bird. coz u get to enjoy freedom, bebas terbang.

but Farid said:

“Tapi burung2 kat sini terperangkap tuk. Macam mana nak bebas.” (something like that lah, i didnt bring a pen to jot down interesting stuff dis time.)

Which is true isn’t it? I mean, we humans always wonder what it’s like to be free. to live life without limitations. the cliche we often hear, ku ingin terbang bebas seperti burung di angkasa.

tapi burung-burung tu sendiri, bebas ker?

sebenarnya kita ni hidup dalam ilusi. terlalu banyak perkara yang kita nak. dan bila tak berjaya untuk didapatkan, selalunya kita kecewa. tetapi apa yang kita inginkan tu sebenarnya cuma ilusi, kita tak perlukan perkara tu sebenarnya. tapi sebagai manusia, memang kita susah nak lari dari ilusi tu. lalu apa yang selalu berlaku? kita mudah gusar, bimbang dan sengsara.

i’m glad i finally managed to run away from one illusion. come to think of it, i can only blame myself actually. i once doa’ed for Him to show me the light n i promised to redha with whatever that was meant to be. but i did not. n i suffered as a result. i’ve learnt a lot from that experience. best word to describe it all - kebodohan.

sebab tu at the moment i’m just being extreeeemely careful. i dont want to be trapped in that stupidity all over again. it’s too emotionally exhausting.

anyway, i guess the only way to be free, untuk rasakan kebebasan yang sebenar, is to be free from illusions. to accept things as they are. to be thankful with what we have.

n skang ni, i am thankful with whatever i have. i am accepting things as they are and as they come. but the thing is, i am still unsure if what i am having is still an illusion. kalau berdasarkan definisi burung hudhud kat atas tu…. memang jauh sangat2lah.

or maybe not yet? i dont know.

how can i ‘lupakan diri’ coz from what i remember, the last time i thought i did, i became a victim of my own stupidity.

kita tunggu sms dari tuhan jerlah ya

[S.K CintaZeni]

Ekstra! : 15 November 2008

REVIU: SIDANG BURUNG

PEMENTASAN BERANI

Oleh
Haryani Othman

SEBAGAI permulaan, syabas kepada Teater Ekamatra kerana berani mementaskan satu naskhah yang berat lagi mencabar.

Secara keseluruhan, ada beberapa kebaikan dalam pementasan Sidang Burung yang dipentaskan oleh Teater Ekamatra sempena Pesta Raya 2008 di Studio Esplanade pada 24 dan 25 Oktober lalu.

Pengarah, Sani Hussin, menggunakan set pementasan yang agak luas dan memanfaatkannya sepenhnya.

Pelakon-pelakon bermain di tapak set itu dengan selesa dan bebas. Malah, Agnes Christina, yang membawa watak Burung Hantu, ligat memanjat tiang-tiang set yang melambangkan sebuah sangkar, walaupun badannya agak berisi.

Iringan muzik yang menyahut dapat mengisi perasaan kerohanian pada pementasan itu.

Skrip yang ditulis Isa Kamari itu tidak perlu diiktiraf lagi kerana ia berdasarkan sebuah naskhah klasik. Menterjemahkan naskhah yang begitu mendalam dan bersifat kerohanian bukanlah sesuatu yang mudah.

Tambahan yang ditulis oleh Isa ialah keadaan antara cucu dengan datuknya yang diselitkan di antara keadaan persidangan burung.

Tetapi hubungan antara dua keadaan itu kurang jelas. Namun begitu, peralihan antara dua keadaan agak licin dan para pelakon yang membawa watak burung pandai menukar peranan masing-masing, mengikut dua keadaan yang berbeza.

Menyentuh tentang lakonan, Anwar Hadi, yang membawa watak burung Hud-Hud, berjaya memberi satu persembahan yang sejajar walaupun ia satu watak yang agak berat dan mempunyai paling banyak dialog. Tepukan khas buat dua pelakon Sidang Burung.

Pertama, kepada Izad Omar, yang membawa watak Hud, penjaga taman burung. Walaupun sudah lebih dua tahun tidak berlakon teater, perwatakan beliau amat dirasai. Izad berjaya mengemukakan tiga peranan yang berbeza dalam satu watak. Peranan pertama sebagai Hud, penjaga taman burung yang dianggap tidak siuman oleh teman-temannya, peranan kedua sebagai roh Hud yang telah meninggal dunia dan peranan ketiga sebagai penjaga Istana.

Kedua, kepada Mohd Nazrie Bin Zulkhairi yang membawa watak Farid. Walaupun ini pertama kali beliau berlakon dalam pementasan teater, tidak nampak gementarnya sama sekali. Malah, apabila Abdul Rashid Mustajab yang membawa watak Datuk terlupa dialognya, Nazrie dengan tenang meneruskan perbicaraan mereka.

Sayangnya, kekuatan para pelakon secara keseluruhan tidak dapat menutup kegelinciran dan kelemahan segelintir pelakon dalam penyampaian skrip mereka. Ada kalanya, penyampaian kurang sifat kerohanian dan hasilnya, kosong, tidak berperisa. Seolah-olah mereka dipaksa supaya menyampaikan kekata-kekata yang dituturkan.

Satu lagi perkara yang tidak menepati jangkaan ialah kostum para pelakon yang memegang watak burung. Walaupun solekan mereka berbeza dan mengagumkan, pakaian mereka mengecewakan.

Selain daripada pakaian itik, pakaian burung lain tidak berapa indah dipandang mata. Malah, seluar seragam putih yang d**enakan tidak setanding dengan rasa dan jiwa pementasan ini.

Kesimpulannya, jika menonton Sidang Burung boleh diibaratkan sebagai perjalanan saya merentasi tujuh lembah untuk mencari Simuk, Raja Hakiki, saya rasa perjalanan saya tidak sampai ke pintu istana Simuk.

Ini bukanlah bermaksud bahawa pementasan tidak lengkap atau tidak baik. Cuma, ada ciri-ciri yang tidak berapa memuaskan atau tidak menepati jangkaan saya sebagai seorang penggiat teater yang meminati sastera tulisan Farid ud-Din Attar ini.

[S.K CintaZeni]

Ulasan Pementasan - “Sidang Burung”: Tingkatan Tafsiran

Sesebuah naskhah tentulah menjalani beberapa interpretasi dalam kelahirannya. Sang pengarang mentafsirkan pengalamannya dalam gambaran yang ditumpahkan ke dalam kata-kata yang membentuk teks. Minda pembaca kemudian mentafsirkan teks mengikut pengalamannya sendiri.

Tafsiran penulis skrip

Apabila sesebuah karya diadaptasi dari satu wadah menjadi wadah lain, maka, satu lagi peringkat tafsiran berlaku. Pengarang kedua mentafsir karya asal dan melahirkannya semula mengikut kefahamannya. Tafsirannya mungkin boleh diterima atau tidak. Mentelah lagi, sekiranya, karya asal adalah karya kompleks yang mempunyai pelbagai dimensi tafsiran dalam setiap patah perkataan!

Sidang Burung ialah skrip pementasan yang diadaptasi dari “Conference of the Birds”, tulisan Farid ud-Din Attar. Karya Attar adalah sebuah karya sufi yang mempunyai banyak lapisan makna. Kesan pembacaannya berbeza-beza antara seorang pembaca dengan pembaca yang lain kerana ia menyentuh setiap pembaca di berbagai peringkat kognitif dan afektif.

Apabila karya sekompleks ini diadaptasi, ia menjadi sebuah tafsiran salah seorang pembaca berdasarkan tingkatan kefahamannya. Tafsiran ini boleh saja baik dan memainkan peranannya. Ia juga boleh saja menjadi kurang baik, lantas, berlaku tidak adil kepada karya asal.

Antara zat karya asal Attar ialah mendambakan Cinta Ilahi dan ego ialah antara penghalang mencapainya. Penulis skrip memilih untuk mengetengahkan aspek ego lebih daripada dambaan Cinta. Ini dapat dilihat dalam skrip dan kemudiannya, tafsiran dan penzahiran pelakon.


Tafsiran pelakon

Dalam menzahirkan skrip pementasan, kemudiannya, teks berbicara kepada pengarah dan pelakon. Pelakon yang peka akan cuba memahami teks. Pelakon yang serius akan mengambil masa untuk membaca karya asal. Ini akan membantu pelakon menghayati skrip dan membuat tafsiran yang terbaik. Jika tidak, tafsiran mereka akan menjadi selapis saja kerana ia berdasarkan tafsiran atas tafsiran. Tidak pasti sekiranya ini yang berlaku kepada para pelakon dalam pementasan ini kerana mereka menzahirkan dialog paling kurang dalam dua nada: nada sombong dan bongkak, sebagai konkretasi aspek keegoaan yang ditekankan dalam skrip pementasan sendiri.

Dalam menzahirkan teks dengan aspek ego ini, maka, hilanglah aspek dambaan Cinta Ilahi dan hilanglah salah satu zat penting karya asal.


Tafsiran pengarah

Ada pementasan yang menenggelamkan teks dan menjadi sebuah karya dengan sendirinya. Ini berlaku apabila pengarah mengambil alih pengurusan karya dan mentafsirkan karya untuk dimanifestasikan – daripada teks yang berbentuk dua-dimensi kepada pergerakan yang berbentuk tiga-dimensi – lalu, menzahirkan dirinya.

Sekiranya ada aspek yang berjaya dalam pementasan ”Sidang Burung” ini ialah aspek penzahiran menurut tafsiran pengarah. Pengarah mengambil jalan menggunakan teater fizikal, yakni, penzahiran dalam bentuk pergerakan bagi sesebuah karya yang abstrak.

Tafsiran beliau melalui pergerakan fizikal dalam menzahirkan emosi dan perjuangan dalaman dalam berbagai bentuk dan pergerakan menjadikannya suatu pementasan yang tinggi nilai visualnya. Teks dan penzahiran teks yang sejauh ini lemah telah dapat didokong oleh kekuatan visual. Antara babak yang paling mengesankan ialah apabila burung-burung mula bergerak menuju destinasi mereka. Pelakon dapat menghayati pergerakan lantas pergerakan mereka serentak dan kelihatan harmonis. Babak terakhir juga mengesankan apabila pengarah menggunakan salah satu metode zikir cinta untuk menyampaikan mesej teks sufi ini - Zikir Cinta, yakni, mengingati Dia, Kebenarannya dan Cintanya, membawa kepadaNya.


Tafsiran penonton

Penonton boleh mentafsirkan sebuah adaptasi dan menilainya mengikut ciri karya asal. Penonton boleh mentafsirkan pementasan mengikut ciri pementasan sendiri, yakni, dari aspek kekuatan dan kelemahannya sendiri. Para penonton pementasan tidak dapat tidak pasti berbeza pendapat – lebih-lebih lagi, antara mereka yang pernah membaca karya dan yang belum pernah membaca karya.

Jika diamati, pementasan ini sebenarnya ingin mengetengahkan nilai-nilai sejagat dan tidak bermaksud untuk mengetengahkan aspek-aspek Islami yang nyata kerana itu, tidak harus ada jangkaan untuknya berbentuk islami. Walaubagaimanapun, para pelakon dan penontonnya rata-ratanya beragama Islam. Di masa hadapan, diharapkan para penggiat teater yang ingin mementaskan sebarang teks sufi, mengambil kira konteks islami ini. Malahan, ianya suatu kerugian yang sangat besar apabila karya sufi berlandaskan prinsip Cinta agung ini yang dihasilkan oleh seorang pemikir Islam yang dikagumi orang Islam dan bukan orang Islam, tidak ditonjolkan aspek keislamannya! Pementasan sebegini mempunyai potensi untuk membuktikan bahawa Islam ialah sebuah agama yang mementingkan Cinta dan meraikan kesatuan – bukan perpecahan dan keganasan. Untuk mencapai objektif ini, aspek islami haruslah dizahirkan dengan jelas dalam pementasan.

Karya adaptasi boleh, atau tidak, ditafsir dan dinilai mengikut ukurtara karya asal. Berdasarkan pementasan yang berlangsung baru-baru ini, adalah lebih baik sekiranya penonton tidak membandingkan “Sidang Burung” dengan karya asal kerana ia hanyalah sebuah tafsiran penulis skrip. Sudah tentu bagi penulis skrip, skrip mencapai maksud adaptasi. Namun begitu, bagi para penonton yang pernah membaca karya asal dan mencari zat Cinta yang sama dalam karya adaptasi, ianya suatu penyimpangan yang terlalu jauh. Mudah-mudahan, pementasan ini membuka ruang kepada pengarang dan penggiat drama tempatan lain supaya mentafsirkan karya Attar atau karya sufi yang lain dengan lebih berhati-hati supaya tidak mencemar keindahan dan kesucian sesebuah karya asal.


- Pengamat seni dan sastera

[S.K CintaZeni]

Komentar dari:

anggur2008.wordpress.com/2008/10/29/sidang-b-beraaabuk/


S. Burung berperisa lokal

October 29, 2008 by anggur2008

Sidang Burung/ Conference of the Birds

Latar Belakang:

“…Demi mengocak minda, Mencari segala yang tidak mungkin tercari. Rahsia tersembunyi dalam kata yang pudar. Minda tawaduk semakin teruja mencari iktibar…”

Kata-kata dari ahli Sufi terbilang Farid ud-Din Attar terdapat dalam karya klasik beliau yang berbentuk puisi, Persidangan Unggas. Sejak terciptanya buku itu berabad lalu, ia telah diterjemahkan ke dalam pelbagai bahasa, dikaji oleh para ilmuwan dan sarjana Muslim dan bukan Muslim. Dalam tahun 70an, karya ini diadaptasikan untuk pementasan teater oleh Peter Brook dan Jean-Claude Carrière.

Susuri bersama kami perjalanan semangat manusia dalam mencari kebenaran, melalui panduan unsur-unsur teater tradisional Melayu dan rantau ini, serta teater kontemporari. Selamilah kisah-kisah sejajar - tentang unggas yang mengembara dipadankan dengan cerita seorang tua dan cucunya; seorang yang lurus dan jujur dalam mencari erti segalanya, sementara seorang lagi membutuhkan penyatuan dengan roh-roh masa lampau…kedua-duanya, megisahkan pencarian dan sebuah penemuan bahawa Raja yang dicari-cari tidak lain adalah diri mereka sendiri.

Ditulis oleh Isa Kamari, pemenang Southeast Asia Writer Award (2006) dan Penerima Pingat Budaya untuk Sastera (2007).

Diarah oleh Sani Hussin, seorang pelakon/pengarah pentas dan televisyen.

Komentar

Bagi pengetahuan pembaca umum, saya bukan seorang pengkritik drama. Komentar berikut adalah atas dasar pengalaman saya sebagai penonton teater. Saya juga belum pernah membaca buku yang mendasari pementasan ini, justeru pandangan saya mungkin berat sebelah kerana hanya tertumpu kepada adegan-adegan di atas pentas.

Jumaat lalu, saya menghadiri pementasan Sidang Burung yang dipentaskan oleh penggiat seni Ekamatara di Esplanade. Apabila saya memasuki panggung teater tersebut, saya amat tertarik dengan Saya adalah tertarik dengan latar pentas yang minimilistik, diiringi oleh bunyi-bunyi burung berkicauan, kerana saya rasa ini amat kontemporari dan sesuai dengan keseluruhan idea burung-burung - bahawa burung berkemampuan untuk terbang masuk ke alam kebebasan apabila ia berada di langit biru yang meluas. Alatan (props) yang minimum mampu untuk menonjolkan watak-watak tersendiri dengan lebih meyakinkan - dan dapat mengetengahkan (ketidak-)kepuasan dalam kehidupan seseorang itu. Walaupun saya kurang senang dengan isu-isu seperti plot yang messy dan kurang pembangunan watak-watak (character development), saya mahu memuji pelakon-pelakon muda kerana prestasi lakonan mereka yang bertenaga di atas pentas, terutama sekali budak lelaki (hanya seorang yang membawa jenaka dalam pementasan), dan juga Hoopie (kerana dia dapat bertutur dengan jelas dan meyakinkan).

Dalam keseluruhan pementasan, saya merasakan bahawa lakonannya terlalu didaktik apabila menyampaikan dialog-dialog yang tersirat dengan mesej bahwa manusia semestinya percaya kepada yang maha Esa, regardless whether seseorang manusia itu mempunyai apa yang d**ehendaki ataupun tidak. Saya berasa keliru, apabila Hoopie, dengan jelas sang pemimpin kumpulan, menjelaskan kepada orang lain ‘burung-burung’ niatnya dalam mencari kebaikan lebih besar ini (menerusi pencarian Simurkh) dalam satu nada yang seakan memaksa (authoritative). Pada satu pihak, ia seakan memberitahu rakan-rakannya untuk jangan senang berasa puas hati (dengan apa yang mereka ada), tetapi ironinya ialah mereka menginginkan kepuasan hati dari segi dalaman. Bagi plotnya pula, saya mendapati ia amat simplistik dan kurang membawa keadilan kepada karya unggul sepanjang abad ini sehinggakan ia mencecah the point of blandness dan membosankan. I would only guess that the scriptwriter’s intention was to make his adaptation of this Sufi’s book as easy to comprehend as possible to the wide audience, but I feel short-changed in terms of intellectual stimulation. It has a very 2-dimensional approach to the subject matter. This is evident in one concluding scene where ‘the birds finally reached Simurkh’s palace gate, only to be told that the Lord (symbolism for saviour) whom they have been searching for many years is actually within themselves.’ I was clearly disappointed in this scene as the characters were not given the opportunity to reflect on their sense of self-realization, which would have make a larger impact to the audience.

Akhir kata, saya merasakan bahawa permentasan ini harus dipuji kerana usaha untuk membawa bahan Sufi dan ajaran nilai Islam yang universal kepada lebih ramai khalayak penonton, tetapi it falls short of creating an impact or and impression on its audience.

[S.K CintaZeni]

From:

tranquiill.wordpress.com/2008/10/26/77/#more-77

5)Theatre “Sidang Burung” in Esplanade generates a certain degree of deep-thinking and philosophy.for me,it’s like a poetry in motion,artistic and metaphorical.certainly not an easy play to interpret.only after looking at the whole pict(the brochure helped a bit!) did i realise what it was all about.