Ancient Stories: Shadows Puppets & Gongs

Bima Bungkus

Daytime performance. Thu 1 Aug, 10:30am - 11:30am and 1:00pm - 2:00pm.

Bima, the middle Pandhawa brother, is born enclosed in a ball of skin, tougher than leather and strong as iron. No one has been able to break it open. The Wind God, Bathara Bayu, asks the elephant, Gajahsena, to assist with breaking the ball open. The elephant Gajahsena stabs the ball with his tusks, breaking it open and the Bima appears. Bima is angry that his peace and quiet has been disturbed and a battle breaks out. Bima kills Gajahsena, and the elephant’s soul enters into the Bima.

Sumantri Ngenger.

Evening performance. Thu 1 Aug, 8:00pm - 9:30pm.

Prabu (King) Arjunasasrabau of Maespati is only prepared to marry the reincarnation of Dewi Sri, currently Dewi Citrawati of Magada. A rejected suitor of Citrawati, Prabu Darmawasesa of Widarba, wants to conquer Magada in battle. Arjunasasrabau’s envoy, Sumantri, is sent to help Magada and, following the battle, Dewi Citrawati agrees to marry Arjunasasrabau. However, Sumantri is then asked to transport the Sriwedari Gardens to Maespati, a task he can only perform with the help of his younger brother, the small demon, Sukrasana. The aftermath will be tragic for the two brothers.

Helen Pausacker was a student of Indonesian language at University of Melbourne in the early 1970s. She studied wayang in Solo, Central Java for four separate years, between 1976 and 1998. She has performed as a dhalang (puppeteer) in both Indonesia and Australia. Helen has also played with gamelan groups in Solo and Melbourne since 1977 and has been a member of Melbourne Community Gamelan since about 1991.