Arts and Culture, Entertainment

Closing Ceremony of FTJ 2007

We arrived at Teater Studio Taman Ismail Marzuki at around 8 p.m., in the wet New Year's Eve to see the closing ceremony of Festival Teater Jakarta 2007, and to witness the announcement of the winners of the annual festival held by Dewan Kesenian Jakarta. We were 30 minutes late, and hence we missed some of the good parts of the ceremony. Traffic along the way was still quite okay actually despite the heavy rain.

I thought that it would be difficult to find a parking space, but when we arrived at TIM there were plenty for cars. Parking lot for motorcycles were very packed though. If life is measured by material possession, such as cars, one of the possibilities was that it's still hard to make a good living from theater, and that there were only few of car owners who were willing to spend their new year's eve at a place like TIM.

Back to the report, even though we didn't have the invitation to attend the ceremony, but on knowing that we would take photos, a nice guy allowed me to get in and with the help of another guy I got a good place to shoot pictures at the lower balcony at the front right. Thanks guys. I immediately installed my tripod, attached my camera using a wide angle lens, and ready for action.


All members of the organizing committee of the Festival Teater Jakarta 2007 were photographed.


The head of the organizing committee handed over certificate of appreciations to representatives of all theater groups that participated in the Festival Teater Jakarta 2007. There were 18 participants, all from Jakarta area.

For the next year festival, if there's no changes, the participants will be opened for groups originated from outside Jakarta as well as those from outside the country, with the hope that the quality of the plays will be improved, and more talented people can be netted.


All the seats were occupied, and those who could not get seats were either sitting on the floor, standing at the back side, or watching through a big monitor screen outside the room.


Dayo Pangestu Adji, director of Teater Indonesia, received appreciation award from Radhar Panca Dahana, one of the panel members, for its original script in Anekdot Idiot, created by Dadang Badoet. I guess Radhar is younger brother of Radhar Tri Baskoro, a classmate of mine at ITB whom I haven't seen for more than 20 years now.
Another original script writer who got the award in Bila Malam Tiada Malam Jilid 2 was Afri Rosyadi from Teater E'ma.

The panel members of the festival were Putu Wijaya (Chairman), Danarto, Jajang C. Noer, Radhar Panca Dahana and Seno Joko Suyono.


The winners for the Best Supporting Actor was Edy Oglek from Teater Mode in Cermin II.
Whilst the Best Supporting Actress winner was awarded to Lisna from Teater Mode, also in Cermin II.


The Best Artistic Arranger was awarded to Irman Nisha from Study Teater 24 in Malam
Jahanam. Whilst the Best Music Arranger was awarded to Gery Pap Pap from Teater Amoeba in Macbeth.


The most prestigious Best Actor of the Festival Teater Jakarta 2007 was awarded to Budi Ketjil from Teater Indonesia who played brilliantly as veteran Adolf at Anekdot Idiot. He definitely deserved to get the award. He's perfect on the stage, and he's also a very nice guy.


The best director of Festival Teater Jakarta 2007 was Erent Mode from Teater Mode who directed Cermin II.


Senior actors Didi Petet and Zainal Abidin Domba were announcing the winners of the theater groups.


The chairman of the Jakarta Arts Council, Marco Kusumawijaya, congratulated the winners, gave a closing speech, and invited all people to enjoy free food, drinks and snacks. Drinks and food were abundant. There were also delicious traditional food served outside the main building. High praise for the organizing committee! Good and nice job.


It was the first time for us to see the performance of Gambang Rancag, a traditional verbal arts performance with singing and rhythmic music as background.


A shot at Warung FTJ 07. This was the place where people met and discussed while having hot drinks and light food during Festival Teater Jakarta 2007.


Agus Nuramal, famously known as PM Toh, played humorously the verbal arts performance using traditional Aceh verbal arts, known as didong.



Local Ambience, a group of musicians who produced their compositions based on poetry works of Sutardji Calzoum Bachri, Chairil Anwar and Pablo Neruda. They are Mogan Pasaribu as vocal/rhythm, Denie S. Putra Siregar at bass, Reeko Dasawan as lead guitarist, Nurcholis in percussion, Dannyel Jerry Pattinama as backing vocal, Dody S. Purba at drum and Wahyudi Saputra at keyboard.
We left TIM after they played a few songs, which were good ones. It was around 11 p.m.


We decided to take enter toll road from Rawamangun towards Semanggi, with the hope could be at Ancol at around midnight to see the fireworks. It was rainy, and I couldn't drive fast enough to get to Ancol toll road at the right time. We made a stop at around Angke, since it's almost New Year and we saw fireworks every where shooting up the sky of the wet Jakarta.


Fireworks seen from toll road at around Angke area. Light rain drops prevented me from taking good shots of other fireworks.


Toll road was almost blocked for more than 40 minutes, as people just stopped their cars in all of the 4 lanes to watch the fireworks at Ancol Dreamland as well as in all other directions in the dark of Jakarta's sky.


A shot of wet ducks sitting at the top of a car. This was the last shot I took at that very morning of January 1, 2008, before taking back the driver seat from Dewi.

So, again, Happy New Year my friends. Wishing you all the best, and the best of luck for this year and beyond. Life's full of paradoxes, and yet they are both important for our growth, inside and outside.

, seorang pejalan musiman dan penyuka sejarah. Penduduk Jakarta yang sedang tinggal di Cikarang Utara. Diperbarui: January 05, 2008.

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