JYNX CAT

Dampens domestic tensions, but also becomes destroyer of peace.

Cats are much honorable than corruptors. Cats know stuff that is allowed to take. They don’t take what doesn’t belong to them, while the corruptors think that everything is their rights. They take everything,” said Butet Kartaredjasa, the monologue actor.

But a second after the sky high praises, the cat stole the baked spicy meal that was meant to be the fast breaking menu for the role of the Husband, played by Butet. The food put on the shelf was scattered all over the place. Butet was outraged and chased the cat with a broom, finally limping one of the cat’s legs. Ever since then the cat becomes Butet’s family enemy. He even teaches his son to throw on any cat he sees in front of their house.

This time Butet’s monologue has no political and social critic theme as he had always been performing. Cats, Butet claimed, is a neutral theme. “I wish to bring back the monologue as an acting art game. Monologue to be brought back as an acting process with high values for the acting art,” he said.

Cats is one of the short stories done by Putu Wijaya published by Tempo Newspaper last year. Agus Noor adapted it to a stage script. The stage was set with a rural family home setting. There is the dining table, shelves, drying stack, and bedroom. The door and windows of the house became essential elements to separate the outdoor and indoor scenes. Through both, the audience are asked to picture a vivid partition of the two spaces/ Butet plays the Husband, Wife, Mickel, and the Head of Neighborhood simultaneously.

The story of the cat tells of the distant marriage relationship caused by intimate problems, involving a cat belonging to a neighbor. The stealing of the baked spicy meal conducted by the cat, turned to be the peacemaker for the quarreling husband and wife. Both found “mutual enemy” that threatens the security of food in the family.

Ever since then the family has no problems. Issues precisely came from the Head of Neighborhood that delivered a receipt for treatment costs for the limped cat. His neighbor who owns the cat, Mickel, protest to the Husband’s conduct of beating up his cat. After a lengthy argument, the Husband is forced to pay the treatment costs through the Head of Neighborhood. In reality, paying it only cost Rp 100 thousand, but the Head of Neighborhood forged the receipt into Rp 200 thousand.

The drama ended by the role of the Husband who still had to pay “fines” over three other cats owned by other neighbors. He felt blackmailed, but helpless. Here is the portrait of common people in various corners of the country.