Watching the news these days, it’s hard not to feel that the world has become increasingly erratic. Wars drag on with no clear end in sight; world leaders bend the rules to suit their own interests; economic uncertainty ripples across borders. Meanwhile, global events unfold so quickly that simply keeping up can feel exhausting.Against this backdrop, Indonesia's prominent theater troupe, Teater Koma, has revived one of its iconic dramas, Rumah Sakit Jiwa (Mental hospital).
Over its four-day run from July 30 to Aug. 2 at the Graha Bhakti Budaya at Taman Ismail Marzuki in Central Jakarta, with support from the Bakti Budaya Djarum Foundation, the dark comedy once again proved why its sharp social satire continues to resonate, more than three decades after its debut in 1991.
Bearing the fitting tagline, "Saya merasa dunia sedang berubah menjadi sebuah rumah sakit jiwa" (I feel the world is turning into a mental hospital), the production revisits questions of power, compassion and humanity that feel strikingly relevant today.
"Since it was first staged in 1991, Rumah Sakit Jiwa has never been simply about a mental hospital. It's about people and the problems they face," director Rangga Riantiarno told a press conference in South Jakarta on July 10.
