ABSTRACT
W.S. Rendra is doubtless one of the most influential personalities of Indonesian theatre and literature of the second half of the twentieth century. Little is known about him in the West. Rendra began his theatre activities in the late 1950s. Between 1964 and 1967 he was in New York City – an experience which no doubt influenced his life and theatre work. During this period, he studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts (AADA). While observing and absorbing the current American approaches to and understandings of drama and acting, Rendra might have become familiar with techniques directly or indirectly related to Stanislavsky. These experiences no doubt contributed to his theatre and way of working with actors.
When he returned to Indonesia in 1967 – a turbulent and difficult political period – he founded the Bengkel Teater which became one of the most significant theatre groups in the dictatorial era, providing a crucial contribution to the history of Indonesian Theatre.
While at times considering the political context in Indonesia, this investigation targets the work that Rendra did with actors, trying to identify some specific principles and practices. In this respect, he developed his own “way” and thereby contributed to the global history of the actor’s work in the twentieth century. Therefore, similarities between Rendra’s work and Stanislavsky’s “System” are also explored as part of a larger attempt to trace lines of connection and continuity between Rendra and some other significant personalities of the theatre of the twentieth century.
