BWW Previews: TEATER PANDORA Dissects the Family Unit in RUMAH RAHASIA PEREMPUAN, November 1st-3rd

TEATER PANDORA will bring RUMAH RAHASIA PEREMPUAN (The Women's Secret House), an adaptation of Tracy Letts' 2008 Pullitzer-winning play AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTRY, to the stage of Graha Bhakti Budaya, Jakarta, on November 1st-3rd. It will be the community theater's 8th production, following last July's JELAGA (Cinder), an adaptation of Arthur Miller's Tony-winning THE CRUCIBLE.

TEATER PANDORA has been building their reputation on two foundations: one, an intimately familiar Indonesian setting used to both deconstruct and reaffirm the values of the nation and its people; two, a realist approach to the performance art, baring the raw yet engrossing imperfections of the human psyche.

Both will once again take center stage in RUMAH RAHASIA PEREMPUAN which tells the story of a female-dominated household. The house is headed by the matriarch Martha, who single-handedly leads the family as she struggles with her own mental problems and drug addiction. Her three adult children Diana, Lisa, and Mia, each tries to balance the triad of a modern woman's life: career, romance, and family. Meanwhile, the 16-year-old Arlen is striving to find her place in the rapidly changing world.

This production will disseminate the paradox of the family unit: how the people bound by blood since birth and those who are supposed to support and love each other conditionally might instead become a source of alienation and even depression. It is an issue of critical value in Indonesia, which still both highly regards the traditional idea of family life yet avoids the discussion of mental illness.

To further support the realist take, RUMAH RAHASIA PEREMPUAN will deploy a set depicting the titular house, complete with real furniture and electricity. The show will be directed by Yoga Mohamad and will star Anggita Putri and Maharani Megananda as Martha (respectively playing the young and old version of the character), Nabila Putri Utami as Diana, Margareta Marisa as Lisa, Cindy Nirmala as Mia, and Dea Puspitasari as Arlen.

Ticket purchase is available through loket.com. Follow Teater Pandora's Instagram for further information.

Photo: Teater Pandora.