Review: Svatuhari's SESAK Seeks to Clear the Air on Pollution

Review by Alwi, Hana, and Rizu; edited by Rakaputra Paputungan. Photos by Hana.

Teater Svatuhari’s latest work, SESAK ran for three shows on December 2nd and 3rd at Gedung Kesenian Miss Tjitjih. This original show is written by Rizky Bayuputra and Sashi Kirana, produced by Gitta Indreswari, and directed by Rinaldy Zulkarnain. SESAK (meaning “Hardness to Breathe” in Indonesian) tells a story about pollution and activism.

Angga is an unemployed young man who falls into a routine of complaining on social media about the plethora of problems he sees in the world. At his mother’s insistence, he joins a volunteering program at one of Jakarta’s slum areas. There, he meets his childhood friend Cindy, who’s also a volunteer and outspoken activist.

Through the program, Angga sees the harsh reality of the town. Danger comes not only from violent gang members, but also the highly polluted and hazardous air. Angga, Cindy, and the other volunteers have to work together to provide logistics needed by the citizens to survive in lieu of government action.

By the end, the dangerous conditions result in the loss of lives. Both Angga and Cindy barely make it out alive, bringing with them a renewed spirit to fight for the condition of the air they breathe.

Just like with Idealita, Svatuhari once again made theater based on the reality that people, especially Jakartans, face daily. This time, it’s about pollution, a topic that’s familiar to many Indonesians, especially with the reports and discourses about air quality that sprang up earlier in the year.

It cannot be denied that Svatuhari’s heart is in the right place and that they have acute societal awareness about current, contemporary issues. Who better to tell the reality of Jakartan life other than the people living in it?

However, theater as a form of activism is always challenging. SESAK managed to put a spotlight on the problem, but it doesn’t go far enough to really dissect the causes behind it. Sometimes, the spectacle overpowers the message, especially since the relatively straightforward message is delivered very bluntly. It might leave the audience wanting more, to see how far these brave theatermakers can propose a stance that’s more nuanced and insightful. Still, it doesn’t take away from their noble intentions.

On the technical side, SESAK uses a variety of stagecraft to bring the story to life. Most notably, when in the story poisonous smog closes into our protagonists, fog also rolls onto the stage, creating a more immersive experience.

Credit should also be given to the lighting, which isn’t afraid to utilize a variety of vibrant colors to build the mood of the scene. However, some scenes are lit confusingly, with not enough focus given to the main action.

The same also goes for the choreography. As SESAK involves a relatively big number of actors, there are times when the action becomes hard to follow with everything happening on stage. This includes instances of songs where the back dancers distract the viewer from the central character singing the song.

The cast of SESAK does an admirable job performing the material. There are some comedic moments that the cast brilliantly pulled off due to their masterful comedic timing. However, the more dramatic moments can use more work to make them feel more genuine and heartfelt.

It should be noted that technical challenges might contribute to this characterization problem. The live music sometimes overpower the cast’s voicework. They even have to shout during dialogue, as their mics are turned off when they’re not singing. Furthermore, although not a fault of the production, the venue is not soundproof; outside noises can easily make their way to the theater, distracting from the experience.

Overall, SESAK is a theatrical piece bringing another important message from Svatuhari. Though there are creative and technical challenges that might not allow its full potential to shine, the act of putting this story to the stage in itself is a remarkable accomplishment.
 

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