Indonesians in Focus: Ken Zuraida

By Barrie | August 15th, 2007 | 1 Comment »

At 53, Ken Zuraida (Ida) still looks energetic and vibrant. When I met her for an interview one recent evening, the noted drama player wore a black suit and smoked a cigarette.

At intervals, young drama players came to her for advice before rehearsing. Ida has a lot of theatrical experience.
Known by her colleagues as Mbak Ida, she is the person responsible for day-to-day activities at Bengkel Teater, a theater group founded by her husband, renowned poet W.S. Rendra.

Not only does Ida coach younger drama artists at Bengkel, but she also runs a health clinic for neighbors who cannot afford to see a doctor or even visit a public hospital.

“The activities of Bengkel Teater are not only the performances on stage. In daily life, we are just ordinary people with neighbors, so we do whatever we can to help them,” said Ida who lives with Rendra on a three-hectare site in Kampung Rawa, Cipayung, Depok.

She and Bengkel Teater members, she said, started their social activities back in 1985. They focused on education, transport and health.

These have become an integral part of Bengkel Teater, which is one of few places to study performance art in the country.

Ida is a drama player and a playwright too. Her plays, many of them short works, have been performed before small audiences in kampongs, schools and cultural centers.

“Currently, I’m in charge of daily operations at Bengkel Teater,” she said.

Ida then explained that people who wish to master drama at Bengkel have to participate in rehearsals that run from 5:30 a.m. for an hour.

After a break for a shower and meal, the second session begins at 8 a.m. and ends at midday.

Ida supervises further workshops at Bengkel in the afternoon and at night.

“I monitor those activities — that is part of my daily routine,” said Ida who has two children from her marriage to Rendra.

If there are intensive classes, Ida has to stay at Bengkel Teater hall, a traditional house built on the same site as her home.

“I stayed at Bengkel Teater and could not go out for almost two months because I had to accompany and monitor some novices who were learning theater,” she said.

“Once in a while, I accompany Mas Willy to an official reception,” she said, referring to her husband’s nickname.

Ida is even busier if Rendra plans to stage a play or organize a discussion.

Usually, Ida invites close friends for the discussion, which starts on a Friday evening and ends on Monday morning.

The couple have organized such “crazy” events dozens of times. Political leaders have even joined in.

“During these discussions, attended by 30 at most, we can see people in different positions, from sitting on chairs, leaning on the walls to lying on the floor.

“All listen closely to what Rendra is saying,” Ida said.

Driven by common sense

Born in Salatiga, Central Java, in 1954, Ida grew up in Bandung, West Java, and Yogyakarta. She is very familiar with kampong life. That is why, when her neighbors were in need of assistance, she immediately lent a helping hand.

She started a clinic to respond to some of her neighbors in Kampung Rawa, many of whom were less fortunate, both economically and intellectually. Her curiosity strengthened upon realizing that many sick people subsequently died.

Ida was introduced to a doctor named Roosmini Day, a woman whom she called a champion in humanity. It was Roosmini who suggested she set up a clinic and offered assistance.

With her friend Zulkifli, Ida set up the clinic with their own money. Later, they were given medical supplies from the health ministry.
The clinic has modest facilities for medical checkups. As a result of these checkups, Ida found that many of her neighbors were suffering from tuberculosis.

At the same time, local people thought that the disease was brought by an evil witch.

“We did not plan this clinic. It was a common sense-driven activity,” she said.

While offering assistance to her neighbors via the clinic, Ida also created a set of plastic puppets as a means to explain tuberculosis in simple terms.

Afterward, Ida wrote a short “edutainment” play before performing it in different areas. “I created a plastic puppet to disseminate information and knowledge about the disease,” she said.

Dubbed Rumah Penanggulangan TBC (House for TB Treatment), the clinic has become an alternative venue for people to access medical treatment free of charge.

Not every patient comes with TB. Many come simply to get free medication. According to Ida, some patients came from as far afield as Tangerang, Bekasi and Bogor.

The clinic has medical equipment and a doctor who can perform a medical check to see if people are suffering from tuberculosis. If it is still not certain, patients are advised to go to a hospital for an X-ray.

“I think this is the only health clinic run by drama artists. Our capital is just common sense,” she said.

Ida emphasized that Bengkel Teater works on various activities — not just dramatic plays or health. That is why its members also organize a range of activities to help the economically disadvantaged.

For example, Bengkel Teater also helped to distribute cheap rice made available by the World Food Program for the needy. Only recently, it also distributed stoves and gas bottles as part of the kerosene-to-LPG conversion program.

Given the different activities performed by Bengkel Teater, people often ask: What kind of organization is it?

Ida has a clear answer, “It is a theater group but as a member of the community, we should also be part of it.”

With all her different activities, Ida is undoubtedly a busy woman. So is Rendra.

How do the couple make time for themselves?

“Usually, we communicate via the phone. I like the fact that our life is like this. There is always a slight tension so we always miss each other.”

“We often argue, but we love each other. We argue because our schedules do not match. But that doesn’t bother us,” she said, laughing.

Kurniawan Hari