Around a week ago, I had the pleasure of viewing a live Gamelan Cudamani performance. This performance entailed many cultural stories and tales of balinese culture. The first act opened with an ‘all-men’ arrangement, with percussionists, as well as a multitude of other instrumentalists. There were 7 men in total and performed synchronously; 6 in the middle, and 1, the lead I presume, sitting in an altar/throne-like chair on the side. Later on, the performance shifts to the tale of a lake goddess, who takes care of a garden. Then, her brother’s boar comes in and demolishes the garden, where in the performance, the boar is seen going around to each plant and killing them. The goddess ultimately kills the boar out of resentment and anger and passes her losses into the ocean, which angers the ocean goddess. Thus, the humans are seen to ask the goddess for forgiveness by bowing on stage towards her. The next tale includes monkeys attempting to build a bridge across an ocean. The monkeys appear to be mischievous and clever, based on their sharp and quick movements on stage. Due to their trouble in their bridge creation, a goddess of water gives them a blessing to help positively influence their bridge building, and ultimately, the monkeys are able to cross the ocean. Finally, the last tale is that of the rice fields, where rather than a tale, it appears to be a collection of memories of balinese culture. Communal uprising is emphasized through this performance, as the actors are seen to be dancing and laughing with each other; this performance was the most interactive out of the three. I believe that this performance is a representation of balinese culture, as well as it is a portrayal of the consumption and production of identity, which in this case, is their culture. The production of identity exists in the performance as the tales told by the movements of the dancers are a direct representation of balinese culture and identity. There is a lot of emphasis on water within the performance, as water is continuously flowing and exists where it shouldn’t. Because of its flexibility, water is what connects everything and everyone, which signifies the balinese notion of camaraderie and bonds. Each act were similar in the way that it involved people, or individuals working together to either solve a problem, or live a better life. Such being, it is easy to say that the idea of a holistic community is prevalent in balinese society. This idea is portrayed through the civilians apologizing to the ocean goddess, the monkeys working together to build a bridge, as well as the farmers working together for a more ‘enjoyable’ life. Thus, the portrayal of identity consumption derives from the audience, such as I, who was able to interpret the performance under my own speculation and perspective. I perceive balinese identity based on my own interpretations of their production of their identity, which is a clear portrayal of identity consumption. However, by the end of the performance, the audience was encouraged to cheer the performers on; by creating this interactivity within the audience, a cycle of identity production and consumption is created. An audience member’s choice of yelling at the performers is their own production of identity, because it is based on their perspective to decide to cheer, or not to cheer. Thus, the performers are consuming the identity produced by the audience. Concluding that the Gamelan Cudamani performance not only produced balinese identity, however it consumed the many identities of the audience.

     Scapino, the Trickster was performed from September 29th to October 1st with audiences of less than 150 people a night. The University of Richmond’s Department of Theatre and Dance adapted this 17th century Moliere piece with the help of Matt DiCinto. Director Walter Shcoen envisioned the show as a combination of comedic, classical theatre and modern fourth wall breaking held under the University’s starry sky at the Jenkin’s Amphitheater. The show was the first performance that the department had put on live since Covid-19 struck campus, which audiences applauded it for being such a strong comeback.

     The play follows the story of a mischievous servant named Scapino who utilizes his trickery to bring two sets of lovers together and weasel around their fathers for a small fee. Scapino acts as a medium between the lovers and fathers, mixing up and passing along information and creating more chaos and comedy because of it. Professor Schoen opens the show with a small speech, ending it with a remark to Cameron to “set the mask.” Cameron rushes onstage and decides to wear the mask instead of placing it in its proper place, transforming him into one of the two zanni. His transformation is greeted with lighting effects, music, and the set coming together as a way to welcome the audience into the world of the performance.

     The audience quickly discovers that the play focuses heavily on identity, with distinct archetypes for two fathers and each of their servants, sons and daughters. Scapino, Leander, and Hyacinth all belong under the house of Signore Geronte, while Silvestro, Octavius, and Zerbinetta all belong under the house of Signore Argante. All of these different characters mostly wear different masks and costumes that reflect their identity. The fathers have masks with crooked noses, sharp features, and wrinkles, showcasing their age as well as their stingy ways. In contrast, the servants’ masks have more round noses with dimples and bruises to communicate their silly nature. Scapino was portrayed as wearing a pointy hat, dressed in all red, and a vest with a giant stomach. Underneath Scapino’s vest is a cushion, giving the illusion that the actor has an unrealistically large beer gut. This costume choice plays into the idea of servants having round features, while also being absurdly funny to look at. By the end of the play, all the secrets Scapino has kept are revealed and he even opens his vest for the audience and cast to see the cushion so they know that literally everything about him is a lie.

      When watching Scapino move around the stage, audience tend to remark on his physicality as well as the fathers. Scapino hunches over with his arms out ape-like, his hunch represents the weight a servant must carry from labor and his arms and feet are ready to receive information or items. His bent appearance also makes Scapino’s jumps or when he stands up straight to be quite an amusing contrast to the hunch. The fathers, however, use canes and hunch over from old age or use the canes to stand up in a pompous manner. Signore Argante is more conniving and sniveling as he leans over and sticks his nose out in front of him. Signore Geronte is very upright, puffing up chest and sticking out his belly, resembling a very dumb and fat peacock as he struts with his large feather hat.

     Another way that identity is explored in Scapino, the Trickster is the difference in hair color. The house of Signore Argante had family members wearing red wigs, while the house Signore Geronte had brunette wigs. These differences in hair color, as well as style, helped clue audiences into the age, gender, and family a character was. The fathers, for example, had long wigs, while the sons had shorter hair. The two daughters had matching hair styles, but different color wigs. The servants had no hair visible under their large pointy hats.With many intricate details present in the production, there is plenty of things to notice about how identity is communicated to the audience, leaving attendees wanting to return to discover them all and get a good laugh.

The Gamelan Çudamani performance talks about humans and nature coexist in harmony and love for classical Balinese tradition. At first, they perform a track by using traditional gong, gamelan, and flute. Then is the performance that includes one man and four women to talk about how humans ask for forgiveness and blessing after they put dead people into the river, which also includes some animals like monkeys, tigers, and deer fighting with a person who destroys ecosystems. The third part describes the water philosophy of life, which is choreographed by a woman. It shows how farmers close relationship to water combined with the slides as background. In the end, it uses the audience as agents jump for joy together, making the voice of the audience part of the music. The voice of the traditional instruments is a miracle, which can make a clean, crisp sound like a river or a deep, intense sound like wild animals. When they perform, they wave gamelan like writing calligraphy, which is smooth.

Their costume, makeup, and movements are the symbols of their culture. Most of their costume include golden elements and half-a-pack skirts. All their movements are flexible including their fingers and ankles. Their head tilted sharply to one side and their eyes widened and narrowed in time with the music with amazing precision, though each movement lasted a second or two. Their dance has an original structure, which is like a classic symbol of their identity. Every movement is an extension based on the original structure, and every time the music slows down, it will return to the original structure.

My favorite part is when they gather together in front of the stage and use their hand to hit their body to make music. The slide behind them shows the place they live. It reproduces the scene of their lives vividly and shows their love of life and the place they live. Combining with the slide, which shows the place they live, and their joyful facial expression, the performers bring us to their life, their culture. The last part of the performance also takes me to their culture and feel about their identity. The woman dancer had much interaction with other instrumentalists and the audience, introducing them to the audience. At the same time, when the audience’s cheers become louder, they will also reply to us with more passion by playing the drums, striking gongs, and playing the flutes. The way they use the audience as an agent not only spreads happiness but also pushes the atmosphere to its highest point.

Through the performance, I experience the mixing of technology and living performance, cultural identity, and feminism. It is like the bridge that links keywords we learn from classes. The living performance gives us a more direct way to have a strong feeling on culture, stories, and history. Through these lenses, I can have a better understanding of the performance. From my point of view, the performance is also like a “media” that can show me the culture and identity of diverse communities.

Prior to watching the performance of Gamelan Çudamani, I hadn’t had any exposure to Balinese culture. The performance consisted of 8 pieces from the gamelan ensemble accompanied by Barong dance. Each of the pieces were representative of different elements of Balinese culture and tradition. The first piece performed was called Rangrang, a Balinese word meaning intertwined or knit together. The piece began with several different rhythmic patterns that came together as one, symbolizing the ways in which we are intertwined with one another and the universe around us. After the first several pieces, I realized that the ensemble’s method of  using different rhythmic patterns that come together to create an orchestral composition is a defining feature of Gamelan music. I was amazed by the speed and preciseness of the musicians, who made their intricate percussive instrumentals seem effortless. One of the pieces that really stood out to me was Legong Swatika, which told the story of the wild boar that destroyed the garden of the Lake Goddess Dewi Dani. The Goddess kills the boar and the farmers throw its body into the ocean, though this angers the God of the Ocean, Baruna. Baruna is angered by the farmer’s lack of respect for the earth, and curses them. The farmers beg for forgiveness and vow to Baruna that they will take better care of the earth, thus returning the world to balance. This balance is representative of “Swatika” which means peace. I found this to be really interesting, as Swatika is translated to Swastika, the symbol used by the Nazi’s to promote hate. Adolf Hitler took the sacred symbol and used it as the centerpiece for the Nazi flag representing Aryan identity. Hitler’s use of the Swastika presents a stark contrast to its origin as a symbol of peace that’s held sacred in several Eurasian countries. The woman that narrated/translated the performance touched on this, explaining how despite the negative connotation of the word’s translation, its meaning in Balinese culture is peace and prosperity. She then exclaimed to the audience “We’re taking our word back!” which I found to be both meaningful and powerful. Another element of Balinese culture was reflected through the outfits that the performers wore. The colorful robes and attire seemed to perfectly match the energy of the music and the Barong dance. In their Wayang Wong Dance Sethu Banda, the performers wore masks, as Wayang Wong is a genre of masked dance theater in Bali. The incredibly detailed masks looked like animalistic creatures, meant to represent the creatures of the forest. In this piece, the dancers interacted quite a bit with the Batel music ensemble, creating what seemed to be a very natural sense of community among the group. Overall, I noticed that a prominent theme throughout the performance was nature. The majority of the pieces centered around elements of nature (including human nature, such as the composition about a young man in love) and an appreciation for the earth, with great emphasis on water. I learned that this is because water is seen as sacred and pure in Balinese culture, as Tirta (sacred water), is the way that gods sustain every part of nature. This performance was relevant to our Media, Culture, and Identity class because it gave us insight into the traditions of another culture. As we often discuss in class, Americans have a tendency of generalizing western culture as “the norm” throughout the world. This is exemplified by the way that Americans often treat other cultural practices as less than or “weird”, when in reality, culture is fluid and has no bounds. In order to challenge our way of thinking, it’s necessary to actively seek out exposure to cultures different from our own. Watching Gamelan Çudamani gave me an appreciation for the unique style of traditional Gamelan music and Balinese culture. Overall, the experience of watching the performance exposed me to a different culture in a really enjoyable way.

      The Cudamani performance was a visual and musical performance by a Balinese music and dance ensemble. The performance used elaborate costumes, gamelan, and dance to express a variety of stories from Balinese culture. One concept that I felt I better understood through this performance was that of identity. As it is one of the main themes of our course this is something we have already discussed extensively in class, however, I believe this performance allowed me to better understand this concept from a new angle. A lot of the examples of identity we have looked at in class and in our blog posts come from our own backgrounds. It is easy to see how a keyword can relate to your own life and be understood through the lens of personal experience. However, I think it can sometimes be more difficult to understand the keywords we have engaged with in how they may connect with people who are very different from us. 

        In our previous discussions we have talked about the relationship between identity and culture. The Cudamani performance was an expression of both the culture of Bali but also an expression of identity for the performers. For members of the audience who come from mostly American backgrounds and have not previously engaged with Balinese culture before this performance was a first look at this particular culture and a quite literal performance of identity. 

      Another aspect of identity we have discussed is how it may be mediated by a variety of things. In this case our understanding and the enjoyment of the performance was very much mediated by our own cultural perspectives. People who did not come from a Balinese background likely missed out on a certain cultural understanding of the meaning of different aspects of the music, dancing and costumes that likely comes as second nature to those from that background. Our understanding of this performance was also mediated by one of the performers who spoke about the meaning of the pieces and the stories they were telling. Without any cultural background for this performance the audience relied on this mediation to shape their understanding of the performance. 

       The text speaks to the influence of globalization on the creation of identity of which this performance is an interesting example. Without a globally connected world it would be unlikely that anyone from America would be able to experience this expression of culture at all. This globalization of the world allows for greater interplay between different cultures in the construction of individual identity. By this I mean that more different cultures and identifying groups are able to play off each other in the formation of an individual’s identity. In the case of the Cudamani performance the actual performance was impacted by the audience for which they were performing and the audience was also impacted by their viewing of the performance. One specific example of this was the fact that some parts of the show were explained in English which is not an official language of Bali and was used for the benefit of an English speaking audience. 

Attending Gamelan Cudamani’s performance was an amazing experience that I would not have attended if it weren’t for our class. When I first saw the assignment that required us to attend Gamelan Cudamani, I did a brief google search to see what the performance would entail. I quickly realized that Gamelan was a traditional Balinese style of song and dance. Although intrigued, I was confused about what it had to do with our classroom discussions that, up to that point, had mainly focused on gender, feminism, and identity among other topics. I had a hypothesis that the performance would have to do with expression of identity in some way, but otherwise had very few expectations when I walked into the Modlin Center that night.

As soon as the performance began, I was hooked. I was fascinated by the multitude of layers that were all overlapping at once. The songs could almost be dissected into individual pieces – each instrument playing at a different pace and tone. Yet, the sound that they produced as a whole was cohesive and exciting to listen to. The musicians and dancers were constantly in rhythm, almost as if responding to one another. The level of preparation and practice that must go into each song is mind boggling. I particularly enjoyed the three songs that were played after intermission. The narrator referred to these songs essentially as the three traditional interpretations of water. The first piece was about water in its natural state. It was unpredictable and violent with bells being played at astonishing speeds to replicate the water’s rapid movement and flow. The second piece was about water in the fields and how it provides rice for farmers. During this song, dancers dressed as farmers moved to a much calmer rhythm. The dance portrayed a farmer’s work day, and how humor can be used as relief when exposed to harsh work conditions. The third song dealt with the divine aspect of water. The accompanying dance showed performers honoring the god of rice while one dancer dressed as her presided above them.

While I didn’t know it going in, this performance had much to do with several keywords and talking points that we have explored in class. Identity is probably the most obvious one. This music was an expression of heritage and traditional art that is part of the collective Balinese identity. Everything from the instruments, composition, and clothing of the performers reflected this identity in some way. The narrator explained that their music school and practices are held in a small Balinese village in order to stay true to tradition and make sure that the music they present is always culturally authentic. Gender and feminism were two keywords that were also touched on by the performance.

It was explained to the audience that women were performing in traditionally male roles at several points during the show. Additionally, a woman composed one of the songs that was performed, challenging another male dominated position in Gamelan music. There was a male dancer in a couple songs that I noted wearing a dress. While I do not know traditional Balinese clothing norms, it was something that I could use a queer lens to think about differently.

Gamelan Cudamani is a perfect case study for media, culture, and identity. It exemplified the intersection of all three of these topics and took a progressive approach in performing traditional song and dance. I was glad I attended, and hope to see Gamelan again in the future.

Image: https://cap.ucla.edu/archive/events/demonstration_performance_%3Cbr%3Egamelan_cudamani%3Cbr%3E