Dangedria theatre

A male participant. The traditional southwest Acehnese theatre form, dangedria, is usually performed by a single storyteller who narrates, in verse or prose or song, a local legend (for example, an origin myth involving romance, humour and fighting) all night for several nights at weddings and other celebrations. He accompanies himself on a range of instruments (for example, flute, jews harp, frame drum) and illustrates his stories with realistic properties. He may put on a particular head covering if playing the part of a king and change to a different head covering when he plays the part of a princess, and other for the role of pirate, etc. He may freely choose other properties such as bells. The late dangedria storyteller P. M. Toh, who was born in southwest Aceh, renamed his form of dangedria after the name of a bus stop, P. M. Toh, and gave himself the same name. His performances ranged from the serious to the very comic. In this image, P.M. Toh is surrounded by the instruments and dramatic properties he needs to use in his presentation of dangedria; he is playing the flute during the part of the performance captured by the camera.

Copyright 1982. Notes prepared by Bronia Kornhauser with Margaret Kartomi, School of Music-Conservatorium, Monash University. Photography by Hidris Kartomi.