Global InformationSemar Gugat information
| Semar Gugat | |
|---|---|
 Cover, Bentang Budaya edition | |
| Written by | Nano Riantiarno |
| Characters |
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| Date premiered | November 25, 1995 |
| Place premiered | Graha Bakti Budaya, Taman Ismail Marzuki, Jakarta |
| Original language | Indonesian |
Semar Gugat (Indonesian for Semar Accuses) is a stage play written by Nano Riantiarno for his troupe Teater Koma. It follows the traditional wayang character Semar as he attempts— and fails— to take revenge against Arjuna and Srikandi for humiliating him by cutting off a lock of his hair while they are under the influence of the demon queen Durga. Completed in mid-1995, the play consists of 559 lines of dialogue spread through 30 scenes. Semar Gugat has been read as a critique of the New Order government under president Suharto. It was first performed on 25 November 1995 after the government withheld permission for several months. After Teater Koma gave an initial two-week run, it was adapted by various amateur groups. In 1998 Riantiarno won a S.E.A. Write Award for the work.