Jakarta, IO – ‘Si Manis Jembatan Ancol‘ is a popular urban legend in Jakarta. It tells the story of a scary female ghost that wanders around. But now it serves as the theme of women’s solidarity by the Titimangsa theater arts production house.
So far, stories of women who turn into ghosts in Indonesia have been about oppression, abuse, and injustice. So when they die they become vengeful ghosts and being framed as villain. But the play ‘Ariyah dari Jembatan Ancol’ seeks to present a different perspective.
When Independent Observer visited Taman Ismail Marzuki (TIM), Wednesday (26/7) to watch the two-hour play, the theme of the story seemed to predominantly depict the idea of solidarity among women. Directors Joned Suryatmoko and Heliana Sinaga portray Ariyah (Chelsea Islan) a Betawi girl who lived in 1817 and Yulia (Mikha Tambayong) an urban woman who lives in 2023.