| A key character in traditional Balinese dance-drama/theater is the penasar. The penasar can be found in all genres of shadow puppet plays, wayang kulit, as well as in all dance-drama. The role of the penasar is the backbone in the structure of the play. The presence of the penasar is extremely significant, for without it the performance could not be completed.; The foremost intention of this study is to examine the role of penasar as an echo of Balinese religious teachings and social discourse. The dramatic contents of the play are implementations of the Veda 's essential meanings, while the theatrical performances serve as a medium for teaching how to apply them to life, smerti. The analytical approach of this study is framed by Hindu religious concepts: (1) the penasar is examined in the context of philosophical meaning, tatwa; (2) the role of penasar demonstrates how characters should act in a social context, susila ; (3) the aesthetic aspects of the characters' presentation upacara, including the performance elements and the manner of actions, tatacara, are also main concerns of this study. These concepts will provide the main structure of this dissertation.; One of the central arguments of this dissertation is to demonstrate that the penasar's significance is rooted in the Balinese concept of rua-bineda, a philosophical concept that signifies the joining together of contradictory principles. The penasar's function is to serve as a mediator between the invisible world of the gods/spirits and the visible world of the audience, as well as between man, his fellow man, and his environment. While serving as the mediator between the invisible and visible worlds, the penasar performs dialogues, songs, and jokes to unite good and evil, past and present, sacred and profane, and other dialectical concepts. The penasar's presence as foundation of the performance is rooted in the invisible world of sacred and historical knowledge that must be communicated to the audience, who inhabits the visible world of contemporary conflicts. Throughout the dissertation I will argue that the penasar is a living manifestation of rua-bineda. At the same time, he engages his audience in the struggle of finding balance between the principled understanding of their lives and their contemporary conflicts.; Penasar exist in various theatrical forms, each of which has its own aesthetic form. The penasar requires an actor to be multi-artistic and demonstrate skills in dancing, acting, spoken language, and singing, as well as to have the ability to understand the accompanying music and to act as a priest. This dissertation explains how these elements are integrated in a performance. The dynamic change and the transformation of penasar among various genres are also investigated.; In addition, this dissertation examines the performer's interpretations, based on studying and analyzing the performance's texts transcriptions, including my own life-long experience of participating both directly and indirectly in several performing art forms. The nature of the penasar's presentation is an unending creative process. The influences of modernization, tourism, and globalization make the penasar continuously responsive to changing conditions. |
