Enchanting the Audience: Dramatic Devices of Sakura Mask Theatre in West Lampung, Sumatra

Sakura is a little-known ancient genre of masked theatre found in the Indonesian province of Lampung in southern Sumatra. In his 2010 performance of sakura, artist I Nyoman Mulyawan showcased his series of “new dance creations” in the style of the coastal Saibatin people. The multiplicity of performance devices and traditional motifs generated an allure that instantly captivated his large village audiences. The stage dynamics, masks, procession as allegory for spiritual journey, auspicious betel nut poles, and rhythmic and ritualistically charged music of the orchestra, were artfully integrated to enchant Mulyawan’s audience.