The University of Hawai#i at M~noa’s Department of Theatre & Dance is pleased to present a traditional West Sumatran Randai folk play featuring martial arts, dance, singing, music, and pants-slapping percussion. Directed and translated by Dr. Kirstin Pauka, "Luck and Loss: Manandin's Gamble" is a traditional coming-of-age story about love, gambling, and adventure. Master artists from West Sumatra, Saparman Bin Jamaludin, master-teacher of randai dance, acting, and silat (martial arts), and Mohamad Halim, internationally renowned master of traditional Minangkabau music, will provide expert training to the cast as well as students enrolled in the specialized classes. UHM is the only university in the world that produces Indonesian Randai in English. "Luck and Loss: Manandin’s Gamble" will be performed on the mainstage of UHM’s Kennedy Theatre January 28, 29 and February 3, 4, 5, at 8:00 p.m., and February 6 at 2:00 p.m. The February 5 performance will be interpreted in American Sign Language. A pre-show chat at 7:00 p.m. precedes the Saturday performances.

A style of martial arts from West Sumatra, silat, is the core of the movement repertoire of randai folk theatre as martial dances accompanied by song and instrumental music precede and follow each dramatic episode. The core of dancers move primarily in a large circle on the stage, and sit during scenes that take place in the circle’s center - where the story unfolds. The martial movements of the dancers include the signature accent of the randai form, the "tapuak galembong," an explosive drum-like sound created by the dancers striking the stretched fabric of their triangular-shaped pants in unison. Director Pauka states "...it produces the magnificent drum-like sounds that are responsible for much of the excitement randai creates." A cast of approximately twenty-five dancers, musicians and actors will perform "Luck and Loss" at the end of their six-month rigorous training process.

The story of "Luck and Loss" involves the fate of a young man that journeys to a gambling tournament and loses everything, including the shirt off his back. He is accused of stealing, and his only hope to reclaim his beloved fiancee and the life he once knew is through a martial battle with the king. The end result is a tale of romance, mischief and combat that is encased in percussive and energetic dance sequences.

Highly unusual staging conceptualized by graduate design student Angela Price will give many audience members a new perspective on Kennedy Theatre. Cushioned bleacher-style seating on stage will allow many audience members to enjoy the performance from the stage itself. The play is performed in-the-round with three sections of on-stage seating in addition to the regular Kennedy Theatre seats.

The following organizations provided support for the Indonesian Randai residency, training and production: the UH Center for Southeast Asian Studies (CSEAS) through a large part of their tri-annual National Resource Center grant (NRC), SHAPS through the Freeman Foundation Grant, Ford Foundation Jakarta, UH Arts and Humanities' Asian Theatre Fund, and the Women’s Campus Club.

Tickets go on sale at the Kennedy Theatre Box Office, outlets, and on the internet on January 18. Prices are $15 regular; $12 seniors, military, UH Faculty/staff, $10 Non-UHM students; and $3 for UHM students with validated UHM Spring 2005 I.D. For more information, charge-by-phone or disability access, call the Kennedy Theatre box office at 956-7655 (voice/text) during regular box office hours Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tickets are also available online at Etickethawaii or charge-by-outlet phone at 944-2697. A $2.00 per ticket service charge will be applied to all charge-by-phone, outlet and internet sales.