Mas Ruscitadewi

Awards

Her writing titled ‘Man in the House’ became one of the winners of the Bali Modern Drama Manuscript Writing Competition. Her poetry was one of the winners in the international poetry competition “Atlanta Review’. Agung Mas Ruscitadewi wrote scripts and performed plays on TVRI Bali, at the Denpasar Cultural Park, in Lombok, Taiwan and Australia.  She has published a book of collections of drama scripts, short monologues, poetry and children’s stories in Balinese, Indonesian, English and Japanese.

Awarded the best participant in the 2020 Virtual Actor Trail organized by the Indonesian Ministry of Education and Culture. It is important to note that her children’s story entitled “Wayang Sayang’” was included in the Anthology of Indonesian Children’s Stories published in Indonesian, Balinese language and script, and translated into 6 UN languages, as a souvenir for delegates at the 2022 G20 meeting in Bali.

Advocate of Young Creatives

A conversation with Mas Ruscitadewi about some of the important values she holds from her experiences in theatre as well as education...

“Now I write for children because I’ve always been in literature since I started. I’ve always written. poetry,  theatre, novels there were always a lot of things. there are a lot of other people doing those things already. But no one is paying attention to the children, but they are the ones that need a lot of guidance now.”

“I made a tabloid for kids which began in 1999. It was called Lintang, Bali Post. There, aside from teaching the kids through comics about little anecdotes for kids. I also wanted the newspaper to become their media and they would have their platform there. Indonesian our talents are not in language or communication, there is a lot in performance and music.. but I did want to give something to the kids and encourage them in their development.”

“Even in painting, children are not given true freedom. When I take the kids to a painting workshop, you can see their state of mind. Often they are lacking confidence. Many children in our community are restricted. They are inadvertently held back by certain conditions. Too often, they are taught first, of the many things they should not or can not do. This negative predisposition, a behaviour they are taught, is dangerous to my mind. It indirectly teaches children from a young age to be false towards themselves.”

A Pioneering Philosopher

“I am more drawn to the collaboration about the stories about Jayaprana. That is the story I wrote for the story competition. I received recognition as a virtual actor in 2020 for this work.”

“Jayaprana is a story about mankind that conquers breath that has become the key point in Hinduism. When you master breath,.. what you get is termed as Layonsari, meaning a body that is sweet, aromatically sweet. I do not tell the story of Jayaprana as the story of a king with a wife etc. I tell this story from a different perspective.”

Theatre, Philosophy Embodied

Aside from her academic studies in philosophy Mas Ruscitadewi also studied European theatre or in other words dramaturgy. Her dissertation became some of the tools that shaped many artists.

“Aside from European theatre I also studied Balinese dance. It is through both these experiences that I found the meeting point between the two. Within Western training, I found the method. So I use the Western methodology to find the essence that is within our traditional art. That essence is philosophical creativity.”

About the technical aspects and methodology of acting….

“The technique I learned is Stanolovsky method. He is the father of method acting and is the primary influence that I was exposed to from a young age. The difference with traditional performances of Bali is that Stanolovsky processes drama and performance through an intellectual pathway. “

“Yoga in theatre is an acting sattva (Sattva is the quality of goodness, purity, positivity, and truth that is drawn to dharma).In this case, I illustrate a diaphragm as a centre of spirit. The end of that is happiness and joy. So if the method of acting is Rajas (Rajas is an innate tendency or quality that drives motion, energy and activity). When you apply method acting through rajas with mind you will find the audience will be in awe. Like something is shining, the essence of which is a bright light.”

Drama Method in the East

“In the east, our primary method in performance art is through tamas (Tamas is the quality of inertia, inactivity or lethargy). In this context, it represents the body. The East uses a physical method. If they do that well, the result is that the audience is attracted and seduced. Because of its physical qualities becomes enchanting. The physical body when encapsulated in its essence is extremely seductive.”

Dr. Mas Ruscitadewi Today

Dr. Mas Ruscitadewi is a passionate hurricane. It is evident that her energy surges from the depth of her love of Nature, culture and art. Secondly, her writing evokes always this joy and gratitude and touches us with beauty in life’s most unassuming moments. Aside from her children’s stories and poetry, as of 2023, the most recent collaboration is a joint work titled Nawa Sena with lecturer and contemporary artist Dr. Sujana Suklu.

Mas Ruscitadewis’ works will be published here in Sawidji. As we are fortunate to have this well of love and wisdom sharing her joy and passion with us.

Join Mas Ruscitadewi in Joy Through Theatre (Yoga in Theatre) Workshop.

Mas Ruscitadewi Children’s Stories

Mas Ruscitadewi Related Articles

• Bali Jani Nugraha 2022 | Mas Ruscitadewi Dalam Dunia Cerita Anak-anak
• Konsep ‘Nadi’ dalam Teater Antarkan Sastrawan Mas Ruscitadewi Raih Gelar Doktor
• Dua Maestro Lintas Disiplin, Wayan Sujana dan Mas Ruscitadewi Hasilkan Buku Nawa Sena
• Puisi-puisi Mas Ruscitadéwi; Sembah
• Kolaborasi Perupa dan Sastrawan dalam Buku ”Nawa Sena”
• Mas Ruscitadewi dan Sujana ‘Suklu’ Rilis Karya Kolaborasi “Nawa Sena”
• Merasakan Rasa dalam Buku ”Nawa Sena”