Florence Armein BERITA SATU
It was when Ramon Papana visited the United Kingdom to attend the Disco Mix Club World DJ Championships in 1991 that he had the opportunity to see a variety of comedy shows that were very different from the ones he was used to seeing in Indonesia.
It was there that he decided that Indonesia should develop stand-up comedy that was more “intelligent” than the slapstick routines that have long characterized comedy shows in the country.
After establishing his own production house in 1993, which produced numerous comedy shows for local television such as “Hari Harry Mau,” “Lenong Rumpi,” “Hari Harry Gila” and “F-2,” Ramon dedicated himself to practicing and teaching stand-up comedy to his fellow Indonesians. He invited several local comedians such as the late Indra Safera, Tukul Arwana, the late Taufik Savalas, Eko Patrio, Tio Pakusadewo, and his late son Ade Namnung, to observe the “intelligent comedy” methods central to stand-up comedy outside Indonesia.
Given the importance of open-mic sessions to the development of stand-up comedy in America and Europe, Ramon established the Comedy Cafe in Jakarta in 1997, the first ever in Indonesia. Open-mic sessions were held every Wednesday, allowing anyone who wanted the opportunity to give stand-up comedy a try. That initial effort, however, wasn’t very successful and Ramon often found himself taking over the stage himself for a session or two.
For years, Ramon performed on open stages or at corporate events as a stand-up comedian in what was then a barren segment of the performing industry, introducing stand-up comedy to the public and encouraging anyone who was interested to learn the art of comedy. He also reached out to local TV stations and promoters to help develop stand-up comedy in Indonesia.
These efforts were initially met with skepticism, and many of those Ramon encountered did not believe stand-up comedy “fit” with the local culture. But he remained committed to the idea that stand-up comedy could take root in Indonesia, providing gifted comic talents here the opportunity to make a decent living from stand-up comedy, just as comics do in countries such as the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, India.
Around 2011, stand-up comedy began to take off in Indonesia and spread through communities who held open-mic sessions, workshops and shows. Ramon decided to write a book on the subject, “Kiat Tahap Awal Belajar Stand Up Comedy Indonesia” (“Tips on the Early Learning of Stand-up Comedy in Indonesia”), abbreviated as “Kitab Suci” (“Holy Book of Comedy”). The book, which was published in April this year, is the first and only book on stand-up comedy to be written in Indonesia.
There are some 300 comedy communities in the country from Aceh to Papua, and comedy TV shows are booming, as more and more young people decide to adopt stand-up comedy as a profession.
In early 2012, Eamonn Sadler, a great friend of Ramon’s and the founder of the Jakarta Comedy Club, an English-language comedy club that has been putting on monthly shows for more than a decade, outlined his plans to Ramon to launch a fringe festival in Indonesia. Out of their discussions came the idea for the first Jakarta International Fringe Festival, which will be held Nov. 7 to 11.
Ramon said he leapt at the opportunity to be involved, because he believed the festival would help build momentum for stand-up comedy in Indonesia.
“To me, the Jakarta Fringe Festival 2012 is a dream come true and I am enjoying every minute of its growing process,” Ramon said.
To purchase tickets and to learn more about the festival, visit www.jakfringe.com
The Jakarta International Fringe Festival, which will be held from Nov. 7-11, is organized by the Jakarta Comedy Club, beritasatu.com and thejakartaglobe.com
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