Panggung Semar

Panggung Semar: Geliga Embun is a one-of-a-kind production presented by Dewan Budaya of Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) and the Arjuna Sukma Academy.

Panggung Semar is a form of traditional Malay theatre in the Malaysian performing arts industry. The production unites two principal theatre genres: the Mak Yong and the Wayang Kulit, along with the Dikir Barat, a traditional musical art form. All three are intertwined to carry the narrative of the performance, beginning with the Mak Yong and gradually transitioning to Wayang Kulit, with Dikir Barat functioning as the narrator.

Geliga Embun will be performed by 20 talented practitioners, including three Adigurus trainers, a Tok Dalang as the master puppeteer, a Tok Jogho, the movement director, a Tukang Karut as a master storyteller and 13 skilled musicians known as the Panjak. 

Join us on 8 July at Dewan Budaya (USM, Penang) for this unique and creative fusion of traditional arts with contemporary storytelling that will revolutionise how we learn and experience these timeless art forms.

Synopsis

In the depths of Negeri Pura Cendana, a heartbroken Sultan Alam Shah longs for his son, Arjuna Beta, who fled the kingdom in anguish over his forbidden love. The Sultan’s health deteriorates as he desperately seeks to reconcile with his beloved son, but the path to reunion seems blocked at every turn.

Only one way remains to win Arjuna Beta’s return and that is to retrieve the Geliga Embun, a rare gem that holds the power to heal even the deepest of wounds. But the journey to find it is riddled with challenges and the caretakers tasked with its retrieval face the ultimate test of their devotion to the Sultan.

Will they succeed in their perilous quest, or will the Geliga Embun remain out of reach, leaving the Sultan to mourn his lost son forever?

The answer lies in the haunting performance of Geliga Embun – a tale of tragedy, loveand the elusive quest for redemption.