A play about Islamic Indonesian traders visiting Australian Aboriginal, Yolngu people in 1920.
This play was written with the support of Asialink, the Australia Indonesia Institute, and the Australia Council. Workshopped with Teater Kita Makassar, Sulawesi 2003
Ages: all
Langauges: English, Indonesian, Yolngu
Copyright ©
2001
Julie Janson
Julie_janson@optusnet.com.au
Nibago Pty Ltd
First Published in 2013 by BookBaby.com
USA
© Julie Janson 2013
Contact: Julie_janson@optusnet.com.au
www.juliejansonwriter.com
Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study, research, criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright Act, no part of this publication may be reproduced or performed without written permission of Julie Janson. The Australian Script Centre also has legal rights to license the theatrical production of these plays.
Photographs of The Eyes of Marege production by Bill Leimbach and Julie Janson. Front cover photograph by Michael Fay.
ISBN: 9781483514031
Makassan trial for Yolngu man in Eyes of Marege.
Cast of Eyes of Marege in 2007
The Eyes of Marege is a love story between cultures and across seas and a powerful tale of friendship, death and the meeting of Islam with ABORIGINAL Australia.
Performed in Indonesian and English with Yolngu language from North East Arnhemland. The play celebrates 400 years of trade between Makassan traders and ABORIGINAL people from Arnhemland.
“- a vivid tale of love, friendship and mutual respect” The Australian, 30/9/07
TIME FRAME: SET IN 1920
MUSIC: THE MUSIC OF SOUTH SULAWESI AND ARNHEMLAND ACCOMPANY THE ACTION PERFORMED BY LIVE MUSICIANS PLACED ON THE STAGE
SETTINGS: MAKASSAR, SULAWESI, INDONESIA
BIMO ISLAND, NORTHERN TERRITORY
PART 1
BIMO ISLAND NORTHERN TERRITORY AND MAKASSAR INDONESIA, 1920
SCENE 1
PROLOGUE
DHALAWAL DANCES ONTO A BEACH, SHE IS FOLLOWED BY CROCODILE SPIRITS
DHALAWAL: The Monsoons blow rain from Indonesia, Makassar to Northern Australia. Every Summer, the black clouds gather. Trembling with thundermen. Stories fly across the Arafura sea. Telling us about the Makassans, the Yolngu. Prahu ships blown by the monsoon wind.
SHE SINGS
She comes, the Prahu, rushing in the ocean
The black sail rising in the air, cutting the sky
A red prahu in the wind, it cuts the white foam
That boat, leaning in the water,
The men leaning in the boat, looking to the land
East wind crying
SCENE 2
DHALAWAL DANCES ALONGSIDE ABORIGINAL DANCER
DHALAWAL:(TO AUDIENCE)You see this one Tamarind tree, planted five hundred years back by Makassans. The fruit looks like a peanut and it tastes like lemon. We trade all the time with Makassans, we dive with the men for sea slug, in Yolngu language, called Trepang. My grandfather was a Makassan man. We young girls longed for a Makassan promise husband, I loved him from the first look.Ahmad comes to our island every year and he brings me cloth to make flags, he is gentle and has skin like the golden sunset.
SCENE 3
BIMO ISLAND, 1920
MAKASSAN SAILORS SAIL ON THEIR PRAHU SHIP IN A STRONG WIND, THEY CALL OUT TO EACH OTHER ON THE SEA
BIRRAMEN:(TO AUDIENCE)Ten days sailing from Makassar via Timor. Look they come for trepang! Wearing sarongs, handkerchief around their heads.Bringing tamarind pods, rice, sugar, tobacco, iron knives, cloth, wine, money,coconuts, arak, Dutch gin. Look, there is a cannon on that on that long prahu. Two big sails on a bamboo mast. A prayer man climbs the mast to look to the West. He is crying to their one God.
THE CALL TO PRAYER IS HEARD, A MAKASSAN MAN CLIMBS THE MAST TO CALL
Here on Bimo Island amongst the Pandanus palms, see Makassans, they’re gutting and boiling trepang. Big black slugs that live in rock pools. The Makassans like to do trading with Chinese. We dive all day, diving for these creatures. Boiling them up in big pots on the beach. It smells bad.
AHMAD ENTERS
AHMAD: Dhalawal, I missed you! I dream of you while sailing across the sea.
DHALAWAL: My family wants me to go with another husband. They might punish me if I am with you.
ENTER YOLNGU MAN
YOLNGU MAN: Dhalwal, you come away from him, we want you to marry with a Yolngu man.
(HE TAKES HER BY THE ARM, SHE STRUGGLES)
DHALAWAL: I have been waiting for Ahmad, he is my promise!
YOLNGU MAN: Your father wants you to marry an important old man, not this young Makassan!
AHMAD: Tolong, friend, she has been promised to me since a little girl. I have been waiting for her to come of age. I respect her family’s wishes but they have made a promise. I pray to God to have them keep it.
YOLNGU MAN: I am her uncle, our clan will be willing to fight you if her father does not agree. (HE LIFTS HIS SPEAR INTO A SPEAR THROWER, THEN
LOWERS IT AS DHALAWAL PUTS HER BODY IN FRONT OF THE SPEAR )
DHALAWAL: I will run away, I will sail across the sea to be with him.
BIRRAMEN ENTERS AND CONFRONTS THE YOLNGU MAN)
BIRRAMEN: No fighting! You fight my Makassan brother, I fight you!
AHMAD: It is alright Dhalawal. I have many gifts for your family, (TO YOLNGU MAN) please take them. It is a promise.
DHALAWAL: Look, how much I am valued. Take the rice too.
YOLNGU MAN: Be careful Makassan, you are only a visitor here.
BIRRAMEN: He is my brother!
SHE LOADS THE YOLNGU MAN UP WITH A BAG OF RICE
AHMAD GIVES A PILE OF SARONGS AND AXES TO THE YOLNGU MAN, WHO EXITS
DHALAWAL: I am so happy, they will agree for me to be with you. I love you.
AHMAD: Meet me after the sun has set. Go now. Talk to your family. You must have their permission.
(SHE EXITS)
BIRRAMEN: You must watch out, he is galka magic man. You don’t want him as an enemy. He can kill you, no worries.
AHMAD: I am not afraid. God is great. Birramen, you taking me to hunt for turtle? You’ve got the best eyes.
BIRRAMEN: Brother wawa, I will have to look after you. You belong now. I teach you to fish our way. With a spear.
AHMAD: I can still catch more in a net.