Disclaimer: This review is part of my personal takes on the works presented at Pesta ARTI 2.0. The thoughts and opinions expressed here are solely those of the writer (i.e. me, myself and I) and do not reflect the views of the organizers, jury, or any affiliated parties. The intention is to engage critically with the work while supporting the growth of indie theater.
Team 9:
By Kayu Manes
Written by Hakim Atma
Directed by Iqalsya
Weather from Within, and I’m trying to be as civil as I can here, was, simply put, not well-executed. That said, it wasn’t a total disaster either. After giving it enough thought and considering all factors, I honestly feel there’s still a lot of work to be done across all aspects of the production.
Starting with the writing: I can see the vision the writer was aiming for, a kind of memory play centered around Sulaiman, who revisits fragments of his past, especially his lost love and late wife Rafiah, who was tragically swept away by a flood while pregnant. The story is framed through the eyes of his daughter, Arissa, who acts as both participant and almost an all-seeing narrator.
It’s an ambitious setup. But I feel the writer needs to revisit the flow of the story. The structure feels overcrowded and a bit confused. Perhaps it would be better to stick to a single point of view, at least as a starting point. I understand that when writing, there’s often a strong temptation to include everything, every idea, every layer. But that impulse seems to have disrupted the clarity here. There are monologues, moments of comic relief, emotional recollections, and some of it can work, but they aren’t tied together well. Everything feels scattered. Too many settings, too many characters, too many conflicts, all trying to adhere to a central theme. It’s a lot. Maybe the writer could try crafting smaller, more focused pieces first (fewer elements, more depth) and build up from there.
As for the acting, it clearly needs more work. One example is the inconsistency in dialogue delivery and accent, particularly noticeable in the flashback scenes, where Sulaiman would sometimes use a standard formal register (laras baku), only to suddenly shift into a more casual, schwa-variation. The back-and-forth was distracting and didn’t serve to enrich the dialogue. It felt more like a technical slip than a deliberate choice. Overall, I wasn’t fully convinced by any of the characters.
Of course, part of this might stem from the writing and directing (which I’ll touch on next) but the actors still need to take greater ownership of their roles. The encouraging part is that the potential is there. These are students formally studying performing arts and theatre, and they have access to the right tools. So seek feedback and tips: from lecturers, seniors, peers, any resources within reach. But more importantly, just keep acting, keep doing. Everyone stumbles in the beginning, but the only way forward is to keep taking those steps.
As for the directing, like the writing and acting, it also needs serious attention. The concept lacked clarity and cohesion; it failed to translate the emotional beats and the redeemable moments from the script, however few, effectively onto the stage. Visually, the production also felt scattered. There were some scenes with potential, but they need refinement and unfortunately, their placement among weaker scenes only diminished their impact.
I'm not entirely sure which aspect deserves more weight here — writing, directing, or acting — but I generally believe that the script should reach a certain level of quality to make the directing and acting processes smoother. That said, it’s not always a strict rule. There are instances where a weak script, under the right director, can still result in a decent show. A director holds significant creative power throughout the process: from interpreting or revising the script, to guiding the actors, or even re-casting if needed.
Of course, in a competition setting, the director’s freedom may have been limited, perhaps everything had already been finalized, and there was little room for adjustment. If that’s the case, then it is what it is. But even within constraints, the directorial vision should still be present and clear, and that, unfortunately, was missing here.
Weather from Within showed a strong desire to tell a meaningful story but intention alone isn’t enough. However, theater, especially in a learning or competitive environment, is about exploration, making mistakes, and growing through them. This production didn’t quite land, but that doesn’t mean it lacked value. There are glimpses of thoughtful ideas throughout and I hope the team sees this experience not as a failure, but as part of the creative journey. With more reflection, refinement and resilience, I personally believe they can move forward with better works because the willingness to put something on stage, no matter how raw, is already a step in the right direction.
