MAY 1998 (2023)

'Winata is a poet as well as stepping into playwrighting, and the beauty and intensity of this writing is breath-taking. Add to that her incredible skill as an actor, and in May 1998 we have an enduringly powerful piece of story-telling. ' - whatdidshethink

THE STORY

Written and Performed by Victoria Winata

Directed by Acacia Nettleton

May 1998 is celebrated as the beginning of Indonesia’s Reformasi era, with the end of President Suharto’s 32-year dictatorship after months of student demonstrations and protests. However, it was also a month of immense tragedy. A series of riots - now known collectively as the May Riots or the Tragedy of May 1998 - broke out across Indonesia, primarily targeting the country’s ethnic Chinese minority. These riots were orchestrated by the Indonesian state and military. Lootings, burnings, kidnappings, and mass rapes against women of Chinese descent were committed.

The atrocities of ‘MAY 1998’ remain unpunished by the Indonesian government, to this day. In 'MAY 1998', the Riots are relived through the eyes of "I", an Indonesian woman who witnessed and experienced May 1998 directly. Struggling to cope with the trauma of the Riots, "I" sifts through her memories, she travels between past and present, and constructs her identity in the process. Rather than being a historical chronicle, ‘MAY 1998’ humanises victims, survivors, and those who lived through the events.

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'MAY 1998' was staged at the Motley Bauhaus from 13 to 16 December and was received with rave reviews: one audience member commented "I almost cried. It's really touching and I thank you for sharing the sadness and vulnerability". Multiple audience members approached Victoria at the end of the show to share their thoughts, feelings, and experiences. 'MAY 1998' was above all an effort to open up conversations, not just between Indonesians, but also between people of different cultures.