I was thinking about what to write on this blog, when
MetroTV reported about the demise of
W.S. Rendra at 10.05 pm this evening at a hospital in Depok, West Java where he has been treated for some time.
According to the doctors at the hospital, the cause of his death was Heart Attack.
W.S Rendra was born in Solo, Central Java, on 7 November 1935 under the name of
Willibrordus Surendra Broto Rendra. He had been active writing short stories and essays since he studied English Literature at the
Gajah Mada University in Yogyakarta. Since then, he was popularly known as "
Burung Merak (Peacock Bird)".
Between 1964 and 1967,
Rendra received a scholarship to study at the
American Academy of Dramatical Art. After he returned in 1967, he built his theatrical group called
Bengkel Teater in Yogyakarta. Many years later the group built another theater with the same name in Depok, West Java, and it was at this location that the phenomenal reggae singer
Mbah Surip was buried on 4 August 2009.
For details about
WS Rendra, please click
here.
To the wife, children and grandchildren of
W.S Rendra I would like to express my deepest condolence and simpathy.
Photo: courtesy of
Wikipedia
