1994: A Letter from the Gambuh

Abstract

“I find myself in a crucial moment where the fact that I continue to live in Bali is being called into question. The reason for my living here is no longer as clear as it once used to be. Today, faced by the overbearing intrusiveness of tourism, the magic of Bali is dissolving as if it was part of dream”. Often, it is only through letters that an entire life of dedication to the theatre may be witnessed. In this letter dated 1994, Cristina Wistari, actress and dancer, writes to Eugenio Barba about the discouragement she feels when faced by the progressive deterioration of a great culture, the effort of long-term dedication but also a steadfast commitment, taken first of all with herself, to acknowledge a very old debt with regard to one of the oldest traditions of Asian dance: the Gambuh.