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The Sundanese theater group Miss Tjitjih will celebrate its 95th anniversary in 2023. The establishment of this Sundanese theater (toneel) group was initiated by the meeting between the Sumedang Sundanese theater diva, Miss Tjitjih, and Sayyed Aboebakar Bafaqih, the owner of a traveling theater (komedie stamboel). The meeting took place in Sumedang when the traveling theater group toured cities in West Java.

According to Dadang Badoet, actor and director from Miss Tjitjih Theatre Group, in 1926 Aboebakar Bafaqih presented his traveling theater in different locations in West Java. At one point, this Malay-speaking theater group performed in the city of Sumedang where Bafaqih met and was smitten by the multi-talented and beautiful Nyi

Tjitjih, who played and sang with her local theater troupe in Sumedang.

Syarifah Rohmah or Bu Omah, Miss Tjitjih’s current director, said that at that time, Bafaqih was fascinated by Nyi Tjitjih’s talent, who at the age of 18 was very good at acting, singing and dancing. Indeed, in 1926, Nyi Tjitjih was frequently invited to perform her artistic abilities in front of the Sumedang regent and his esteemed guests.

After the meeting, Bafaqih invited Nyi Tjitjih to come to Batavia and join the Opera Valencia – a traveling theater group he had just established. The invitation was welcomed by Nyi Tjitjih, and from then on Nyi Tjitjih became part of the Opera Valencia. Bu Omah further explained how Nyi Tjitjih, who was born in Sumedang in 1908, was able to make the Opera Valencia become popular. Her performance and intelligence were greatly appreciated by the pribumi (native Indonesians) in Batavia, even though Nyi Tjitjih only spoke Sundanese, her mother tongue.

The story of Miss Tjitjih Theatre Group is closely linked to the Bimanyurupa Bangsawan traveling theater group led by Abubakar Bafaqih who came to Sumedang in 1926. Dadang Badoet, a young director from Miss Tjitjih Theatre Group, reflects that Nyi Tjitjih at first was just an innocent girl from Sumedang. She was beautiful, creative and full of discipline. Throughout her journey, Nyi Tjitjih grew as the prima donna of the Opera Valencia under the direction of Bafaqih who was very skilled in developing storytelling, compositions, and theatrical techniques following his experience with the Bimanyurupa Bangsawan. In a short time, the group became one of the most popular groups and was frequently asked to perform in many different places, from one stage to another. As a tribute to Nyi Tjitjih performance, the name Opera Valencia was changed to Miss Tjitjih Toneel Gezelschap in 1928 and the play was no longer performed in Malay but in Sundanese.

Bu Omah told us that in 1928 the Miss Tjitjih theater group initially occupied an empty lot next to the REK Cinema in the

Kramat Munde Senen area in Central Jakarta. Since its establishment, Miss Tjitjih has become an important part of the life of the people of Jakarta at the time. This theater group has become increasingly famous and Miss Tjitjih has enriched the cultural life of Jakarta. In 1931, the theater group was invited to perform at the Bogor Palace. The invitation indicated how this theater group was appreciated by the Dutch Colonial government at that time.

According to Dadang, as told for generations in the Miss Tjitjih group, Miss Tjitjih was a very productive group and had delivered several performances not only in Jakarta but also in West Java and Central Java. Repertoires such as Gelung

Ciyoda (Ciyoda Bun), Gelung Cianjur (Cianjur Bun), Gejed Milo, Karnadi Bandar Bangkong (Karnadi the Merchant Frog), Eulis Acih, Gagak Solo, Srigawa, Bentang Jaarbeurs (Jaarbeurs Stars), Kalepatan Putra Dosana Ibu Rama (Children’s mistakes are parents’ sins), and Mugiri were the signature performances which the group performed live on stage for the audience. Most of these plays are indeed derived from the Sundanese stories.

“Any place could be used as a stage,” said Dadang. Miss Tjitjih performed at cinemas, squares, markets, or even at empty fields. The people at that time took turns to invite Miss Tjitjih to perform and therefore the group had to move around. Dadang said that all theater props and stage equipment had been compactly arranged so they could be easily transported from venue to venue.

What was unique about Miss Tjitjih is that this theater group had always been delivering their performance in Sundanese, mainly due to Nyi Tjitjih herself could not speak Malay — the language used in the culture of the Stamboel theater groups at that time.

Miss Tjitjih theater group has been loyal to Tatar Sundanese tradition. This Sundanese tradition was also what differentiated this group from other theater groups that existed in the early 20th century, such as Miss Riboet, Miss Dja, and Dardanella.

Nonetheless, Miss Tjitjih did not stop at this point. Miss Tjitjih also tried to look at other traditions, namely European traditions. Dadang Badoet, who graduated from ISBI Bandung (Indonesian Arts Institute and Culture in Bandung), explained that Miss Tjitjih had also performed the Sundanese version of the Hamlet manuscript, which was translated by Balai Pustaka. Dadang Badoet added that this was a sort of “adaptation” of an internationally wellknown play by a local theater group.

In January 2019, the Miss Tjitjih theater group performed a Sundanese adaptation of Hamlet at the University of Indonesia’s Makara Art Center. For Miss Tjitjih, this performance was part of a ‘local’ theater group’s effort to reach to contemporary audiences while keeping its Sundanese identity by consistently performing in Sundanese during a ‘new’ era when Sundanese play has been losing its audience in competition with other contemporary spectacles.

Miss Tjitjih plays an important role in the preservation and development of local arts and culture, especially Sundanese culture of West Java. Even though Nyi Tjitjih could not enjoy the fame of her theater group, she was considered as a Sundanese icon thanks to her loyalty in her work. Nyi Tjitjih died on 27 August 1939 after performing on stage as Sulastri in the story of Gagak Solo.

To appreciate Nyi Tjitjih’s loyalty in her work, on the initiative of the Provincial Government of DKI Jakarta and the West Java Development Foundation, in 1987 the Miss Tjitjih Theatre Building was built on Jalan Kabel Pendek in Cempaka Putih, Central Jakarta. Even though her prestige has faded, Miss Tjitjih continues to survive.