PROFILES
Jawa Pos, Sabtu 6 April 2013
Esquire – Women We Love
CINTA JURNALISTIK & ENTERTAINMENT
by Muvila.com
“Tersiksa Lagi” bersama Yovie Widianto (Idenesia, Mei 2012)
“Malaikat Juga Tahu” bersama Kilas Balik
“Brighter than the Sun” bersama Yunika (811 Show)
“Begitulah Cinta” bersama Tommy Tjokro (Idenesia, Mei 2012)
“Tersiksa Lagi” bersama Kilas Balik (811 Show)
Tabloid Nova, HUT ke 25
THE IDEAL WORLD FOR MARISSA ANITA
Penampilan yang segar diiringi suara tawanya yang khas membuat siapapun enggan melewatkan pagi berjauhan dari televisi. Di luar aktivitasnya di depan layar, perempuan ini masih sempat membagi energi untuk teater dan film yang disebutnya sebagai cinta keduanya.
MEMASUKI apartemennya yang mungil di kawasan Sudirman, segera tertangkap kesan bila sang pemilik adalah pencinta film kelas berat. Deretan DVD berjajar memenuhi rak berdampingan dengan buku-buku, majalah serta aneka pajangan yang ditata secara personal. Setumpuk DVD baru yang masih tersegel rapi diletakkan begitu saja di sudut meja ruang tamu yang didominasi warna pastel tersebut, “Baru datang dari Amazon, nih. Rata-rata film Meryl Streep, aktris favorit saya!” ujarnya sumringah. Ditemani fusion tea yang diseduhnya dalam keramik cantik asal Bagan Siapi-api, Marissa yang baru saja menuntaskan tugas siarannya bercerita dengan lancar perihal pekerjaan, passion dan hal-hal yang tidak banyak diketahu orang tentang dirinya.
Sebagai presenter di program pagi hari, bagaimana tipikal hari Anda?
Saya sampai di kantor jam 6 kurang untuk mempersiapkan siaran. Mulai dari mengedit naskah, riset, dan mengolah dialog sebelum akhirnya dirias dan tampil live selama tiga jam di 8-11 Show. It’s a breakfast show. Kami menyampaikan berita tanpa berjarak dengan pemirsa kami. Mulai dariparenting issue, politik, gaya hidup dan komunitas. Banyak kejadian seru setiap hari, termasuk hal-hal yang tidak diduga. Misalnya saat tersandung atau terpeleset lidah, ya dibuat improvisasi saja. Atau kadang ada narasumber yang tidak menjawab sesuai dengan ekspektasi, ya dikejar saja sampai benar-benar mendapat jawaban yang diinginkan.
Bekerja di stasiun televisi berita, ada tuntutan untuk tahu banyak hal?
Itu hal yang sangat alami bagi seorang presenter, karena setiap hari dia ‘makan’ berita. Saat di rumah atau sedang bersantai pun, by default saya akan mencari berita. You just don’t wanna miss a thing. Because when you’re doing it, and you love the world, it something that becomes you.
Melihat karier Anda ke depan?
Saya akan tetap di media karena ini adalah dunia yang saya cintai. Saya tidak terlalu tertarik terjun ke dunia politik karena untuk membuat perubahan atau pergerakan lebih susah. Against all odds itu melelahkan, loh. Lingkungan kadang tidak mendukung dalam membuat suatu kebijakan. Daripada menjadisingle fighter, saya memilih berkonsentrasi di media dan mencoba memberikan perubahan ke arah yang lebih baik. Mungkin lama, but I hope I’ll see a better Indonesia in my lifetime. Ha ha ha.
Anda juga aktif di teater, kan?
Yesss! Saya cinta banget dengan teater. Gara-gara waktu kuliah S1 di Atmajaya ada mata kuliah drama. Kami diundang untuk tampil di American Club oleh Jakarta Players, kelompok teater gabungan yang beranggotakan warga lokal dan ekspat yang bergerak charity based. Semua pemasukan disumbangkan untuk pengembangan rumah warga miskin di Indonesia. Sejak tahun 2005 saya terlibat di sana. Terakhir saya ikut terlibat dalam Russian play, The Government Inspector dan Veronica’s Room yang disutradarai oleh suami saya sendiri. Very creepy. Saya suka peran yang ceria, tapi saya juga peran yang sangat serius dan drama. Karena sibuk, sudah hampir setahun saya tidak terlibat dalam produksi, mungkin saya akan ambil bagian dalam pertunjukan selanjutnya.
Arti akting bagi Anda?
My two big passions are journalism and film/theatre. Di saat penat dan suntuk di kantor, saya lari ke teater. Memang it’s another stress, karena harus menghapal naskah panjang, but it’s a good stress. Teater menyeimbangkan hidup saya.
Anda penikmat film, menulis resensi film. Tidak ingin ambil bagian dalam film Indonesia sekalian?
Pelan-pelan sudah. Jadi kritikus film, jalan saya pun sudah menuju ke sana. Saya menjadi kontributor di suatu media online dan menulis sebagian besar mengenai film, bukan sekadar sinopsis tapi memberikan analisa. Apapun yang saya tulis, nggak semua orang harus setuju. It’s the way I see it. Setiap kritikus film, mengkritik berdasarkan apa yang dia alami, pengalaman pribadi dan sejarah hidupnya, so it’s a very fascinating world. Selain itu saya juga pernah pernah bermain dalam film pendek Broken Vast bersama Edward gunawan, termasuk mengisi suara dalam film Arisan 2 dan Modus Anomali. Sepertinya saya sudah di-tagged buat jadi pengisi suara ya, ha ha ha!
Tawa Anda sangat khas ya…
Ha ha ha. Eh, Ini turunan dari ibu saya. Kalau ketawa dia sangat “mhuawmhua hua”
Aktivitas favorit lainnya?
Memasak. Saya sering pulang bawa resep dari para chef di show untuk dipraktikkan di rumah. Saya juga mengoleksi beberapa buku resep seperti Nigela Lawson dan Jamie Oliver. Tapi setelah menimbang-nimbang dari perjalanan memasak sejak kuliah, kayaknya saya tetap lebih suka masakan Indonesia. Sekarang jadi ngerti kenapa orang Belanda ngotot banget mencari bumbu di sini, karena masakan Indonesia itu memang kaya banget.Indonesian and South Asian food are the best! Saya juga suka menulis dan berencana kelak membuat buku non fiksi mengenai perjalanan jurnalistik. Belum ketemu formatnya seperti apa, tapi mungkin 5-10 tahun lagi setidaknya buku itu sudah terbit.
Menjalani hidupnya saat ini, perempuan berusia 29 tahun merasa sudah menempuh jalur yang benar dan disukainya. “Seluruh bidang yang saya sukai, saya jalankan. Mulai dari jurnalistik, film, teater sampai memasak (I got to cook in my show and that’s great!). saya juga suka bahasa, mungkin karena dulu sempat sekolah pariwisata dan diajarkan berbagai bahasa seperti Jepang, Prancis dan Italia. Sekarang mungkin saya berada di level 4, namun saya akan berusaha mencapai level 10 dalam hidup saya. I’m happy with who I am right now and with what I do.”
Anda kan sudah menikah, masih bisa hang out sama teman-teman?
Masih banget. Suami saya sangat suportif. Lingkaran pergaulan kami juga sama. Ada saatnya saya ingin ngumpul sama sahabat-sahabat wanita saya, dan dia sangat membebaskan. Saya pikir hubungan yang sehat memang sudah seharusnya seperti itu. Tidak saling membatasi. Just let each other breath and let each other grow. Dalam pergaulan, saya sangat menjunjung keterbukaan. Blak-blakan saja. Itu yang bikin hubungan dekat dan saling tahu satu sama lain. It’s almost like a marriage. Tapi mungkin buat sebagian orang saya ini terlalu jujur dan terlalu terus terang ya, ha ha ha.
Siapa sahabat dekat Anda?
Andrew, suami saya. Dengannya, saya bisa benar-benar ngomongin apa saja. Dari pertemanan, masalah, pekerjaan dan saya tetap merasa secured. Sari Latief is my second best friend. Oh, but in some cases, my mom is my second best friend too, ha ha ha!
Hal yang orang tidak banyak tahu tentang Marissa Anita?
I work too hard. Sometimes. Saya tidak punya batas dalam bekerja. Akhirnya kadang-kadang burn out, dan suami harus memaksa saya untuk rehat sebentar. I just can’t stop to think about so many things. I have to be able to control it. Dari kecil diajarkan untuk tidak menunda apapun, dan itu tercermin dari cara saya menjalankan pekerjaan.
Pendapat orang lain, penting buat Anda?
Saya tidak pernah melihat diri saya berbeda, jadi kadang saya surprised saat tahu ekspektasi orang lain terhadap diri saya. OK, I’m on TV. But that’s my job. Soal kritikan atau pujian, that’s part of life. In life, there’s always people who love you, there’s always people who think you’re OK and there’s always people who hate you for whatever reasons.
Anda cukup aktif di twitter. Apakah popularitas membuat Anda mengontrol isi tweet Anda?
Twitter is a fantastic tool for spreading good ideas and good values. Saya percaya orang mengikuti kita karena menyukai ide dan pikiran kita.Downside dari social network ini adalah kadang masuk ke wilayah yang terlalu personal dan membuat orang lebih ‘berani’ kejam satu sama lain. For me personally, I hate twit-war because you’re hanging your dirty laundry for people to see. Buat apa? Buat sensasi? Menambah jumlah follower? Saya tertarik menjadikan twitter sebagai sarana berbagi informasi dan ide saja.Nothing personal.
Filosofi hidup Anda?
Hidup itu terlalu singkat buat menyenangkan orang lain tanpa memikirkan diri sendiri. Always do what you love. Otherwise, what’s the point of living? DS (Jessica Huwae/Foto: Pandegajaya)
http://www.dailysylvia.com/artikel/ideal-world-marissa-anita
FILM WORK
BROKEN VASE as Catherine
Synopsis:
What will you do, what will you say, when you meet the Ex? A drama-edy about a young woman who must confront her fiancé’s secret past and resolve her misgivings when she meets his ex. Catherine (Marissa Trigg) is having a garage sale before she moves to Hawaii with her fiance Paul. Initially assumed to be just another customer, Susan (Atiqah Hasiholan) turns out to be the ex of Catherine’s fiance, who has come to the house to pick up her belongings. As Catherine gets acquainted with Susan, she must confront her fiance’s secret past and resolve her misgivings about their relationship.
http://www.imdb.com/video/wab/vi1336057113/
ARISAN 2 as Bikuni
MODUS ANOMALI as Voice of Man’s (Rio Dewanto) Wife
THE JAKARTA PLAYERS + SYDNEY UNIVERSITY DRAMATIC SOCIETY (SUDS)
Marissa Anita has acted in and produced many theatrical productions. She’s also a board member of the Jakarta Players – a charity-based community theatre that donates all proceeds from its shows to Habitat for Humanity Indonesia. As a board member, she helps plan and execute each new season of plays. She was also actively acting in SUDS while she was taking her Master’s in Media Practice in Sydney University, NSW, Australia. Her love of theatre made her took an acting class with Clarence White at Actor’s Studio, Sydney.
She’s worked in the following productions:
2005 | “The Dining Room” by A.R. Gurney | As: 3rd Actress (JP)
2006 | This is a Play by David Yves (Who’s in Control) | As: Female Actor (JP)
2006 | Murder on the Midway | As: Geisha
2007 | Speaking in Tongues by Andrew Bovel | As: Sarah Phelan (Sydney, NSW, Australia)
2007 | Merrily We Roll Along by Stephen Sondheim | As: Nightclub Waitress and Company (Sydney, NSW, Australia)
2007 | Privilege by Paul Weitz | As: Erla (JP)
2008 | Your Mother’s Butt by Alan Ball | As: Psychologist (JP)
2008 | We Cannot Know the Mind of God by Mikhail Horowitz | As: Eve (JP)
2009 | The Spot by Steven Dietz | As: Gloria (JP)
2009 | Surprise by Mark Harvey Levina | As: Whitney (JP)
2009 | Controlling Interest by Wayne Rawley | As: Ashley (JP)
2009 | Four Horsemen of the Apocaypse by Mikhail Horowitz | As: Media (JP)
2009 | Best Daddy by Shel Silverstein | As: Director (JP)
2010 | The Man Who Couldn’t Dance by Jason Katims | As: Gail (JP)
2010 | Veronica’s Room by Ira Levin | As: The Girl (Susan Kerner) (JP)
2011 | The Government Inspector | As: Dobchinsky (JP)
Every audience member walking out of the American Club after seeing the Jakarta Players’ production of Ira Levin’s “Veronica’s Room” this weekend may be doing one of two things on their way to the parking lot: Wiping sweaty palms on their pants and shaking their heads or separating themselves from the disturbed crowd and pointing a finger in their friends’ faces, saying: “See. I told you so!”
A thriller in two acts, “Veronica’s Room,” aspires to be an hour and a half of unsettling, brow-furling theater the likes of which Jakarta has never seen.
Ripe with layered dialogue, deceit and principle discord, “Veronica’s Room” should be as much fun for the audience as it is for the four actors on stage.
With just the right recipe for perfect theater — deep dark secrets and a perfectly placed red herring — the Jakarta Players, a non-profit community theater, will spend Friday through Sunday making audiences fall in love with the characters and then breaking their hearts.
“There are these interesting revelations that happen throughout the play,” said Ari Bassin, an experienced actor from New York, who plays Larry in the production.
“You’re never quite sure of who to believe.” You don’t realize how much the playwright, Ira Levin, is alluding to what’s going on until you know what’s going on.
If you don’t know what’s happening you can’t see the train wreck coming.
For more than 40 years now, the Jakarta Players, whose English-language performances feature a mix of international and national talent, have been mainlining culture into the veins of the capital.
While the rest of the city is off enjoying Hollywood’s cookie-cutter plot lines and filling their mouths with popcorn, the cast and crew of the troupe, which puts on four or five productions a year, has been providing audiences with world-class, provoking theater, plenty of laughs and now, a reason to never trust strangers. “
Veronica’s Room,” director Andrew Trigg chose Bassin, Metro TV’s Marissa Anita, Roy Marsh and Angela Black from Britain to bring the play to life.
“I chose to direct it because I think it’s one of the most suspenseful and dramatic plays that can possibly be staged with a small cast in a one-room set,” said Trigg, who has been with the Players for about eight years.
Levin, whose credits include “Rosemary’s Baby,” and the Tony-nominated “Deathtrap,” opens “Veronica’s Room,” which takes place in the early 1970s just outside of Boston, with Larry and Susan, out on their first date, approached by an elderly Irish couple at dinner.
The older couple is amazed at Susan’s resemblance to Veronica, a girl whose wealthy family they worked for as servants in the ’30s.
The Irish couple asks Susan if she would be willing to visit the old house where Veronica lived as a child so she can see a photo of the girl and take a look at her room.
She agrees to the odd request and the audience’s ride begins.
Families are complicated. This one is no different, with a closet ripe with skeletons bursting open and drenching the audience in intrigue.
“I don’t want to give anything away about the plot, but I want to point out that the play is really not suitable for children! It’s very rare to see this kind of play in Jakarta and we’re hoping many Jakarta residents will come to experience it,” Trigg said.
“It isn’t just a play, it’s an experience.” Bassin couldn’t agree more. “You gotta play with people,” he said. “Let them think, ‘oh, things will be fine.’ But they’re really not fine.”
But the Jakarta Players don’t just play with people’s minds, when they’re not busy putting on productions they also get Jakarta’s gutsiest actors to come together for monthly improvisation and drama nights and use the profit from productions to give back to the community.
Proceeds from the November production of “Veronica’s Room” will go directly to Habitat for Humanity.
“We’ve been working with Habitat for Humanity for almost a year now and the idea is that with each production we raise enough money to build one house to give an Indonesian family a home,” Bassin said.
“Habitat has a lot of work to do in Indonesia so this is a nice partnership.” Jakarta Players membership is free and open to anyone interested in theater.
The group doesn’t just put on plays, but provides Jakarta’s theater-loving community with a monthly night out where the players drink, chat and do a bit of improv.
Making things even more interesting, the eclectic group crosses generation lines, from high school students to retirees.
“For me it’s about finding the right balance in life between focusing on your work here in Indonesia and being able to have a creative outlet,” Bassin said.
“Finding all those different pieces of the puzzle: It’s a social outlet, you get to be creative. It keeps life from being too one note,” he added.
‘Veronica’s Room’
Nov. 5 — 8 p.m.
Nov. 6 — 8 p.m.
Nov. 7 — 3 p.m.
American Club, Jl. Brawijaya IV No. 20 Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta 12160
Ticket inquiries can be addressed to jakarta.players@yahoo.com or contact 081383972314
For more information visit http://www.expat.or.id/orgs/jakartaplayers.html
MY JAKARTA PLAYERS!
Jakarta Actors Combine Work and Plays
Ade Mardiyati | November 05, 2009
For more than four decades, a community of Indonesians and expatriates has been getting together to dig out their hidden acting talents. Jakarta Players, as the group is called, has 333 members and has performed famous plays, including “The Dining Room,” “Godspell” and “Murder on the Midway.”
Andrew Trigg, president of Jakarta Players, said he wasn’t entirely sure how the group began, but it was 41 years ago.
“Back in the 1960s there was much less entertainment than today and not many entertainment options for expatriates in Jakarta,” he said.
Although Jakarta Players has hundreds of members, far fewer are active in the group, said Andrew, who is from the United Kingdom and has lived in Indonesia for 20 years.
“Expats arrive and leave, new people come in, and it’s always been like that,” said Andrew, the director of management consulting company SolutionWorks. “It was probably much bigger in the past than it is now. Today, we have to compete with cinemas, karaoke and malls to attract people to come for entertainment.
“But we have board meetings every month. We make plans for annual shows. We select plays, conduct auditions, sell tickets. The active members are also involved in the productions.”
The group, whose members share an interest in English-language drama and theater, gathers the first Friday of each month for a Drama Night, during which participants perform short plays, fairy-tale improvisations and play games. The session is also a chance to attract new members.
“Friends tell their friends about this group, and they come. We welcome everyone,” said Andrew’s wife, Marissa, the membership coordinator and a Metro TV presenter. “We go out of our way to make people feel at home, especially new members.”
Newcomers are welcome to get up on stage and perform, Andrew said. “We never force people, though. If they don’t want to, they can just sit and watch others performing.”
Last month’s Drama Night was a particular success, as several people new to the group took to the stage to perform a courtroom scene.
“And they didn’t seem to be nervous or awkward. [Their acting] was fantastic!” Marissa said.
The Jakarta Players’s members come from all walks of life and from many different nations.
“Unlike other organizations in Jakarta defined by their nationalities, we are defined by a common love of drama,” Andrew said. “I think that is pretty much what draws people to join.”
Marissa said the Jakarta Players included embassy staff members, teachers, international school students and more. “It is definitely a melting pot.”
Ferdina Siregar, or Dina, works as a compliance manager for an insurance brokerage and joined the group in October.
“My friend told me about this and I wanted to come,” she said.
October’s Drama Night was her first experience with the group and she happily took part in a game. “I played the ‘Helping Hands’ game with my friend in front of other members. I wasn’t nervous at all,” she said, referring to an improv game many people know from the TV show “Whose Line Is It Anyway?”
“People laughed and that was awesome for me. I just loved it and want to come to Drama Night regularly.”
Another member, Yuventius Nurman, known as Yuven, joined the group in March this year and has already been involved in a production.
“I was in a play called ‘Assorted Nuts,’ ” said Yuven, a consultant for the provincial government of Yogyakarta. “Most of us live a high-paced life. So I thought this would be a great chance to meet new people and to speak English at the same time.”
Jakarta Players’ youngest member, Belinda Betz, said that her parents had dragged her to the group a few years ago.
“They did that to keep me out of trouble, you know, typical teenager,” the 16-year-old German national said with a laugh.
Betz auditioned for a role three years ago but was not successful.
“I wanted a role as a fat woman but didn’t get the part because they said that I wasn’t fat,” she said.
When she finally got a chance to act on stage, she was nervous.
“But I trusted the actors I was on the stage with. I think I am improving,” she said. “And what is more important, it has always been really great and nice to be in this group.”
Both Andrew and Marissa said “The Dining Room” was one of their most successful productions.
“There was only one set,” Marissa said, “and we had only six actors for the play, but they played 52 characters. And I think it was really great.”
The group has planned their next major production for early 2010, Andrew said. The costs of productions are mainly covered by the group, although they now have a sponsor to assist. Ticket sales also help allay costs.
“But the tickets are cheap, they range between Rp 50,000 and Rp 100,000 [$5.25 to $10.50],” Andrew said. “And the profits from the sales of tickets always go to charity.”
Most members feel they benefit from being part of Jakarta Players.
“It gives me an option for having fun,” new member Dina said. “It’s a totally good way to have a great time!”
