Winner of OnAsia Photojournalism Contest 2011, Category Photo Essay
17 transgender live, act and sleep in a small theater complex. Every thursday and Saturday
night the Ludruk show starts at 7pm; 15 cents of a euro it is the price of the ticket for a three
hours show. An average of 15 spectators per show it is enough to make the Waria (how are
called the transgender in Bahasa Indonesia) make up and dress the best costumes for the
night show..
The salary for the Waria it is 50 cents of euro per performance , the time for make up takes
them at least 2 hours and up to 5 euro per month to renew the make up products. The passion
of this transgenders to keep the Javanese culture it is difficult to see now a days; maybe that's
why the governor of Surabaya, a Muslim leader, help this Ludruk Company by let them use a
theater for free, as a prize of keeping the culture, but closing the eyes to don't see the sexual
habits of the Waria.
(More) ...