Asian Culture and History; Vol. 9, No. 2; 2017 ISSN 1916-9655 E-ISSN 1916-9663 Published by Canadian Center of Science and Education 71 The Role of Mantra in Theater Makyong Tety Kurmalasari 1 , Abdul Rahim Hamdan 2 & Satria Agust 1 1 Fakulti Education, Universiti Maritim Raja Ali Haji, Kepri, Indonesia 2 Faculty Education, University Technology Malaysia, Joor Bahru, Malaysia Correspondance: Tety Kurmalasari, Fakulti Education, Universiti Maritim Raja Ali Haji, Kepri, Indonesia. E-mail: tetykurmalasari@yahoo.co.id Received: October 21, 2015 Accepted: November 2, 2016 Online Published: August 10, 2017 doi:10.5539/ach.v9n2p71 URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.5539/ach.v9n2p71 Abstract The research is based on the study of literature. The problem of this research was uses of the spell in theater makyong. The study of uses of the spell in theater makyong is assumed so interesting, because until now theater makyong has still been using spell used by the Panjak chairman to chase away the evil and averse evil before the show begins which is well-known as the ceremony of the"discard wet" or "open land". The spell in theater makyong consists of swearing, the evil, and averse evil spells related to ceremonies open land or discard wet, installing fabric spell, advanced series spell, make-up spell, perindang voice spell and pembungkam (speechless) spell. The sources of the data in this research were obtained from litelature and the Tanjungpinang Art Conservatory Foundation which has kept preserving Theater Makyong till now. The technique of collecting data was done by using the observation technique, interview, and recording elicited from the Panjak chairman, especially about the spell. The data were analyzed by using the collecting data technique. Relating to the research findings, there were seven spells associated with the stage opening ceremony and wet soil or waste opening ceremony and five spells associated with inner preparations existing in theater makyong. The use or the role of spell was as a protection. Keywords: spells, Theater Makyong 1. Introduction Theater Makyong which was half of century ago is not only the local people's presentation as entertainment, but also alive story drama as the performance and grows in several places of Riau Archipelago Province. Theater Makyong only remains in Mantang Charcoal Furnace, East Bintan District, Riau Island Province. In its development, Makyong theater is inseparable from the life of the literary development of the traditional area of the Riau Islands. Laxemburg (1984) says that if people want to know what the values of life in the midst of a cultural environment, they should learn the genre produced by the culture well. Theater Makyong plays a role for the traditional art which is able to enrich the national culture. Art in Theater Makyong offers seeing spell, spell or Malay curse read during the ceremony as the preliminary reading for the smoothness of Makyong performance. The art of the Makyong Drama is preceded as modern theater which medium performances is unique and a bit different from the theater owned by other ethnic performing arts showing the typical populist containing elements of play like full vibrant sounds in a story being played. Blast of trumpets, long drum beats and gedombak, Paluan mong and bring and gung, while witty comedy and dance intertwine into a single show are on display in a specific time (Syasuddin, 1982). Before the Makyong show begins, its classic tradition starts purifying stage area called as Buang Basa or Buku tanah. During the ceremony mantra will be read. Reading the Mantra is an effort to seek a protection of Lord, either direct request or through the intermediary of supernatural beings. This mantra recitation usually led by a chairman panjak are considered as sacred or by a shaman who is able to connect supernatural world to Human. Koentjaraningrat (Djamaris, 1996) states that the mantra is an important element in the techniques of magic. Mantra in the form of words and sounds is often meaningless, but conceives supernatural power or a power considered as curse. Mantra is a prayer formulation comprising a string of words considered as supernatural power content and a power to achieve, automatically, what human beings desire. Orkas, in Soedjijono et al. (1987) states that mantra is bound with the absolute form or arrangement which should not be changed, as the heritage of the