Dramaturgical Analysis and Cultural Values in the Staging of the Musical Dance Poem Mengayau in Sabah

This musical dance poetry performance is a narrative adaptation of the folk tales of the Iranun community, reinterpreted through the integration of dance, music, poetry, and acting within a contemporary musical framework. This paper aims to examine the performance structure and cultural significance in the staging of the musical dance poetry "Mengayau" performed at the Auditorium of the National Department for Culture and Arts (JKKN), Sabah. This paper employs a qualitative approach using interview methods, direct observation of the performance, and analysis of historical and academic documents related to the Iranun tradition. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis and supported by Aristotle's dramaturgical analysis theory (1996) as well as performance semiotics to evaluate the narrative structure and cultural sign system manifested through body, sound, and text. The study found that the performance of mengayau demonstrates a strong artistic cohesion between choreography, musical structure, and poetry as the main dramatic drivers. Dance serves as a body language that expresses emotions, conflicts, and character transformations, while poetry and song lyrics act as a reflective medium that connects literal and symbolic meanings. In the cultural aspect, this performance acts as a channel for reinterpreting the identity and collective memory of the Iranun community, particularly in interpreting the narrative of 'mengayau' in terms of contemporary values and sensitivities. This paper contributes to the discourse of performing arts by asserting the musical performance as a living, dynamic, and multilayered cultural text.