Title: InterColors
Topic: Breaking the Traditional Couple Image/Interracial Couples
Costume: Nude undergarments with painted bodies (red and blue)
Stage Sets:
- Bridge: colorful, almost trippy like, swirling patterns
- Red Clan: variations of red structures
- Blue Clan: variations of blue structures
Lighting:
- Each clan has same over casting light as their clan/skin (red or blue)
- Lighting near bridge: multi, swirling colors
Characters:
- Boy: Demetrius
- Blue
- Son of clan leader
- Girl: Adeline
- Red
- Average member of clan
- Parents of both main characters
- Fiancee: Pamela
- Blue
- Daughter of high official of clan
Scene 1:
The scene opens with the girl, Adeline, standing on the opposite side of a multicolored bridge while the boy, Demetrius, stands on the other side. The girl is covered with red paint while the boy is covered in blue. The two notice each other from either side and begin walking towards each other, aiming to meet in the middle. They begin to sing about the awe and curiosity they are feeling for each other. Once they meet in the middle, they are both too scared to talk to each other so they just continue to stare. Without knowing it, their love for each other had been established. The two are about to touch finger tips noticing a swirl of colors run along their finger tips before a bell rings signaling that midnight had come. The two exchange names and run back to their respective sides to go back home.
Scene 2:
Demetrius arrives home greeting his family who happens to be the leaders of the blue clan. His father goes on describing the wedding plans they have for his arranged marriage with Pamela (the daughter of a high official of the blue clan) that will take place in two days. Demetrius then tells his parents about his encounter with the red girl, Adeline, but is met with anger and a warning that mixing with another colored clan will lead to disease and exile. His father goes on to telling a story of one clan member that mixed with a purple clan member and ended up being exiled and soon died there after being with the purple girl. Demetrius ignores his father’s story and storms off. In his room, Demetrius sings a song of worry about the repercussions he may face if he continues to see Adeline. In the end, he realizes that his father’s story may just be false and decides that he shall run away with Adeline.The scene cuts to Adeline singing the same song of worry, but chooses that she too will run away with Demetrius.
Scene 3:
The next day, late at night, Adeline and Demetrius meet again at the multicolored bridge. They sing a love song about how they will not listen to the rumors and warnings of their family and will run away together. Once they reach the middle of the bridge, the two finally share a kiss and suddenly the color of their skin matches the swirling colors of the bridge thus realizing their parents’ stories were false. The two clans run to the bridge and see the two lovers and their new skin and gasp with horror. Adeline and Demetrius sing a song to soothe their fellow clan members and tell them that they are fine and feel no such pain or disease. The two clans join them on the bridge and two children from each clan also meet in the middle. A blue child holds his hand out to the red child. As they join hands, their hands change into the swirling colors of the bridge. They smile and the clans soon realize that the rumors and horror stories were false and realize that prejudice and hatred for one another were useless baseless.
Reflection:
As our country and world is evolving and becoming somewhat more accepting, I wanted to create this opera focusing on the evolution of the image of couples and, in specific, interracial couples. I personally come from a very traditional family who believes that we should date and marry within the same culture; however, I have personally went against this by dating someone outside of my culture. Creating this opera shows that love and being with someone is more than just sharing the same cultural aspects. The two clans and their colors represent two different cultures. The multicolored bridge symbolizes the idea that ultimately, although we may all be different, we can all join together and mix. I found that dating and being with someone is about getting to know them on a deeper level than just the color of their skin or the culture they come from. We see numerous of interracial couples now and numerous of other couples that are breaking the traditional image of lovers. This opera aims to show the viewers that love is more than just sharing the same traditions and culture. Love is about loving another individual for their personality, character, and their being rather than their background.
Claire Ng
