Concept: There is an endless amount of issues and problems that the world faces every day. They won’t be resolved on their own; not until someone does something about each and every problem. So, the most important thing is to learn how to fix problems and actually achieve change. If people are ready to change and to stand up for what’s right, then whatever problems come along, there will be ways to fix them.
Plot: The main character, Maya, was born with a curse. Each night, when she went to sleep, she dreamed of the future. When she was a child, she thought these were just nightmares. As she grew up, she realized that what people simply called “déjà vu” was not the case for her. She witnessed things in real life that she had dreamt of months or even years ago. The reality was just as frightening as her dreams and the news on TV was filled with her dreams on display. As a child, the problems she dreamed of were small and suitable for her age, like puppies running away and toys falling and breaking. As a teenager, she saw problems in her community that later affected her close friends and family members. The older she got, the larger scale problems she foresaw.
As she grew up, Maya tried influencing the world to prevent what she had dreamed of. For example, when she was five years old, she saw her dog running out of the house and being hit by a car. So, for the next three months, she stood in the middle of the street to stop cars from passing when her dog was out in the yard. You can imagine that the neighbors did not fancy this. Her parents tried everything, but she was determined. No one wanted to cooperate with her. After three months, Maya woke up as her mother opened the door to the backyard. Before she could run out of the house, her dream became a reality.
Maya was a kind heart and instead of turning vengeful and angry at the world for not wanting to cooperate with her, she was constantly explaining and sharing her dreams in hope of changing something. Her family became tired of her and her classmates dreaded starting a conversation with her. With time and many tears, Maya understood the paradox that people don’t listen to words. Words didn’t affect people the way she wanted them to and the way she felt them and yet she knew they would happen sooner or later.
As a young adult, Maya found a loving man who wanted to help her and listen to her dreams. He loved her endlessly and was determined to stop the dreams that made her struggle. He was ready to do whatever she said. After a couple of years, they had a sweet daughter, which they named Vyara. Maya worried that her daughter would have the same curse. Thankfully, she didn’t, however, Maya passed down the kind heart she had to Vyara and she was the sweetest girl.
Each night, before Vyara went to sleep, Maya would tell her a story. The stories were often the same as her dreams, but she usually changed them to be more acceptable for her little girl. At the end of each story, Vyara thought of a way that the small problems could be fixed. She said, things like, “if every person started riding a bicycle to work, wouldn’t the cars become less?” and “if the cars are less, wouldn’t the sky princess get better and stop coughing?” Maya was appalled and shared these moments with her husband. They watched Vyara grow up and she became dedicated to always doing the right thing. The older she got, the less fearful Maya’s dreams were. When she graduated college, she decided to become a teacher. With each end of the school year, Maya’s sleep got better.
Stage & Costumes: The costumes are simplistic and casual. They should be something that everyone can relate to, in order to make the viewers see themselves in everyday life. Maya has a more specific dress that fades from black to white, symbolizing change. The stage is where creativity is important. While Maya sleeps, her dreams are acted out by people in costumes and the lights and sounds should be dramatic. These elements should make the audience believe the dreams and really feel what Maya is feeling.
Lesson: Speaking about problems can do only so much. If people don’t want to cooperate with change, it is hard for one person to change the world. People need to stand together when they decide to change something. Professions like teaching are invaluable and they help teach young people values that can help the world. Those that are dedicated to being good people, regardless of inconveniences and hardships, are the ones that truly change things.
*My idea to write about a woman who dreamed of the future was inspired by the short film “Blind Vaysha”*
By Ellen Stoyanov
