Aboveground: An Opera Concept by Marie Traore
Topic: Environmental Protection and Corruption
Main Characters (Consistent):
- Naomi
- Tobias
- Yara
- Chanel
- Tyson
- Sterling
Main Characters (Inconsistent):
- Jasmine
- Juan
- Mister X
Scene One: The opera opens up with a setting of a boot camp-like space. The rooms are divided into strategic spaces with bunk beds and shelves. We are introduced to all of the characters as they are heading to eat lunch. The lunch halls are desolate places that are metal cladded. The area looks like a prison. People eat in silence as they wear their grey outfits. Everyone wears grey slacks and a grey shirt. The only people who do not wear grey are the officers guarding every space, they wear black. The meals are bland and the group of five friends are talking amongst each other as per usual.
Scene Two: Tyson is tossing and turning in his sleep in a violent manner. Tobias runs to help him, and Tyson wakes up in his own pool of sweat. Tyson is looking around in fear as Tobias asks him what is wrong. Tyson looks directly into the camera surveilling him and says “nothing”.
Scene Three: Tobias is wary of Tyson, so he corners Naomi to explain what happened last night. Naomi is dating Tyson so Tobias is hoping he can get some answers. Naomi shifts and gives Tobias a fake smile and states that she knows nothing as she hastily walks away. Tobias begins to question whether they are his true friends. He then approaches Yara who is close to Naomi than Chanel. Yara’s eyes widen and she starts to tremble. Tobias is getting frustrated as no one is telling him what is wrong, so Yara grabs his hand and caresses it to act like they are being affectionate, but in reality, she is hinting to Tobias that she will explain later.
Scene Four: Yara is not supposed to be in Quad 1236728 where Tobias resides, but she tells the guard to let her pass as she wants to see Tobias because she is sad. The guard allows her to enter, but she sets an alarm for one minute. Yara fakes tears to Tobias who hugs her. She holds his hand and in that exchange, a note falls from her hand to his. Tobias is in awe at how intelligent and strategic Yara has been. Maybe she has defied the system before? He thinks to himself. They both thank the guard and Yara leaves.
Scene Five: Tobias opens the note when everyone is asleep. It reads:
At 23:58 right before the day changes, Tyson has a breakdown. This is because his brother Juan was tortured and killed at 11:58 years before when the war was still happening. Tyson was traumatized to see his best friend leave him. He cries out for help for two minutes until 00:00 and he wakes up in a cold sweat. The guards have tried to vaccinate Tyson with a more powerful memory loss serum, but this memory simply won’t leave him. The guards just claim he has sleep attacks, but it is trauma. The only way Tyson can get over this is to see his brother. But his brother was thrown onto the “aboveground” and left for dead. (BURN MESSAGE ONCE READ).
Tobias burns the message in the kerosene lamp as chills run down his spine. Suddenly, a guard opens the door and asks him why he was crouched in a corner. Tobias blames it on anxiety. The clock strikes 23:58 and Tyson has his attack. Tobias cries as he shakes in fear and sadness for his friend.
Scene Six: Yara avoids looking at Tobias but he is desperate for answers. Tobias asks Chanel for advice and Chanel whispers that there is a hidden room they can go whisper in. She states not to go with more than two people. Tobias takes Yara and the guards think nothing of it as they think they are dating. Tobias asks Yara if anything will happen to Tyson and she begins to cry. She states that the guards want to kill him and act as though he committed suicide. They are threatening to trash him to the Aboveground. Tobias hugs Yara and dries her tears as he insists on coming up with a plan. Yara claims that there already is one. Naomi insists she needs to Tyson alive so they can make children. The goal of the New Order Administration is to boost the population, so they are only keeping Tyson alive for that purpose, Yara explains.
Scene Seven: The next day, Yara brings Tobias back to the secret room. She states she doesn’t want to live here anymore. Yara claims that she has been sneaking to the control room and has found out that the aboveground is not as awful as people say it is. Tobias is convinced she has gone mad and insists to get her help. Yara insists that she avoids getting her vaccines and serums, because the New World Administration tries to manipulate people with the medicine and drugs.
Scene Eight to Ten is Yara gaining knowledge about the aboveground and formulating her escape while providing knowledge to her friends.
Scene Eleven: Yara creates a scene in the lunchroom with her friends and they are all taken to Room 505. Room 505 is a dreaded, pre-torture room. The group is given fake vaccines from an insider named Jasmine (Jasmine is introduced as a spy to the Administration in Scene Nine). Jasmine wants to escape too, so she is helping the group. Mister X is introduced. He is the dictator of the Administration who reveals many secrets in this scene without knowing that Jasmine did not really sedate the group. He even reveals that Juan is alive which almost foils the plan as Tyson starts twitching with anger. The group is lead to Room 505 but surprise attack as Jasmine and Agent Parker get weapons for them and the massacre the leaders. They run to the Aboveground and find Juan there as Tyson cries in joy. They see flowers and other things for the first time as Juan reveals how they need to run far away from the Administration. He explains that the Administration wanted to trap humans underground after the war, because the planet became inhabitable. They wanted to restore the planet by moving humans below ground like animals, and they chose to keep the humans there forever because they considered them ungrateful and they liked the power. The planet Earth (“Aboveground”) was healing, but the Administration was manipulating humans for power and money.
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Some Notes to Remember: I enjoyed writing this, but I could not go nearly as in depth as a I wanted to or else it would take a lot of time to read, and I would probably have written a libretto too. This story has concepts and ideas that have been in other stories. The underground concept comes from The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, specifically the second and third books when district 13 was burned down and inhabitable. The “seeing the flowers for the first time” came from the “Allegory of the Cave” by Plato. The names used were from some of my favorite celebrities. The Administration, guards, spying, dictatorship, and Room 505 was inspired by the novel 1984 by George Orwell. Also, the serums and vaccines to manipulate people was an idea stemming from The Divergent Series, a dystopian series by Veronica Roth as well as The Matrix movie. This story relates to environmental protection because the planet was harmed to a point that there were no more resources or enough air or water for that matter. Also, it included corruption because corrupt businessmen insist that climate change does not exist just for gain.
Regarding the costumes, they are all dark and “sad” colors. These colors are associated with hospitals or funerals. Also, the food is lifeless and has a “grey” look to them. The people also have grey skin and sorrowful eyes. This is inspired from the 1984 setting. The stage would mostly be the same metal cladded looking areas until we go Aboveground and see the sun and flowers. This is the first time the audience will see colors besides grey, black, and white. The lighting will also be dim until the Aboveground where there will be a sunset and sunlight. This stage lighting will be as bright as Sarastro’s sun in The Magic Flute.
By: Marie Traore
City Stories: “Empire State of Mind” Movie
Make a Movie
Main Characters
- Zara
- Dave
- Justin
- Xenia
- Narrator
This story would be a movie. This movie would be set in New York City. This movie would utilize the city for a love story. The film would be based off of a scene from Gossip Girl as well as elements of The Great Gatsby. The movie is going to open with Zara struggling to work and pay off her bills. She has financial responsibility with regards to her family, so she works very hard. She was born and raised in the Bronx. Zara has been told by her mom that with enough work, she can be anything she wants to be. She currently attends New York University as well as works two jobs. No one’s believes her, but this is very much true at the expense of Zara’s social life. She can go to the university due to the HEOP program. Zara goes from NYU to study at Washington Square Park for a little bit. Her current best friend is Justin (also hidden ex-lover). However, she feels as though she may be giving up on him because of her lack of time. When Zara is working at her movie theater job, a guy comes up to her and pays for his ticket. He then tips her $1,000.00. She is shocked and asks for his occupation. He tells her not to worry. He is an American guy who travels worldwide and currently resides in the United Kingdom. His name is Dave. Throughout the movie, Dave and Zara get closer as she enjoys her time with him. Xenia and Zara are also best friends. This is until one night at a party at Pier 59, Dave and Xenia kiss. Zara feels betrayed since she had feelings for Justin for about five years now. Over the span of the movie (which is about one year), Justin has been asking Zara to move with him to London. Zara has always wanted to, but she could not afford it. Ultimately, the day that Justin offers his apology, Dave purposely makes Zara choose him or Justin as he says “follow this map, follow your heart.” Dave has sent Zara a three-step puzzle. A conflicted Zara chooses to trust her gut and ignore Justin. Dave has supported her more than Justin and Xenia. The clues go as follows:
- Go to the Carousel in Central Park to find a puzzle, piece it together and follow the answer.
- (The answer is the red stairs at Times Square) Then, find the chest at the top of the stairs the next answer is there.
- (Last one is the Empire State building) Dave is at the top waiting with an engagement ring, plan ticket, and flowers.
Zara is a hopeless romantic and cries of joy. Dave helped her emotionally and financially, but this was all too much. She accepted his engagement. Then, Dave reveals that he is a wealthy business owner of the wealthiest Hollywood company. He appreciates Zara for loving him and not his money. Zara moves to London and becomes a big-name actress on her own. She eventually marries Dave. A few years down the line, Xenia is married to a Californian man and moves there. Justin is the only one left in the city as he looks at Zara’s success on news sites while sitting in her old favorite spot in Washington Square Park.
Reflection: This was a pretty lengthy storyline for a well thought out movie. The inspiration for Zara is Daisy Buchanan. Gatsby took too long to get back to Daisy resulting in her going to Tom. The top of the Empire State meeting occurred between Blair and Chuck in Gossip Girl. My favorite genres are romance and comedy, so I planned out a movie with those. Also, Gossip Girl is my favorite show, and the Great Gatsby, as cliché as it is, is one of my favorite novels. My story flowed from those two points of inspiration into something completely new. I used the medium of a movie, because it best encompasses many other mediums. Also, it can be made into a play. The movie would include symbolize and music to depicted certain scenes and moods. I would want the music to start out with a little bit of diminished chords to replicate Zara’s struggle. When she goes to the park, it is more upbeat as it shows her passion for studying and work. When Dave comes into her life it would be the happiest and most delicate melodies. Also, the scenery would be important. I would brighten some scenes more than others, but just enough to be noticeable and not too harsh. I would also manipulate the weather with dark skies or have certain props like dirty trash in the sidewalks compared to the red carpets Zara later experiences. Zara’s life did not change due to a man. She knew her worth, he was just her partner. The story may seem like just a love story, but I want the viewers to interpret for themselves, and to get something deeper. I would want to notice how Justin ended up stuck on Zara as she became someone strong, independent, and important. These mediums enhance my story, because they have prevalent emotional actions and comparisons to reactions. It’s like when people hear sad songs in movies it signifies something bad like a death. Both the Great Gatsby and Gossip Girl are set in New York. It was easy to relate these pieces to my story and setting. However, the riddle thing was a unique aspect. I chose the carousel in Central Park because it reminds me of so many happy times. I have seen so many happy children and adults around there on warmer days. I also had many good memories with my high school friends in that region of the park. The red stairs have been a trait for me and best friend. Although we are native New Yorkers, we love sitting on those stairs once a week as we catch up about college. The final part is the Empire State Building which has a stunning view and an air of romanticism. All of these places are fairly clean happy places for me in New York.
New York, New York!
Some of these images are not super weird or things that I have never seen. They are just images of items that I take for granted or that I usually do not pay attention to on a daily basis. With that being said these images were slightly organic for me as I spotted these items and was compelled to take a picture of them with a bigger message behind them.
The first image is a sunset. Everyone has seen one. The reason why I chose this was because the meaning behind it. I love sunsets. They make me feel serene. However, lately, I have not been able to enjoy my surroundings since I have been running around with responsibilities. This sunset made me think of how relaxing my summer in my uncle’s house at Virginia. The colors blending together gave me sense of peace. Why? Well, New York is so busy and everything is so urgent that it leads you to drown yourself fin work at times. I think a contrast of this is the sunset. There was studium when I took this picture since it intrigued me, but there was much more punctum as it made me think about my goals. I want to be able to live a life where I enjoy my job and also have a good amount of leisure time. Although New York is the city of dreams, it is not the most relaxing one.
The second image is a set of flowers. This was taken when I was walking from the Met Breuer. The colors of these flowers provided some punctum for me, because this was a cloudy day. It seemed as though everything on that street was void of color except for the flowers. This made me think of how New York is never completely void of color. There is always a kind gesture being done, a concert taking place, or bustling life whether the day or night. These flowers symbolized that as well as the small spaces made to help the environment aesthetically and environmentally. I personally do not acknowledge these spaces on a daily basis. I think they describe New York, and they bring an element that differs New York City with other places.
The third picture that I captured was of a yellow cab driving past a park in Chinatown. This car was going so quickly that I only caught the tail-end. I notice cabs all the time, so this did not cause punctum. However, there was studium as it also related to two previous ideas. It relates to the sunset image since it goes along with the quick New York theme. Whether it’s the cabs or the citizens, everyone always has a place to be. Funny thing is as I was taking this picture, someone pushed past me to make the light. This is the peak of irony. Also, the cabs are a staple of New York. Everyone knows these cabs. It displays how timeless New York is to its inhabitants and the tourists.
The fourth picture is of Washington Square Park. I am frequently in that area, especially since some of my friends attend New York University. I have always admired Washington Square for multiple reasons. One reason is that the arc reminds me of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. It gives me a piece of the French in me, especially since I have not been there in a year going on two. A second notable aspect is that Washington Square Park has this very unique theme of having a contrast of a busy New York yet a calm group of people. There is so much happening at once with the street performers, vendors, and people running around. However, there are also people sitting on the bench simply relaxing. One of those people is usually me. I love to sit and watch such a diverse group of people enjoying a space. Often times people join in on my conversation, and I meet new friends. This park is so notable to me. It is symbolic of New York as it is a tourist destination yet it is also displays the leisure concept I have expressed in the past.
The fifth picture is of me on Long Island City. Weirdly enough it is in Queens not Long Island. This park is another example of contrast in the city. However, this park is arguably even more of a spot for leisure. I came here frequently in the summer. There is grass and there is also a river. If anyone has been here, there is also the iconic Pepsi Cola sign as well as a breathtaking view of the city. I appreciate these parks, because it adds more greenery and trees to the city scenery, but it also involves the much-needed relaxation aspect. Frequently, we tend to ignore our mental health by packing on our work. Studying for that test is more valuable than sleep, but that does not make much sense since you should not be tired on the test! These parks provide a balance that should be prevalent in our lives as well.
The sixth picture is of the building across the street from me. I appreciate my neighborhood, because I am near Central Park North. I have walked the length of the park to get home before, and it makes me slightly sad that I don’t do much of stuff like that anymore. Anyways, these buildings not only give me comfort as it reminds me of “home sweet home”, but I appreciate that they are only about five stories. This is a contrast in the city, since Manhattan is known for its skyscrapers. It is important to know where one’s heart is, and that’s home. It is my New York City home.
The seventh and final picture is that of a trash can. It makes me think of several concepts, but two of the biggest ones are balance and the environment. What I mean by balance Is that it makes me think of the debate about whether one can put trash dumping centers in wealthy neighbors or if they should keep going to the Bronx (WHICH ALREADY HAS 19!!). This portrays some of the inequality that people try to overlook in the city. People tend to burden the poor as if certain issues are their fault hen it really is not. Also, the increase of trash cans and recycling will hopefully cause people to have better habits, because our planet is really in need of that help.
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