The N.O.

The Nigga’s Opera

      By: B.Z. Shawn Eckles, J. Steven Baker

Background and Reasoning:

      This play is a rendition of the Three Penny Opera , by Bertolt Brecht which was sculpted after The Beggars Opera by John Gay.*(summary of 3penny opera) The Three Penny was a German play set in the late 1700’s. Still, we seem to experiencing many of their same situations and lifestyles in present day America. By this correlation we’ve drawn a conclusion; people, or “niggas,” do many of the things they do because of their lifestyles and experiences, not because they are dysfunctional as individuals.

      The setting for these performances will be their host city. The N.O. is based on people from the ages of eight through early forties and is set in the year 2007. This is a modern reenactment of a group of hidden personalities and lifestyles relative to American Society. This cultivation of people are referred to as “niggas.” This brings us to the Nigga’s Opera, (The N.O.).

      The N.O. is all about unveiling the true obstacles that many people face. These situations shape and affect one on an everyday basis, yet they are dealt with in an indirect fashion. The N.O. also emphasizes the reality of what one does, what happens to one, can affect a wide range of people.

      The N.O. is consistently humorous while simultaneously reminding us of over looked realities. This allows for the audiences attention to be maintained while the messages are easily digested. This cause is also aided by the use of real life experiences, some directly from the actors and artist. Many songs and poems are based on actual lifestyles, however the plot and events are all fantasy.

      The Niggas Opera is an internal reflection of the artificial categories with which we label people and people label themselves. There should be few to none that are not sensative to the realism of this play. The N.O. experience will rape the ear, stimulate the mind, and pleases the vision.

Plot Summary:

      The character Black has come back to his old stomping grounds (the city in which the play is performed). His child hood friend, an officer, has set him up with some high price assassination work and a front as a strip club owner. While living in this location he meets a new love and starts to have flashes of looking at life from a broader perspective for the first time.

      All Black wants to do is make his money and have sex with his women. But no, he has to fall for a girl and long for a family in turn causing a concern for his younger crew members. Even a politician, he's read about being a good man, may have been as good as he thought. It seems that there are no good people in his world. He also finds out that his new love is connected to one of his old ones. This surprise just adds to the other revelations Black faces during the play.

      Many people promote one set of rules and live by another. Black has felt like he’s been forced to pretend as well. This was supposed to be a home coming. Things are not going as planned, but he refuses to run away from the problems he is facing this time. While realizing people he tries to care about and/or considers good people are the most corrupt he chooses make them face themselves and him as they truly in the suspesful ending.