Opera- P5 (Ms. Bynoe-Walker’s class)


Setting: Ancient Egypt –
Year: 747 BCE (the year in which Egypt is taken over by the Nubians under King Kashta)
Characters: Karnak and Alik (slaves) – main characters; descendants of captured Nubians from 1950 – 1100 BCE when Egypt ruled Nubia.
Egyptian soldiers
Old slave - Nefti
King Kashta (king of Nubia)
Mean trader and his 2 workers
2 soldiers
Pharaoh of Egypt

Theme: Freedom



Beginning:

1) A group of slaves are pulling a large block of stone on their way to build a pyramid. There are Egyptian soldiers there to supervise. One of the slaves, Karnak, stumbles and falls. Alik, a fellow slave and friend goes to help him but is whipped by one of the soldiers.

(Alik sings a song about the injustice of slavery)

2) The slaves return to their slave village. Karnak and Alik discuss what happened today and decide to run away to neighboring Nubia, their ancestors’ homeland. They talk about the greatness of Nubia – its gold and ivory and other riches and its trade with many other civilizations.

(Karnak and Alik sing a song about the greatness of Nubia)

3) At night they decide to sneak away and get the help of an old slave, Nefti, who is willing to sacrifice his life to help them escape by distracting the soldiers.

(Nefti sings a song about his time is almost up so he is willing to die to help)


Middle:

4) Karnak and Alik manage to escape. They travel for a long time across the desert. They meet up with a mean trader who is on his way to Egypt. The mean trader and his 2 workers recapture Karnak and Alik intending to return them to Egypt to claim some reward money.

(mean trader and his 2 workers sing about the reward money)

5) While the mean trader and his 2 workers fall asleep at night, Karnak and Alik manage to escape their captors and take a camel, some water and some food.

6) Karnak and Alik finally enter Nubia. They are jubilant.

(Karnak and Alik sing a song about reaching Nubia)

7) As they enter a Nubian village the villagers see them and shout in awe. Karnak and Alik are puzzled. It turns out that Karnak and Alik resemble 2 Ancient Nubian gods.

(song by villagers)


8) The villagers take Karnak and Alik to King Kashta, the Nubian king. King Kashta hates the Egyptian King and is pleased that his people think the 2 slaves are gods and plans to use this to invade Egypt.

(King Kashta sings a song about taking over Egypt)


Ending


9) Karnak and Alik lead the Nubian army into Egypt to overthrow the pharaoh.

(song by whole army)

10) 2 soldiers are sent to the palace to assassinate the pharaoh and the vizier. The other soldiers go to fight the Egyptian army.

11) King Kashta’s army defeats the Egyptians and frees the Nubian slaves.

(song by Nubian slaves)

12) Nubia rules Egypt from 747 BCE until 647 BCE.