Omar

Omar Synopsis by Allison Chu

ACT I

Futa Toro (present-day Senegal), 1807. Omar ibn Said recites the Qur’an. Omar’s Mother leads the village in prayer to Allah, asking for guidance and assistance. Slavers have been pillaging the region, and Omar’s brother, convinced that an agreement will secure peace, plans to negotiate with them. While Omar prefers to leave his fate in Allah’s hands, his brother is determined to control his destiny, and he leaves to continue the negotiations. Omar’s brother soon discovers that he has been deceived, and the village is raided. Slavers overrun the village and begin taking people prisoner. In the chaos, Omar is separated from his family, and his mother is murdered.

The Middle Passage. Omar is shackled with other men in the hold of a ship. They do not speak the same language and struggle to introduce themselves. Inhumane conditions have caused disease and death. Two white slavers watch over the prisoners, concerned about their future profits.

The Slave Market, Charleston, South Carolina. Julie, an enslaved woman, is dragged into the market for sale by a white kidnapper. She plans to escape and return to the Owen plantation in Fayetteville. At the market, she encounters Omar, but he cannot understand her English. Undeterred, she tells Omar that if he were to escape, he should find Master James Owen in Fayetteville. The auction begins, and a family is separated. Omar’s cap is taken from him and discarded. Julie retrieves it. Omar prays and is visited by his Mother. He notices that Julie has gotten free of her bonds. To create a diversion, Omar falls to his knees and prays loudly, giving Julie a chance to escape. Omar is sold to Johnson.

Johnson plantation. Enslaved workers talk about the newcomer, Omar. Johnson demonstrates his vicious temperament. He yells at Omar in an attempt to break him, but from Omar’s perspective, the words are garbled; Omar cannot understand him. Finally, Johnson sends Omar to pick cotton in the fields.

Five months later. The spirit of Omar’s mother encourages Omar to pray to Allah and reminds him of Julie’s guidance. As Johnson approaches, Omar flees.

ACT II

Fayetteville County Jail. Omar has been captured and brought to the county jail, where he prays and writes on the jail walls. The people of Fayetteville swirl with questions about Omar: Where did he come from? Who let him get away? Omar’s writing, captures the attention of the daughter of plantation owner James Owen. Calling his writing “magic,” she encourages Owen to purchase Omar. Owen is fascinated by Omar’s religious piety and believes Omar can be converted to Christianity.

Owen plantation. Katie Ellen, one of the enslaved workers on the plantation, is surprised that Julie came back. Owen introduces Omar to the other enslaved people, and they welcome him and warn him of the dangers that persist there.  Omar prays, asking for another sign from Allah, and he is reunited with Julie. She reveals that her father had worn a cap like his and had prayed in the same way. But her father was sold away when she was young. She encourages Omar to hold on “to memories, to histories, to feelings.”

Owen’s study. Omar is summoned and accompanied by Katie Ellen and Julie to Owen’s study. Owen and Taylor, a visitor from the North, discuss the prospect of converting Omar to Christianity. Owen gives Omar a Bible written in Arabic, and he and Taylor ask Omar to write the beginning of the Lord’s Prayer. Instead, Omar secretly expresses his desire to go home.

Later that day. Omar stands alone under a tree reading the Arabic Bible. He reflects on his life, thinks of his mother, and asks for forgiveness from Allah. In the final scene, Julie is amazed that Omar can read and write. She encourages him to write a book to tell his story, and Omar’s mother joins her call. Omar’s faith flows through his pen.

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Allison Chu is a PhD candidate in music history at Yale University. Her research focuses on the intersection of identity and opera in the twenty-first century. Additional contributions made by the Omar creative team.