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5-1-1998
Heaven on earth
Elena Cambio
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Recommended Citation
By
Elena Cambio
Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
MASTER OF FINE ARTS
Imaging Arts Film/Video/Animation
SCHOOL OF PHOTOGRAPHIC ARTS AND SCIENCES
ROCHESTER INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
ROCHESTER, NEW YORK
May, 1998
Adrianne Carageorge, Chair
Associate Professor
Film/Video/ Animation Department
School of Photographic Arts
&
Sciences
Skip Battaglia
Associate Professor
Film/Video/ Animation Department
School of Photographic Arts & Sciences
Cat Ashworth
Associate Professor
L
,
Elena M. Cambio, hereby
grant permission to the Wallace Memorial Library of RIT to
reproduce my thesis in whole or in part. Any reproduction will not
be for commercial use or profit.
Heaven
onEarth
is
ascreenplay
that
was written overthe
span oftwo
years.
The
genesis ofthis
projectwas createdin
a scriptwriting workshop
with
Prof. Erik
Timmerman,
whereI
first began
to
develop
the
love
story
ofGod
andLucifer.
Without Erik's
guidance,
this
script would neverhave
been
finished,
and soI
dedicate
the
final
scriptto
him.
I.
The
beginning...
In
the
beginning,
there
wasGod.
After
atime,
she createdher
angels.One
magnificentangel,
Lucifer,
she took asher
lover,
and theirfantastic
union produced
the
human
race.Things
wentalong
swimmingly,
untilit
became
clearthat
Lucifer
andGod did
not see eyeto
eye onhow
to
bring
up
the
kids.
The
argument ofthe
universe resultedin
a splitbetween God
andLucifer,
and as each stroveto
proveher/his
point,
humanity
became
moreand more segregated and confused.
Both
wantedthe
success and evolution ofhumanity,
but
they
couldnever agree on
how
this
wasbest
accomplished.God's
perspective wasthat
Rules
andRegulations
were neededto
guidethe
development
ofhumanity,
while
Lucifer
felt
that
completefreedom
was neededto
allowhis
childrento
evolve.
As
these two
philosophies camehead
to
head,
the
"good
and evil/light
and darkness"dualities
wereborn
on earth.My
story,
in
the
beginning,
had
asits
main charactersGod,
afemale
deity,
andLucifer,
her
lover. It
was aboutLucifer's
struggleto
be
taken
seriously,
and aboutGod's
strugglefor
control.Lucifer
wasthe
hero,
asflawed
asany
couldbe, trying
to
be
the
father
ofhumanity. God
wasequally
flawed,
in
that
her
ego and needfor
control preventedher from
experiencing
Great
idea,
this concept,
exceptfor
one problem:there
wasn't a story.In
the
searchfor
astory
to
expressthis
basic
concept,
I
eventually
cameup
with a new character
-a
human
woman whomI
decided
to
callCeleste,
in
appreciation
for
the
celestialbeginnings
ofhumanity.
Celeste began
as acatalyst
for God
andLucifer
to
resolvetheir
differences,
thus
enabling
the
humans
to
heal
the
schismthat
has
plagued usfor
solong.
I
wroteCeleste
originally
as ayoung
woman wholived
onthe edge,
completely
drowning
in
the
excesses ofthe
flesh
(drugs,
sex, the
intoxication
ofthrill,
etc.).She
died
after
being
hit
by
acar,
andfound herself face
to
face
withthe
Almighty,
who madeher
an offer she couldn't refuse:God
agreedto
ultimately
admitCeleste
into
heaven
IF
God
could co-habitant withher
in Celeste's
body
for
anundisclosed amount of
time.
The
plan:to
seduceLucifer
all over again andput an end
to the
stupid argument.This
wascertainly
animprovement in
the
development
ofmy
script,
and
I
did enjoy writing Celeste's bizarre
story.Yet,
asI
wrote more and moreof
Celeste,
I
became
more concerned withher
experiencesthan
withLucifer's.
In
terms of characterfunction,
Lucifer
wasbecoming
more of an equal withGod.
The
drafts
aroundthis
period ofdevelopment
weren't solidbecause
I
was
vacillating
between Celeste
andLucifer
asmy
main character.At
this point,
I
became very distracted from writing
the
script.I
felt
I
had
written myselfinto
a corner andI
couldn'tfind
away
out,
and as a resultI
stoppedwriting for
a goodtwo
months.I
knew
I
had
to
get a move onthe
first
"official"draft for
my
committeeto review,
yetI
had
absolutely
noidea
where
to
go.Prof. Timmerman
finally
pointed outto
methat
allI
needed wasto
decide,
once andfor
all,
whothe
main character wasgoing
to
be
-whose
story
it
wasgoing
to
be.
The
answer seemed plainbehalf
of allhumanity.
She became
the
focus
ofthe story,
which required meto
shiftthe
script's representation of good and evil.III.
Good
andEvil
Celeste's
questbecame
onefor balance.
I
began
to
explorethe
basic,
Puritanical
definitions
of good and evil upon whichthis
country
wasfounded,
andit
all seemedto
boil down
to the
spirit vs.the
flesh.
Spirit
andflesh,
we aretaught
in Western culture,
are at odds with each other.They
cannot coexist
peaceably,
and we mustconstantly
overcomethe temptation
ofthe
body
to
enjoy
the
benefits
ofthe
soul.To
further define
thisquandary,
I
researched arguments onthe
natureof
Jesus Christ.
The
Gnostic
Christians
ofthe
first
few
centuriesbelieved he
was an advanced
divine
spirit whohad
reincarnatedinto
the
final form
ofChrist,
whilethe
Orthodox
Christians insisted
he
wassimply
God in
the
guiseof a man. l
Along
the way,
synods andChurch
Councils
wereheld
to
determine
the true
nature ofChrist,
resulting
in
the
ultimatedecision
that
he
was
in
fact
both
God
andMan.
Still,
for
centuries, the
belief
that
Jesus'divine
nature overruled
his
humanity
was espousedby
the
Church.
In
the
Christian
scriptural writingsthat
are acceptedtoday
asthe
sacredtexts
ofthe
Bible,
Jesus
wasfaced
with a number oftemptations
offeredup
by
Satan,
andin
all caseshe
was ableto
overcomethem through
his
Divine
nature.Obviously,
pleasures of
the
flesh
were/are considered asthe
influence
ofSatan,
and weresomething
to
overcome andbe
strong
against.In
otherwords,
human
nature wasinherently
flawed.
Philosophers in
later
centuries appliedtheir
witsto
determining
the
true
state ofhumanity's
nature,
but
this
meantnothing
to the
Church,
which'
had
already
adoptedAugustine's
principle of original sin2.Augustine
assumed
that
original sinis
transmitted
in
the
fluids
of procreation.Sexual
intercourse
shouldtherefore
be indulged
in
aslittle
aspossible,
even withinthe
bonds
ofmarriage,
asit
involves
aloss
of rational control andis
therefore
always at
least venially
sinful.Since
every
human
wasborn
with originalsin,
every
human
was evilby
nature andtherefore
requiredthe
cleansing
ofBaptism.
In
my
own view ofhumanity,
our challengeis
to
learn
how
to
balance
our
duality,
to
let
our physical and spiritual selves complement each other asthey
were meantto
do.
Neither is
more orless
validthan the other,
and eitherin
excess candestroy
us.It
occurredto
methat
we oftenhear
aboutthe
excesses of carnal
pleasure,
be
it
sex,
substanceabuse, over-eating,
laziness,
etc.,
but
wedon't
oftenhear
about excessesto the
other extreme.Only
the
occasional cult-driven mass-suicide grabs ourattention,
and we write themoff as wackos.
I
believe
that those
"wackos" are simple peopletrying
to
find
wholeness -
but
they
areonly
looking
athalf
oftheir
humanity.
This,
I
realized,
wasthe
battle
that
Celeste had
to
fight.
This
battle
would
be fought
internally,
between
her
owndesires
andurges,
andher
spirit and needfor
rational thought.This
struggle wouldbe
representedexternally
through
the
ultimate archetypes of spirit andflesh:
God
andLucifer.
I
decided
to turn
the
immortals,'relationship
into
a more comicalex-husband
/ex-wife paradigm.Through
their
conversations andarguments, the
principles are
revealed,
andthrough
Celeste's
journey,
these
principles areembodied
in
their
competition withinher
ownbeing.
Celeste's
ultimate goalthus
became
the
balance
of spirit andflesh.
Along
the way,
she wouldhave
to
descend,
in
the
manner of all mythicalheroes,
into
Hell
(or
death),
whichin
this
caseis
very
literal.
During
her
visitto
Hell,
Lucifer
helps her
to
discover
the
other sideto
her
being,
andto
acceptit
as natural andin
harmony
withher
spirit.IV.
The
journey.
Celeste's
journey
begins
as ababy,
whenher
mother givesher
up
to
the
convent.
Celeste is
a childborn
out ofwedlock;
born,
as she wouldsay,
oforiginal sin.
She
growsup in
the convent,
unaware ofher
heritage,
underthe tender
care ofSr.
Frances,
whotreats
Celeste
asher
owndaughter.
The
teenaged
Celeste
develops
the
idea
that
her
body
is
problematicin
achieving
her
goal of spiritual perfection.Her
questionbecomes
an obsession whenSr.
Frances,
onher
deathbed,
revealsthe truth
aboutCeleste's
parentage.Celeste,
in
the meantime,
has
metRalph,
to
whom sheis
attracted andwho
is very interested
in
her.
She
denies
the
budding
romance,
in
fact
shetries
to
stifleit
by insisting
that their time together
be
spentreading
from
the
Bible.
As
the
Sisters
ofPerpetual
Adoration
areGod's
minions,
Ralph
is,
for
atime,
Lucifer's.
I
had
to
decide
whetherRalph's
intentions
wouldbe
upstanding
orlascivious.
I
realizedthat
he had
to
be
anhonest
man capable of reallove
in
order
for
Celeste's
attractionto
him
to
be
a positive catalystin
accepting
her
physical nature.However,
Lucifer
is
not soupstanding,
and sohe
manipulates
(possesses?)
Ralph
long
enoughto
urge(force?)
him
to
kiss
Celeste.
This
scenemay
be
viewed either asLucifer's
direct
influence,
apossession and removal of
free
will,
orsimply
asRalph's
wash ofuncontrollable
desire,
whichis
usually
attributedto the
Prince
ofDarkness.
Either
way, this
kiss
propelsCeleste into
the
next phase ofher
development.
Ralph himself
feels
guilty
afterwards,
asafter
kissing
a nun-in-training.Celeste
in
turn
becomes desperate
enoughto
allow
Lucifer
to
seduceher into hell
withthe
promisethat
she can meether
mother and resolve
her
conflict once andfor
all.V.
A
Family
Affair
Searching
for
one's roots andresearching
afamily
history
is
ultimately
about
defining
one's self.As
I
worked outthe
relationshipsbetween
Celeste
and
the
othercharacters,
Prof.
Carageorge
pointed outthat this
script wasabout
family
as much asanything
else.Ultimately,
Celeste
needsto
confronther
parentage,
her
mother,
in
order
to
begin
healing
the
schism withinher.
Leading
up
to
this,
sheis
nurtured
by
an extendedfamily
atthe convent,
led
by
Sr. Frances.
Sr. Frances
is Celeste's
spiritualmother,
asCarrie is her
biological
mother,
andSr.
Frances
does
recognizethe
needfor Celeste
to
accept a painful part ofher
ownhistory.
Of
course,
Celeste
needs someconvincing,
whichis
whereLucifer
comes
in.
Lucifer
is
many
things to
Celeste.
As
he
andGod
producedhumanity,
he is Celeste's
father. As
God
also createdLucifer,
he
is
Celeste's
brother.
In
his
capacity
asthe
incarnation
oflust,
he is
desirous
ofher,
and sois
her
lover.
Certainly
there
is
the
undercurrent ofincest in
his
relationsto
her,
which makes
him
allthe
moredistasteful
to
her.
Yet,
it
is
wherethese three
roles
intersect
whichultimately
brings her
to
understandhow he
existswithin
her,
in
whatweknow
as archetypes ofparent,
sibling,
lover.
By
accepting
these
parts ofherself,
her
physicalbeing,
andher
needfor
love,
sheovercomes
the
incestuous
overtones ofthese
combined archetypes and canVI.
Heaven
onEarth
In
Act
III,
Celeste
is transformed
as she witnesses a vision ofthe
birth,
destruction
and rebirth ofthe
universe.The
earth's cycle oflife
anddeath is
revealed as an outgrowth of
the
constantinterplay
of physical and psychicenergies.
She is
welcomedback into
this
cycle as she acceptsher dual
natureand
finds
the
needfor balance.
The final
ellipse ofthe
earth withthe
singledaisy
is Celeste
returning
to earth,
bringing
withher
the
understanding
that
she
has
earnedin
Hell.
She
meetsRalph
uponher
returnto earth,
hands
him
adaisy,
and walks away.Ralph is
mostdefinitely
a part ofher
earthly
experience,
but
I
felt
it
necessary
to
leave her
the
option ofchoosing him
or notchoosing
him.
Although
this
is
astory
aboutfamily,
I
neededCeleste
to
maintainher
freedom
sonewly
gained.Marrying
Ralph
wouldnotbe
afitting
way for her
to
begin
this
newlife,
soI
choseto
leave
the
hint
oftheir association, the
thrill
ofnewbeginnings for
Celeste.
In
this story,
atleast,
sheis
free
to
createher
ownheaven
on earth.VII.
Do
orDie
There
were atleast
two
periodsin
the
production ofthis thesis
in
which
I
felt
blocked.
One
wascreative,
as outlinedearlier, the
other was on a organizationallevel.
Certainly,
Prof.
Timmerman's
retirement presented mewith
the
challenge ofreconstituting my
committee,
whichultimately
was avery
solidgroup
offaculty.
Still,
I
had become
usedto the
conversationsthat
he
andI
wouldhave,
the
kind
wheremy ideas
werebeing
pulledfrom
mewithout me even
knowing
it.
I
had
to
reorganizemy
thoughts
andmy
modus
operandi,
whichI
feel
I
handled
marginally
well.In
February,
I
held
the
requiredinformal
reading
ofthe
script atmy
some extent
this
was communicatedto
meby
my
readers.For
the
mostpart,
however, they
were moreinterested
in
presenting
me withdetail-oriented
problems,
such asthe
fact
that
daisies
don't
growin
spring,
andthat the
nursewould never
be
ableto
prepare a needle of sedatives without adoctor's
prescription.
I
did
receive somefeedback
onthe
dialogue
itself,
but
not asmuch as
I'd hoped for.
Still,
the
whole experience was crucialfor
me.I
found
it
strangeto
hear
these
words spoken outloud,
andI
found
that
I
really
wantedto
direct
the readers,
but
wehad little
time
for
that.I
had
to
keep
reminding
myselfthat
the
publicreading
is
whereI
willdirect
the
readers.As if
the
thesis
work wasn'tenough,
last
summerI
began
anotherproject
-a
documentary
to
be filmed
in Ireland.
By
the time the
script wasfinished
in
March,
I
wasready
to
leave for
Ireland,
and uponmy
returnI
had
to
getmy
acttogether
and organizethe
publicreading
ofthe
script.This
presented no real
problem,
only
a concerteddevotion
oftime
and energy.The
thesis
paper was also a matter ofdevoting
time
andenergy,
and quitehonestly
I'm
amazedthat
I
have
any
left
afterfilming
two
weeksin Ireland.
I
did find
it
abit
stressfulto
switch gearsback
andforth between
the
two,
but
I
don't
regret a moment spent on either project.VIII.
Moment
ofTruth
The
time
finally
camefor
the
publicreading
-the
moment wherethe
script
actually becomes
a recognized workin
the
department.
Of
course,
I
obsessed over
the
details.
The
reception consisted offinger foods
(grapes,
cheese,
hummus,
baba
ganouj,
light
crackers andjuice)
andI
spent atleast
fifteen
minutesin Wegmans
picking
outthe
plates,
napkins andtable
cover.I
also made a mixtape
whichI
played whilefolks
werecoming
in
andmilling
around.
I
calledit
"The Divine
Mix"music
from
Tori Amos
to
Peter
Gabriel
to
Dead Can Dance.
I
consideredthis
to
be
athoughtful
touch,
and even provided asong
list
nearthe
boom
box,
but
I
have
noidea if
anyone paid attentionto
it.
The
reading
itself
wasmildly
wellattended,
with an equal number ofaudience members and readers.
It
wouldhave been helpful for
meto
have
more of a guideline asto
how
areading
shouldbe
organized.In
retrospect,
I
woulddo
afew
things
differently.
There
weretoo
many
readers,
first
ofall,
andI
wouldcertainly
cutdown
number of readersby
atleast
two
or three.In
addition,
I
wouldhave
someone else read
the
narration.Doing
it
myself prevented mefrom
taking
notesduring
the reading,
and was more stress thanI
probably
needed.Anne
Orwin,
adjunct professorin
the
department,
wasmy
respondent,
and gave me some wonderful
feedback
in
terms
oftheme
and construction.One
ofher
most salient points wasthe
inversion
ofthe
male/female
duality
in
my
story.Typically
in Western
mythology, the
female
representsdarkness,
the
underworld andintuition,
andthe
malebelongs
to the
world oflight,
heaven
andthe
intellect.
These
archetypes areflipped
in
the
characters ofLucifer
andGod.
What followed
was ajuicy
discussion
ofthis
observation and otherissues
andthemes
in
the
script.It
caused peopleto think
andquestion,
whichis
why
I
considerthe
reading
to
be
a successful experience.IX.
Double Take
As
this
entire processhas
progressed,
I
have found
myselfidentifying
quite
strongly
withCeleste.
Although
my
personal situationis
nothing like
hers,
it isn't surprising
that
some ofher
questions are orhave
been
my
own.I
have
struggledto
achievebalance
in
my
life,
notjust
between
physical andthe
rest ofthe
world.Personal
growthis
not aneasy
thing
to
committo, but
both
Celeste
andI
seemto
have
madethat
choice.Although
I've
never metthe
persons ofGod
orLucifer,
I
feel
there
areforces
in
the
Universe
whichhelp
me on aday-to-day
basis.
My
ownintuition is
something
I've
learned
to
trust,
whichis something Celeste
willdevelop
as she achievesher
balance
and moves on.Like
me,
Celeste
choosesat
the
end ofthe
story
notto
limit herself
to
any
onerelationship
because
shestill
has
many
things to
do
by
andfor herself.
Still,
sheis
still opento the
possibilities of
connecting
to
otherhuman beings.
Just
asCeleste
wantsto
help
othersthrough
her
work atthe mission,
I
know
that
part ofmy
own missionhere
is
to
eventually
teach
young
people:Celeste
andI
sharethe
desire
to
reach outto others, to
be
activein
making
adifference.
Celeste
andI
areboth
atsimilarpoints,
by
the
end ofthe story,
in
terms
of our progress.
Personal
growthhas been
apriority,
andit
stillis,
but
it
nowcomes
into
the
context ofgoing
outinto
the
world.Being
shelteredin
aninstitution
or a conventis
onething,
but
holding
ontointegrity
andintuition
in
the
face
of adepersonalized,
fractured society
willbe
ahuge
challengefor
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record of
the
conditions of^approyal of
my MFA
thesis
project.M^6fcJ^
Date
y/2./3-7
THY
KINGDOM COME
by
Elena Cambio
Submitted
in
Partial
Fulfillment
ofthe
Requirements
for
theDegree
MASTER
OF
FINE
ARTS
MFA
Imaging
Arts
/
Live
Action
Film
ProductionSchool
ofPhotographic
Arts
andSciences
Rochester
Institute
ofTechnology
Rochester,
New York
May,
1997
Erik
Timmerman,
Chair
Associate
Professor
Film/Video
Department
School
of PhotograhicArts
andSciences
5
Adriannexe arageorge
Associate
Professor
Film/Video
Department
School
of PhotograhicArts
MidSciences
(A&J\^ck
Cat Ashworth
Timeline
May
(Spring 963)
-Complete
Thesis
Prep
Course
(2)
-Meet with committee chair and members each once a week
-Finish
detailed
outline ofstory
and characterdescriptions
June-Auaust
(Summer
964)
6
credits-Write
first draft
andfirst
revision of script-Meet with committee memebers as time permits
September-November
(Fall
971)
6
credits-Meet with committee chair
every
week-Write
final
revision of script-Write
thesis
report-November:
duplicate
report andthesis
for
submissionBUDGET
ITEM
1
.Copies
for
proposal(13)
10
pp
stapled
Kinko's
Copies
ESTIMATE
$
10.24
IN
KIND
ACTUAL
$
10.24
Copies
of report(2)
@
5
pp
1
copy
stapled$
5.15
$
5.15
(11)
Thesis
copies(1)
for
submission(10)
for
festivals
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pp
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cover2
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of50)
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4.
Postage
for
festivals
(10)
at$2.95
ea$
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$
29.50
5.
Festival
Fees
(total)
$130.00
$130.00
6.
Computer Disks
(box
of10)
$
5.00
$
5.00
7
.Refreshments
author's
reading
publicreading
8
.Scriptwriter
non-union
$
20.00
$
50.00
10K
10K
$
20.00
$
50.00
Marketing
Plan
1.
Cyclone
Productions
Annual
Screenwriter's
Project
Cyclone
Productions
Attn
:Screenwriter
' sProject
3412
Milwaukee,
Suite
485
Northbrook,
IL
60062
August
1st,
1998
2.
Nicholl
Fellowships
in
Screenwriting
Academy
Foundation
Nicholl
Fellowships
in
Screenwriting
8949
Wilshire
Blvd.
Beverly Hills,
CA
90211-1972
May 1,
1998,
$30
3.
Smoky
Mountain/Nantahala
Media
Festival
SPWA,
inc.
Smoky
Mountain Art
Center
P.O.
Box
1068
Byrson
City,
North
Carolina
28713
March
28,
1998,
$10
4.
Walt
Disney
Contact
:Brenda
Vangsness,
Program
Adiminstrator
Walt
Disney
Studio
500
S.
Buena
Vista
St.
Burbank,
CA
91521-0880
5.
America'sBest
The
Writer'sFoundation
1801
Burnett
Ave
Syracuse,
NY
13206
6.
The
Writers'Network
8306
Wilshire
Blvd.
Suite
482
Beverly Hills,
CA
90211
7.
Writer's
Workshop
P.O.
Box
69799
Los
Angeles,
CA
90069
8.
Claddah
Films
Annual
Script
Awards
Claddah
Films,
Ltd.
4/5
High
St.
Galway
,I
re1
andJune
1998
9.
Wavy
Line
Productions
HBO
New Writers
Project
2049
Century
Pk.
E.
42
Fl
Los
Angeles,
CA
90067
10.
WorldFest
Charleston
J.
Hunter
Todd,
Director
P.O.
Box
338
Charleston,
SC
29401-0838
Thy
Kingdom
Come
-Treatment
The
credits roll over a pair of woman'shands
picking
wild
flowers
andbraiding
them
into
a courselength
of rope.After
atime,
the
hands
ceasepicking
flowers
andinstead,
they
pickthorny
bits
of vine andsharp
twigs
out ofthe
earth.
These,
too,
are woveninto
the
rope.As
the
creditsfinish,
the
womanlifts
her
coarsely
woven shiftto
tie thethorny
rope aroundher
waist.The
womanis
CELESTE,
a20-year-old
novitiatein
the
order of
the
Sisters
ofPerpetual
Adoration.
Celeste
has
devoted her life
to
God
by
denying
the
physical,
alwaysstruggling
to
immerse
herself
in
absolutepurity
of spirit.She
takes
great careto
makeherself
look
as simple aspossible,
but
even soher
strength andearthly
beauty
escapeher
modestdemeanor.
Her
life
is
simple,
as areher
beliefs.
The
Sisters'convent
is
situated on afarm.
It
is
anidyllic
place
to
escape the eviltrappings
ofthe
world.One
morning,
whilemilking
the
cowsin
the
barn,
Celeste
sees
Ralph,
ayoung
manfrom
the village whodoes
heavy
workin
the Sisters'barn.
Her
eyes roam overhim
in secret,
andthey
betray
her
lustful
thoughts.She
runs outin
a cold sweat tofind
ahidden
placebehind
thebarn.
Sobbing,
shelifts
her
shift and yanksthe
ropetighter
aroundher
waist.Her
tears
cease as thesting
ofthe
ropebraces
her
againsther
sin.She
racesinto
the convent andthrows
herself
ontothe
floor
ofthe
chapel,
begging
forgiveness
andthe
strengthto
repel such evil thoughts.Celeste's
prayers arebeing heard,
but
notby
the
Almighty.
She
is
being
observedby
LUCIFER,
the
second most powerfulbeing
in
the
universe,
whois
looking
for
a queen with whom to rule theUnderworld.
AQUILLUS,
his
aide,
believes
he
has
found
a suitable queenin
Celeste.
Later
thatevening,
Lucifer paysher
a visitin
her
tiny
cell.
At
first
shedoes
notbelieve
he
is
the
Prince
ofDarkness-,
then sheis
horrified
when shedoes
believe,
but
finds
herself
attractedto
this age-oldPrince
ofEvil
for
what she
believes
is
her
destiny
-to
savethe
very
Devil
himself.
She
agreesto
returnto
the Underworld withhim
onthe condition
that
she can returnto
her
presentlife
atany
time shewishes,
and thather
soul will remain unblemished.Celeste
goesto
Hell
withthe
self-righteous notion thatshe
is
theteacher,
and Luciferher
student.Once
there,
Celeste
finds
there
areplenty
of thingsfor her
to
learn.
For
onething,
there are no eternalflames
andcinder,
nosouls
in
tortuous pits offire
andbrimstone.
The
placeis
ratherlike
a gothicgarden,
but
flat,
and without much substance.If
shelooks
atanything
too
long,
it
ceasesto
exist.
The
residents ofhell
aresimply
bored
out oftheir
minds,
sitting
aroundplaying
mahjong,
tennis,
reading
ancient texts-anything
to avoidthe
pervasive ennui.The
mood of
the
entire placeis
reminiscent of abig
waiting
Lucifer
treats
her
with respect andadoration,
crowning
her
withbeautiful
flowers
andbedecking
her
withjewels.
She
sits
in
athrone
nextto
his,
andlearns
first
hand
the
realities of
the
Afterlife.
She
observesthe
purely
bureaucratic
functions
ofthe
afterlife shuffle.Souls
areprocessed and
examined,
categorized,
and shipped off to various parts ofHell.
Some
are even sent onto
Heaven,
having
become
lost
uponthe
death
of thebody.
Celeste
finds
herself
in
awe ofLucifer
ashe
deals
witheach and
every
case with patience andfatherliness.
Thedays
go
by,
andCeleste
finds
herself
more and morewanting
toenjoy herself
in Lucifer's
palace of pleasure.She
finds
herself
more and more attractedto
Lucifer,
but
eachnight,
she goes
into
her
own room andties
the
rope aroundher
waista
little
tighter.
Lucifer,
onhis
part,
is
absolutely
entrancedby
theyoung
Celeste,
but
his
heart is
broken
eachtime
shehardens
her
heart
againsthim
and mutilatesherself
in
the effort tokeep
her
lust
atbay.
One
morning,
after another close call withLucifer
andher
owndesire,
Celeste
realizesthat
she nolonger believes
she can
deliver
Lucifer
to
God
as she'd planned.Yet,
shehas
become
so enamored ofhim
that
she cannot return to theconvent.
Her
own ego andlust
have damned
her,
and so she makes a prisoner ofherself.
A
few days
into her
self-imprisonment,Celeste
is
visited
by
Aquillus.
Aquillus
chastisesher
for
being
sodowdy,
for
repelling
Lucifer's
love.
Celeste
demands
toknow
why
she waschosen,
andAquillus
revealsto
her
thelove
story
of the universe.In
abarrage
of vision(a
montage narratedby
Aquillus),
Celeste
learns
that
God,
afemale
deity,
createdher
angels andhad
takenLucifer
asher
lover.
The
two wereincredibly
happy
together,
untilGod
createdhumanity.
Ever
after,
thetwo
lovers
would argue aboutthe
up-starthumans.
She
believed
thatheavy
restrictions,
codifiedlaw
and strict custom were neededfor
humanity
to
evolve out of theirphysical state.
Lucifer
arguedthat
humans
shouldbe
allowedevery
freedom,
no matterhow
decadent,
how perverse,
how
ridiculous,
withthe
belief
that
humanity
has
whatit
takesto
eventually
find
their ownway,
make their ownrules,
andfind
bliss
in
their physical nature.Eventually,
they
partedways,
andLucifer
set out tocreate
his
own paradigm onEarth.
He
and some other renegade angelsfrom
Heaven
formed
the
Underworld
and werethereafter
alwaysupsetting
God's
plan onEarth.
Now,
eonslater,
God
has
become
bored
with the wholething
andhas
left
thescene,
off
to
explore otherdimensions.
Lucifer
wascrushed,
depressed,
and without a glimmer or spark oflife.
Until
Celeste. Lucifer needed someone
spiritual,
someoneGod-like,
to
makehim
whole.In
tears,
Celeste
realizes thefutility
ofthe
life
shehas
led.
TheGod
shebelieved
in
and worshippeddoesn't
She
criesfor her
ownloss,
andfor
Lucifer's
loss.
Finally,
she goes
to
confrontLucifer.
Celeste
tells
Lucifer
that
shehas
to
leave.
He
triesto
talk
her
out ofit,
ofcourse,
but
she protests that shecan't
stay
andbe
his
"God",
for
sheis
human,
which means sheis
both
flesh
and spirit.Her
answer resounds withinher,
for
shehas
realizedthe
duality
in her
ownbeing.
She
lifts
her
shift and removesthe
rope,
laying
it
in
Lucifer's
hands.
Celeste
leaves
Lucifer
and goesto
the
gardento
do
what sheknows
best
- she prays.
She
praysto
God,
for
the
first
time
knowing
how
muchGod
is
withinher
as a whole person.She
begs
God
to
comeback,
to
restorebalance.
She
speaks toGod
as awoman,
as an equal.The
prayeris
not quiet andmeek,
it
is commanding
andpowerful.
Celeste
glowsin
the
dusky
drabness
of the garden as she reaches outinto
the
Universe
to
find
God.
Her
prayeris
answered.Hours
later,
sheis
exhausted andsleeping
on a stonebench
in
the garden.God
awakensher
with a touch.
It
takes
Celeste
a momentto
recognizeher,
but
when shedoes,
she sinks toher knees
in
awe.God
draws
her
near,
andbefore
long
the
two
arewalking
armin
arm throughthe
garden.God
thanks
Celeste
for
drawing
Lucifer
out ofhis
depression,
andfor
making
them
both
seehow
muchthey
do
need each other.
God
blesses
Celeste
and offersher
a choice-
to
remainwith
her
andLucifer,
orto
return toEarth.
Months
later,
Celeste
is
in her garden, pulling
weedsfrom
around theblossoming
flowers.
Ralph
walks out ofher
little
house
and with a glass of water.He
brings
it
over toher,
a smilelighting
his
face.
They
play in
the
grassfor
afew
momentsbefore
a slight shadowfalls
overthem.
Celeste
looks up
to see a solar eclipse.She
smiles,
realizes sheis
late
for
anappointment,
and rushesinto her
little
house
with
Ralph.
Awhile
later
we seeCeleste,
dressed
in
asummery
skirt andblouse,
sitting
on abench
swing.A
table oficed
tea and scones sits nearby.As
shewaits,
God
appears out ofthin
air,
walking
towards
theyoung
woman.God
warmly
greetsCeleste
with ahug.
They
sitdown
with theiced
tea
and sconesto
discuss
thebusiness
athand:
creating heaven
onHeaven on Earth
22
BasicFood
GroupsPsychological problem:
Celeste
physically
torturesherself
in
denial
of the physicalbody
-feels
guiltfor
being
born
of "sin".(She
has
rejectedher
biological
mother's existance,since she was
born
of sin, andhas
latched
ontoher
spiritualmother's approval.)
Moral problem: Lucifer and God cannot agree on
how
tohandle
Celeste's
unique problem-this
drives
theirduality
evenfurther
apart.Need: Celeste needs to accept and rejoice
in
her physicality
andlet
it
help
her
evolve as a person.Inciting
Incident: Sr. Francesdies,
nearly
pushing
Celeste over the edge of sanity. Shebecomes
a zealotin
response to thedeath
ofher
spiritual mother.Subplot: Ralph
has
athing
for
Celeste,
feels
guilty
'causeshe's
in
training
tobe
a nun.Ghost: Celeste
knows
she was anilligitamit
baby,
mother was a "sinner
."
Ally/Allies: Sr.
Frances,
whodies.
Mother Superior. Ralph.Opponent
/Mystery
: Lucifer plays opponent-he
is
embodiment of physical nature. He tries to seduceher
-not
for
his
ownbenefit
(although
he
certainly
does
enjoy
it)
but
for
her
own education.False Ally: God. The
ideals
to which Celestehas
dedicated
herself
have
been
hurting
her
all along.Desire Line: Celeste wants to
live
an elevated, spiritual/holy
existance of self-denial. In the end, she wants tolive
with Ralph.First Revelation: Celeste and Ralph
kiss.
Sheconsciously
realizesher
attraction tohim.
Plan and opponent's plan: Celeste wants to "save"
Lucifer's
soul. Lucifer wants to "corrupt"
hers.
Attack of the allies: Ralph argues about
God's
nature andMother Superior reigns
in
Celeste's zealous activities.Training: Celeste
in hell,
trying
to save Lucifer's soul,Skirmish/Defeat:
Lucifer andCeleste
getinto
a clinch. She almost givesin
-he
gets pissed and tellsher
thathe
andGod
arelovers,
etc.She
is
horrified
and goesinto
seclusion.Gate/Revelation: In seclusion,
Celeste
is
ready
to takeher
own
life,
but
thenhas
a vision of Sr.Frances,
with alegion
of angels and
demons.
She
crypically
gives Celeste thekey
toher
ownduality,
Celeste
doesn't
quite understand, yet.Battle/Moral
decision:
God and Lucifer argue over Celeste'sfate.
Each tries to convince Celeste that shebelongs
withone or the other. After
hearing
them each out(they
use mentalimagery
andsensory
experience to convince/tempther)
she chooses to accept
both
of theminto
her
being,
accusingthem of
simply
being
human-made
constructs.Lucifer and God turn to each other and vanish. Celeste
is
in
a
misty
limbo
andhas
an experience ofvisionary
proportions,where she sees the earth
being
formed
anddestroyed,
formed
and
destroyed
over and over. Thelast
part of the visionis
asingle
flower,
adaisy,
blowing
gently
in
abreeze.
Equilibrium: Celeste
finds
herself
back
on conventfarm.
Shefinds
Ralph and giveshim
adaisy.
Hefollows
her
as sheAct I
-Celeste
is
brought
to the convent as aninfant,
by
her
young
mother. MotherSuperior
argues that the sisterhoodis
not ababysitting
service.Celeste's
mother sways the nun's opinionby
saying
thatCeleste
wasborn
out of a sin shecommitted, and that she wants
Celeste
tobe
raisedin
ahouse
of God. Another nun,Sr.
Frances,
agrees tobecome
responsible
for
thebaby
girl.
-God & Lucifer
going
overbirthcharts
for
Pisces-they're
deciding
who should "teach"each
individual.
They
argue abouttheir
teaching
styles-this
is
an age-old competition thatis
played outin
thelives
ofhumans.
According
toGod,
humans
needlots
of rules and regulations to guide them on a spiritual path that willlead
to their eventual evolution.Lucifer says
humans
need tobe
let
loose,
to explore theirphysicality
andfind
theirfreedom
for
them to evolve.God and Lucifer trade
barbs
andinsults,
but
also tradeinside
jokes
and throwback-handed
compliments to each other.They
have
an attraction/repulsionrelationship
that goesback
andforth.
When
they
get to Celeste's name-they
cannot agree on who should "teach"her.
Luciferfeels
that since she wasborn
ofsin, she should
be
his.
God thinks that sinceher
motherhas
turned
her
over to a convent, God shouldbe
her
teacher. God convinces Lucifer tolet
her
try
it
"her way."Lucifer
gives
in,
with a "you'll see...I '11just
have
tosay
I toldyou so
in
about18
years."
-16
yearslater:
Celesteis
reading
from
an old Biblemanuscript. Sr. Frances
hovers
overher,
lovingly,
as a realmother would. She
instructs
Celestein
themeaning
of thescripture
(if
you sinby
yourhand,
cutit
off.if
you sinby
your eye, pluck
it
out, etc) . Celeste questions why we evenhave
bodies
if
they
are the cause of so much sin."Why
can'twe exist as the spiritual
beings
we are?"she asks.
Sr. Frances explains that God created us
in
his
image,
tochallenge us to rise above the physical
body
andbe
rejoinedwith
him
in
spirit. Celestefinds
fault
in
this plan andstruggles with the
idea
thather
body
was a giftfrom God.
Sr. Frances
is
annoyed/perplexed that Celesteis
questioning
these things. She tells Celeste to meditate
further
upon thescripture and
leaves
to attend otherduties
with akiss
uponCeleste's
forehead.
-Celeste
is
outside, writingin
ajournal,
wehear
her
voiceover. She writes about
her
desire
to sear theflesh
from her
body
tobe
the spiritualbeing
that shetruly
is,
and thatshe cannot
possibly
be
perfect until sheis
dead
andin
spirit
form
only. We see aholy
gleamin Celeste's
eye as shedaydreams
aboutthis,
and we also seeRalph,
one of thefarm
the scriptures, excited to
have
a pupil. He gazes ather
asshe reads
from
scripture, and sheis
confused at theattraction that
is
there.Bells
ring
for
dinner
and sheleaves
in
a rush,promising
to teachhim
moreif
he
wouldlike.
He says, yes,he
wouldlike.
-After
dinner,
Celeste
and Sr.Frances
gofor
a walkin
thegarden.
Celeste
tellsSr.
Frances
aboutinstructing
Ralphin
the scriptures.Sr.
Frances tries to tell Celeste that Ralphmay
notbe
sointerested
in
the scripture,but
Celesteblushes
and willhear
nothing
ofit.
Sr. Frances tries tolet
Celeste
know
thatit's
okay
tobe
interested
in
theboy,
thatshe
doesn't
have
tobe
a nunjust
because
she was raisedin
the convent. Celeste affirms
her
intention
to take vows, towhich Sr. Frances responds with
hesitation.
Sr. Francesexcuses
herself,
citing
aheadache,
leaving
Celestein
thegarden alone. She writes
in her
ever-presentjournal
-that
she will never make the same mistakes
her
biological
motherdid,
willonly
walk the path of righteousness, etc.
-Lucifer and God are
discussing
Celeste over cappuccino andbiscotti.
Luciferdemands
to take over Celeste's "education"because
all this God-stuffis
really
screwing
her
upin
thehead.
Godis
flattered
by
Celeste'sdevotion,
andinsists
that things are
going
as planned.- Ralph
is
hanging
out with a couple otherlocal
farm-hands
that work on
near-by
farms.
They
areteasing
him
abouthis
crush on
Celeste,
andhe
admitsfeeling
weird abouthis
attraction to a
future
nun. One ofhis
buddies
tellshim
toget over
Celeste,
that she's notgoing
to "put out"anyway,
so what's the use? Ralph gets pissed and storms out.
- Celeste
is
in
theconvent's
barn,
milking cows, ajob
whichshe
despises.
Sheis
trying
to convinceherself
thatmilking
cows
is
goodfor
her
by
talking
outloud
toherself.
Inwalks
Ralph,
wholooks
at Celeste with a tender eye. Sheis
polite
but
aloof as Ralph tries to gether
to talk tohim,
even about scripture. Another novice
breaks
up
theirinterlude
with news that Sr. Franceshas
suffered a stroke.They
hurry
back
to the conventbuilding.
-Sr. Frances
is
in
her
bed,
thedoctor
is
there andpronounces that
he
cando
nothing. Sheis
mostly
paralyzedand can
barely
speak. Nightfalls
and Celesteis
still ather
bedside.
Sr. Frances whispers to Celestebefore
shedies-tells
her
tobe
a good girl and to remember to giveherself
to God'sineffable
plan. Celeste sees the spirit ofSr.
Frances asit
rises out of thebody
andis
sweptup
towards
heaven
- Celesteis
in
shock,babbling
andcarrying
on. Theother nuns
lead
Celeste toher
room and puther
tobed
for
-Sr.
Frances'funeral.
Celeste
does
not weep. Sheonly
stares and
fidgets.
TheMother
Superior
keeps
an eye onher
throughout.
God andLucifer
arein
the cemetary,looking
down
on the
funeral
andwatching
Celeste.
Lucifer asksif
thisis
part of the plan, and
does
God
realize thatCeleste
is
pretty
weak right and
may
well goinsane.
God says, yes and asksLucifer to give
her
more time-that she's sure she can
bring
her
around. Lucifer agrees-with
his
fingers
crossedbehind
his
back.
ACT II
-Celeste
singing
in
chapel choir. Her voiceis
sweet and pure. Ralphis
in
chapel,too,
obviously
there to see andhear
Celeste.
After the service,they
go outfor
a walk,where Celeste
is
teaching
him
scripture.They
getinto
adiscussion
about what Godis/isn't.
Celeste
is
upset whenRalph clings to the view that
God
is
Nature,
that thereis
no"ineffable plan."
He smoothes things over and
lets
her
preach to
him
some more so thathe
can gaze ather
and atleast
hear
the sound ofher
voice.
-Mother Superior meets with some of the older sisters.
They
decide
to sendCeleste
to their new Missionin
town,
tohelp
her
recoverfrom
thedeath
Sr. Frances andkeep
her
from
being
bored,
(their
conversationbecomes
voice-overfor
thenext scene)
-Celeste
is
picking
flowers,
braiding
theminto
alength
ofrope. She
begins
braiding
in
thorns,
prickly
stems,sharp
twigs,
etc. She goesinto
thebarn
and ties the rope aroundher
waist, underher
shift,yanking
it
tight so that thetears
fall
silently
from
her
eyes.
-Lucifer
is
appalled at Celeste's self-mortification,has
had
it
with God's appraisal of the situation with Celeste.Aquillus
helps
him
comeup
with a plan to wooCeleste
away
from
her
"godliness."The plan
is
not madecompletely
clear,but
it's
clear that Luciferis
being
devious.
-Celeste
is
getting
in
apick-up
truck with two othersisters. Ralph and other
farm-hands
areloading
boxes
offood
and suppliesinto
back
of truck. He wishesher
goodluck
onher
first
day.
She
doesn't
takehis
offeredhand
tohelp
her
into
thetruck,
but
shesubtly
pulls on the painful ropeunder
her
clothes,instead.
-On the
way
into
town,
the sistersdiscuss
theMission.
Celeste talks avidly of
saving
souls while the other two nunsare more
interested
in
feeding,
clothing
andgiving
medicalattention to the poor and
destitute.
Tensiondevelops
between
-Later in- the
day,
theMission
is
quite busy. Thedoctor
whosaw to Sr. Frances
is
attending
to children's vaccinationsand exams with
young
mothers.Celeste
makesit
her
business
to
stay
away
from
theseyoung
mothers and their children, andinstead
mingles with the older poorfolk,
preaching
the wordof God.
Meanwhile,
the other nuns aresweating
and workinghard
in
thekitchen
for
the evening'sdinner
and registeringthe mothers and children
for
the exams etc. The other sistersaren't pleased with
Celeste.
-Mother Superior
lectures
Celeste
onher
duties
at theMission
-Celeste
protests that she must preach the word ofGod and save souls. Mother Superior tries to convince
her
"that
they
need to save theirbodies,
in
the processdemonstrating
God's
love.
Celeste
is
sentaway
to meditate onthe
meaning
of service to God.
-Celeste
is
in
the chapel, alone,praying
outloud
for
Godto
help
her
be
more God-like. Shelooks'
at the statue of
Mary
as she tugs ather
rope and sees the statuebleeding
theStigmata. She
looks
down
to seeher
ownblood
seeping throughher
shift. Inher
delusion,
shebelieves
sheis
being
spokento and cries out. Another sister
finds
Celeste passed out onthe
floor
of the chapel.
-In Celeste's
bed
chamber, thedoctor
cleans theinfected
wounds around Celeste's waist. He tells Mother Superior that the girl needs rest and some psychological evaluation.
They
leave
Celeste sleeping,planning
tobring
her
to apsychiatric
hospital
the nextday.
-That night, Celeste
is
visitedby
Luciferin
her
dreams.
Hesurrounds
her
with sensualimagery
ofher
andRalph,
all thetime whispering all manner of erotic things
in
her
ear. Shewakes
up
in
a sweat,disoriented.
She gets up and walks outinto
the garden, to get some air. Shefalls
asleep
on one ofthe stone
benches.
-Dawn arrives, and Ralph
has
just
arrived to work at theconvent
barn.
Hedetours
through the garden,smelling
theblossoms
and enjoying the morning, whenhe
comes uponCeleste
sleeping on the
bench.
Ashe
standsthere,
watching
her,
Lucifer's spectre appears
beside
him,
whisperingin
his
earhow
lovely
sheis,
how
he
wantsher.
Ralphkneels
down
totouch
her
face.
Hedoes,
and she awakens. Lucifer possessesRalph
for
thefew
momentsit
takes to mesmerizeher
in
her
dreamy
state andhe
kisses
her.
Shekisses
him
back,
stillin
a
dream,
but
at some point realizes what'shappening
andbreaks
away. She sees the changein
Ralph's eyes andknows
he
is
nothimself.
Frightened,
she scramblesaway
from
Ralph.Lucifer
leaves
Ralph'sbody,
leaving
a confused,sexually
excited young man
looking helplessly
as Celestebacks
away
-Celeste
literally
runsinto
thedoctor,
whohas
come tobring
her
to the psychiatrists.She
is
like
ahunted
deer,
and runs
in
her
nightgown andbare
feet
into
thebarn,
locking
it
from
within. Thedoctor
and the Mother Superiorare
calling
for
her
to come out.
-Lucifer appears to
her.
He wrangles withher
-wants
her
tobe
his
Queen
in
Hell.Offers
her
the chance to savehis
soul.Reminds
her
thatif
she stayshere
she'llbe
locked
upin
thelooney
bin.
Heis
offering
her
salvation. She accepts.
-God
is
furious,
tries to see Luciferbut
sheis
not allowedpast the
drab
gates of Hell.She
posts two ofher
arch-angelsto stand guard outside the gates of Hell with orders to
bring
Celeste to
her
immediately
if
she steps outside. Luciferappears and sends the angels away- He and God argue about
Celeste's
fate.
In the endhe
leaves
Godfuming
in
thedust.
**This
is
most of thedetailed
outline-I'm still
finishing
it,
but
the rest of thestory
goessomething
like
this:
-While
in
Hell,
Celestefinds
out Luciferisn't
such abad
guy, that
he
just
can'thelp
himself.
They
continue tobe
attracted to each other, Celeste continues to
hold
back,
Lucifer continues to
play
the game withher.
-Lucifer and Celeste
in
a clinch, she almost givesin
toher
passions
but
stopsherself.
Luciferfinally
gets pissed andtells
her
abouthimself
andGod,
cruelly
breaking
aparther
notions of the order of the Universe.
-Celeste goes
into
seclusion,is
ready
to takeher
ownlife.
In
her
delirium,
has
a vision of Sr.Frances,
who givesCeleste a cryptic
key
toher
ownduality.
-Celeste calls a
meeting
with God and Lucifer.They
argue over Celeste-each tries to convice
her
to choose one or theother.
They
each use mental and physical stimulation Sheteases them with
her
decision,
thendeclares
she'saccepting
both
ofthem,
and accuses them ofbeing
petty
creations ofhumans.
She
gives 'emhell,
no punintended.
When she'sdone,
they
turn to each other, smile, and vanish.-Celeste
is
in
amisty
limbo
and experiencesmind-bending
visions o