Meet the Cast of "The Fisherman and His Wife": Flounder and Seahorse

by Haley Flanders, dramaturg

Fisherman and His Wife is currently up and running on BYU’s Nelke stage. To celebrate our production, we wanted to give you the chance to get to know the cast that is bringing this story to life. You can meet the Fisherman and his wife, Isabel, here. Check back tomorrow for the rest of the cast!

Name: Ross Wilcox

Character: Flounder

If you could have a supernatural helper, what would you have? After learning from this show that you have to be careful what you wish for, I would be hesitant to have a supernatural helper that offered me any wishes. I think I would rather have some kind of fairy godmother or wise mentor that appears and tells me exactly what to do with my life every time I’m faced with a difficult decision, because so far I still don’t have a clue.

What would you wish for? To be able to do whatever I want in life (support a family, work, take on hobbies and projects), without ever having to worry about money. Not that I want a lot of money; I would just have it not be such a stressful part of life.

What is the overall message of this play? Be grateful for what you have. Happiness comes from the people, not the things, in our lives. Alternately, be careful what you wish for, because it just might come true.

What has this message taught you? This play has taught me that wishes, without work, only lead to dissatisfaction. It’s not bad to have desires and aspirations, but unlimited gratification can never satisfy the soul’s need for honest achievement.

What was your favorite part of working on this show? I love how playful the show is. As an actor, I felt like I was able to grow tremendously, taking risks and using techniques I’ve never used before. I also loved the ensemble feel of the show. We all got to know each other very well, and every rehearsal felt like coming home.

Name: Emma Truax
Character: Prince’s Assistant (Seahorse)
If you could have a supernatural helper, what would you have? I would want a fairy godmother because you could have her help whenever you truly need it, and I feel like my fairy godmother would be awesome!
What would you wish for? To be able to go to Harry Potter world in Florida with all my friends and family, and have the whole park to myself for a week.
What is the overall message of this play? Focusing on material things and worldly accomplishments won’t make you happy. Focusing on friends, and family and those you love is what makes you happy.
What has this message taught you? Serving others and loving others is what truly brings me happiness. If I am focused on myself or things that I need, I am never going to be satisfied and so I therefore won’t be happy.
What was your favorite part of working on this show? I loved what I have been able to learn and accomplish physically in this show. The physical aspect of this show is SO cool and I have loved learning the different techniques that Nestor has shared with the cast.

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[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="376"] Margaret Roper[/caption] Margaret More Roper: Scholar and Daughter by Adam White, dramaturg Thomas More was a family man; he was married twice and had four children with his first wife, Jane Colt. After being married for six years, Jane Colt More died, leaving More with four children: Margaret, Elizabeth, Cecily and John. However, More quickly remarried to the widow Dame Alice Middleton, marrying her within a month of his wife’s death. While many of his friends resisted the rapid nature of the arrangement, More went through with it. Thomas and Alice More would raise the four children Thomas More had with Jane, as well as Alice’s daughter from her previous marriage and a foster daughter. Certainly, More valued his family and the welfare of his children. More also valued the power of education. He insisted that his daughters be educated through rigorous schooling, and this was unusual in 16th-century England, as society at large believed women unfit for scholarly pursuits. Despite cultural and institutional norms, Margaret More, the eldest of the More children (and More’s favorite, some would argue), would grow to become one of the most educated people in all of England, a woman of great scholarly knowledge. Margaret More Roper was tutored at home and became well-known for her studies, particularly for her adeptness in Greek and Latin. Her skill in writing and speaking Latin would impress the clergy of England. This specialty is reflected in a scene in Bolt’s A Man for All Seasons where Margaret and King Henry VIII engage in a bit of Latin language sparring. She would also become the first woman who was not of royal birth to publish a translated book. In October 1524, Roper published an English translation of a book called ‘Precatio dominica’ written by Thomas More’s good friend Erasmus. This book was based on the Lord’s Prayer. Instead of translating the book directly from Latin to English, Roper would use her extensive knowledge of both languages to construct the themes and the meanings Erasmus had written in to the treatise with her own words. [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="291"] Erasmus, Dutch humanist and good friend to Thomas More[/caption] It was Margaret who would visit the imprisoned Thomas More the most often. They were very close, writing letters to one another regularly the duration of their relationship. It was in a letter to Margaret that Thomas More confided, “I do nobody harm, I say none harm, I thinke none harm, but wish everybody good. And if this be not enough to keep a man alive, in good faith I long not to live.” We have good reason to believe that Margaret More Roper very well understood what would be her father’s fate. After Thomas More’s execution, Margaret More Roper and her husband William Roper would continue to carry on his legacy in their own ways. William Roper would write the first biography of Thomas More, a glowing and gracious document that would influence our understanding of More’s personality for hundreds of years to come. Margaret More Roper actually kept her father’s head after his beheading, pickling it to preserve it from decay. While many of us may find that historical tidbit a tad macabre, I would like to believe that Margaret More Roper had deep admiration for her father; perhaps it was out of this feeling she kept his head. Please stay tuned to the 4th Wall Dramaturgy Blog to catch clips of my interview with Mallory Gee, the actress who will portray Margaret More Roper in BYU’s A Man for All Seasons. Bibliography: Abernathy, Susan. "Margaret Roper, Daughter of Sir Thomas More." Early Modern England. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Feb. 2014. Duerden, Richard. "A Man for All Seasons." Telephone interview. 31 Jan. 2014. "Margaret Roper." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 28 Sept. 2013. Web. 02 Oct. 2013. "Sir Thomas More Quotes and Quotations." Sir Thomas More Quotes and Quotations. Luminarium. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2013.

Meet the Cast of "The Fisherman and His Wife": Flounder and Seahorse

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