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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by Emme Corbett, dramaturg As a senior student studying history at BYU. One of the first concepts you learn as a history major is that when you study history, it is vital that you do not bring your modern-day biases with you. As strange as some past behaviors or occurrences may be to our modern eyes, understanding the reality of what life was like in historical societies allows for a more authentic and rich study of the past. It also becomes evident fairly quickly that no matter what point in time you’re studying or where you are in the world, there will be commonalities across many cultures. The shared similarity of the human experience allows these connections to occur, so it is no surprise that researching various time periods could be related back to Caesar in Ancient Rome. It was necessary in our dramaturgical research to explore three major time periods that are encompassed within this play in one way or another. These time periods are first, 49 B.C. Rome, when Julius Caesar first became a dictator of Ancient Rome, and the setting for the original script. Second, 1599 England, when William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar was first performed, most likely at the Globe Theatre. And third, 1919 Italy, when Italy was recovering from participating in the First World War, and the setting for our performance at BYU. This weakened state created a situation where authoritarianism could ensue. It was an interesting experience to be able to connect the culture of Ancient Rome to that of Italy in the early 20th century. The reason for choosing this production of Julius Caesar to take place in 1919 Italy is not random. The significance of that time period is to draw upon the reality that history repeats itself. An aspect of history that is repeatedly detrimental to countless societies is when a group of people finds itself weak and vulnerable--whether that is due to lack of resources, a change in leadership, exiting a war, or simply evolving generations--and a power vacuum is created. This moment in time when desperation allows for someone to assume leadership (based purely on the need to rely on anybody) and provide temporary relief is often too quickly turned into an authoritarian government. The third time period that we also had to account for in this production was the time of Shakespeare in 1599 England. Some of the questions we had to ask ourselves were: Why Julius Caesar? What elements from the story of Caesar’s assassination did Shakespeare feel would resonate with his audience? From these questions and further research on the Elizabethan period, we discovered that, like in 1919 Italy, there was a concern with the succession to the Crown. Queen Elizabeth I was on the throne at the time and created conflict among the people beyond her just being a woman in power. Queen Elizabeth never married and subsequently never bore any children, thus failing to secure a successor who was in her direct line. Another element of the play that related to Shakespeare’s audience was the role of the plebeians. Their behavior in the play could symbolize how the lower class in the Elizabethan Era, while uneducated and changeable, contribute largely to the success of their society.

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

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Julius Caesar Dramaturgy Resources

Elizabethan England

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