"Waves of Wishes" Lobby Display Skip to main content
2014 - 2015 Season

"Waves of Wishes" Lobby Display

by Haley Flanders, dramaturg

On October 11, The Fisherman and His Wife completed their final performance at BYU (don’t worry – they will continue to perform at libraries and elementary schools throughout the semester). I was in attendance at this show, and was excited to see an almost sold-out crowd! The audience was enthusiastic and loved taking part in the narrative through sound and action.

Since the play contains fun elements of audience participation, I decided to make a lobby display that also encouraged the audience to interact with the story. The display had a table with markers and notepads shaped like fish. On the ground was a small pool, which I called “Waves of Wishes.” The poem on the poster gave further instructions…

Waves of wishes copy

“Choose your most desired wish. Then write it on an enchanted fish.
Place it in this magical sea. Will your wish come true?
Just wait and see!”

The lobby display remained outside the Nelke Theatre for the entire run of the show, and received HUNDREDS of fish wishes from students during the day, and audience members of all ages at each performance!

IMG_1670

    Here are some of the wishes I found:

    • To time travel.
    • To get a job that I love.
    • A dinosaur as a pet.
    • To earn my pilot’s license.
    • To own a unicorn.
    • To be a Jedi.
    • To be a superhero.
    • To be brave, no matter what is in my way.

    Below is a picture of the “Fish Song” Poster, which stood behind the pool. This song is performed by the Flounder Prince (Ross Wilcox) each time he grants a wish for the Fisherman.

    Fish song

    Fun Fact: The show originally had no music, yet the director, Néstor Bravo Goldsmith, wanted to add music to make the show more magical. All music, including the Fish Song, was composed by the actor playing the Fisherman, Brandon Bringhurst. The music was one of my FAVORITE parts of the show!

    IMG_1666

    While the lobby display has been taken down, the question remains: what would you wish for?

    Related Articles

    data-content-type="article"

    Interview with the Dramaturg

    April 02, 2025 06:17 PM
    CFAC External Relations decided to conduct a short interview with Andrew-Elijah Schindler, the dramaturg and playwright for Henry V. They wanted to learn more about his role behind the scenes.
    overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= overrideTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection= overrideCardHideByline= overrideCardHideDescription= overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText= overrideTextAlignment=
    data-content-type="article"

    All in This Together

    March 31, 2025 09:39 AM
    For many, High School Musical is a nostalgic film that brings back memories of our days in high school, of struggling to fit in, figuring out who we are, and developing friendships that shape and change us. It teaches us that “we are all in this together,” a theme we’ve embraced throughout this production.
    overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= overrideTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection= overrideCardHideByline= overrideCardHideDescription= overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText= overrideTextAlignment=
    data-content-type="article"

    The Comedy-Tragedy Debate in The Cherry Orchard

    March 27, 2025 09:44 PM
    The debate over whether The Cherry Orchard is a comedy or a tragedy began with Chekhov himself and his director (and sometimes friend) Konstantin Stanislavsky.
    overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= overrideTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection= overrideCardHideByline= overrideCardHideDescription= overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText= overrideTextAlignment=