For each production at TMT, we like to ask our cast and crew members a few questions, so we and you can get to know them better! Some questions are standard. Some are specific to the show these folks are working on. Some are biographical, some are philosophical, and some are completely off the wall! But all of these questions provide a little insight into the wonderful artists that make up our Magnetic community.
Meet the cast of Fish, see what they think of their characters and each other’s, then grab your tickets and come see the show, April 14th through 29th.
Today’s Character Q&A is two-part. First, our actors describe their characters in 10 words or less. Then, we asked: Do you relate to your character or to any character in the show? How similar / different are you?
Paula O’Brien
Paula O’Brien plays Laura, a woman struggling to find balance in her daily life and absolution from one devastating event in her past.
In 10 words or less: “A wreck, tortured, regretful, funny, searching, hopeful.”
“I relate to Laura in that I also had the crazy social life/career. Been there, done that and it was fun! I also relate to how she looks to routines to now bring order and discipline to her day to day.”
Jason Phillips
Jason Phillips takes on the role of Charlie, a lonely drifter just barely getting by, haunted by his bizarre and complicated childhood.
“A beautiful, wryly funny and damaged survivor.”
“I relate to some of Charlie’s life experiences to some degree and I think we’re all a little haunted by our pasts. Overall though we are wildly different. He is much more damaged and opportunistic than me. As much as I love Charlie as a character, I am thankful for our differences.”
Lilly Mills
Lilly Mills plays Missi, whose presence in the story defines and drives Laura’s quest for understanding of fate. Who is Missi?
In Lilly’s words, a “Dramatic petty sassy lil chaotic demon.”
She also says, “I relate to my character because I too am a petty hippy who thrives off of chaos.”
Morgan Miller
Morgan Miller brings life to Charlie’s mother, True, who brings a very different brand of chaos into the mix.
Morgan opted not to offer any sound-bites about the character of True, and we think that’s perfectly understandable.
In this blogger’s 10-words-or-less, True is “decades of therapy in the making; psychiatric diagnoses galore.”
Evan Eckstrom
Last but certainly not least, Evan Eckstrom plays not one but six different characters throughout the course of Fish. In the interest of keeping it short and sweet, he offers one word for each:
“Snakelike / Follower / Aggro-yogi / Fragile / Sensual / Grounded”
We’ll let the audience figure out which word applies to which character, but Evan did have a bit more to say about how he relates to a few of them:
“All 3 of my convenience store clerks have whispers of my personality in them. The approval seeking & willingness to be charmed of the first, the nervous panic that sneaks up of the second, and the self-assured wisdom of the third all exist within me.”
For a character-driven, small-cast show like Fish, we couldn’t ask for a more thoughtful and interesting group of folks to work with than these devoted actors and director Ashleigh Goff. In the next Magnetic Personalities, we’ll talk with the cast about what has made this experience unique for them, and we’ll meet some behind-the-scenes crew, too! Stay tuned, and make your plans to see the show!