Anguilla’s long-established playwright, Mr. Felix Fleming, is preparing for what will be his first religious dramatic presentation on the island – and is in search of his leading Biblical character, Simon Peter. He has been searching for such a performer for some time now and thinks he is making headway towards that end.
In the Christian Bible, Peter is portrayed as having been a rugged fisherman turned Apostle of Jesus with a commanding and leadership role among the twelve disciples. He is recorded as the disciple who chopped off an ear of one of the Roman soldiers who arrested Jesus in the Garden of Jerusalem; but denied knowing him later on “before the cock crows three times”; who, on a fishing trip, walked on the sea to meet Jesus after his crucifixion and resurrection but began to sink; who preached to a large crowd and led some 3,000 persons to join the Church; who was commissioned by Jesus “to feed my flock”; and upon whom Jesus pronounced: “on this Rock I will build my Church.” Peter was, in the words of Pope Gregory, “the Prince of the Apostles”.
This is the man who Mr. Fleming’s upcoming play will feature but, of course, not with all of those well-known general details. Speaking about the planned event and the character, the dramatist told The Anguillian newspaper the following during a brief dialogue:
“The play is about the life and maturation – the growth of Simon Peter – from a young man to the time he met Jesus.”
Why Simon Peter?
Well, I haven’t done a religious play for a long time and it has always been part of our schedule, at Easter time, or Christmas, to do something religious. It has been four and a half, or five, years that we haven’t done one; so I decided to make the sacrifice to do it. I say sacrifice because it has been very difficult in getting a cast together. We are still looking for individuals to act in the play. Anguillians like their comedy and are not so keen on religious plays, but nevertheless we are moving ahead with it. At the moment we don’t have anyone to perform the role of Simon Peter and we are still canvassing people.
What characteristics are you looking for in such a person?
He has to be a young man. We want to show his development, his maturity, as he got older. We want to portray all aspects of his life – a fisherman who was married to a very young virgin; his growth as a Hebrew; what his life was like then – the restrictions and things like that; the change in his life when he met Jesus; and his challenges in meeting Jesus. He didn’t just follow him.
What are some of the aspects of his life, as recorded in the Bible, that you hope to portray?
Well, those aspects are general. Everybody knows them and so there is no sense reiterating them. It is like my other religious play, “In the Beginning”, which told the story of Noah and The Ark etc. It is general stuff that people already know. “In the Beginning” was never done here in Anguilla. It was done in St. Croix. I opened it there about 15 years ago but I could never get the kind of cast because it is a huge cast and a Biblical play; and it is new because the music in it isn’t hymns and so on. It is jazz and reggae…
The Simon Peter play will have a cast of ten actors and will be presented during this coming Easter season.”
So by that time, you will have found Simon Peter, the main character?
I am working on it. I just spoke to a prospective actor who has worked with us, so hopefully we can get him to join us.
