SINGLE ACT: FISH AGAINST THE NET
Many fish learn to cooperate out of necessity; whether moving in a pack to avoid predation or acting as a school to learn from one another. There are lessons to be learned from team work and the lapse thereof.
Open on a school of Mahi moving along in the gulf - we hear bickering
FISH ONE
Come on man hold your line, you keep bumping me
FISH TWO
You’re the one who can’t swim straight, don’t lecture me
FISH ONE
I disagree, I’ve been keeping my eyes on the horizon the whole time. Therefore, I can’t be drifting.
FISH TWO
Sure pal
WISE FISH
Careful, gentlemen, learn to work through your issues otherwise you’ll be the death of us all.
The two disregard and let their resentment simmer
The fish continue along, aloof.
After some time we rejoin the school
A net enters view and engulfs the school
WISE FISH
Quickly now everyone, if we all push down the net will release, but we have to work together.
FISH ONE
I refuse, this guy keeps bumping me
FISH TWO
It’s you bumping me
WISE FISH
Friends, there are more important things to consider at the moment, we can discuss your conflict later rather than sooner
FISH ONE & FISH TWO
Fine
The two join the pack and swim against the force of the net - we hear a crack and the let lets loose
The fish swim free
WISE FISH
See friends, when we work together despite our differences we can overcome great obstacles
More time passes, the fish work together to break from the net many times - but resentments aren’t done away so easily
We see Fishes One and Two in turmoil once again
FISH ONE
I’ve had enough of this. You need to learn to swim straight, with the school, with your neighbors. You’re going to cause the death of us all as you break down our cohesion.
FISH TWO
Dude it’s you who can’t swim straight, you’re at fault.
WISE FISH
Friends, it doesn’t matter...
The wise fish is cut off by a whooshing sound
Suddenly, the fish are again in the throws of battle as the net begins to capture them
WISE FISH
Now, we must again set aside differences as we have time and time again for survival
FISH ONE
No! You continuously say “we’ll get to your issue later” and dismiss my feelings!
FISH TWO
It’s my feelings he’s dismissing and you shouldn’t be concerned with your own as you’re the one creating the problem!
FISH ONE
No I am not, you cannot control yourself
WISE FISH
Fish, we must focus on the greater good
But it was too late, the net indeed covered the school and completed its cinch before the group could organize.
The fish are entangled and brought to the surface where they’re dumped aboard the ship - all on each other - all bumping each other.
It is not a matter of who carries the blame, for every individual does. In refusal of fault, each fish succumbed to stubbornness which doomed the group. However, was the wise fish not also wrong for diminishing the importance of conflict resolution? Certainly he is also to blame.
Author's Note:
This is pulled heavily from the "Quarrelsome Quails" Jataka Tale and the scene in Finding Nemo where the fish swim against the net. The original Jataka Tale has the bulk of the birds, including the king, abandon the two who are in conflict, leading to the death of the two and the survival of the bunch. This irks me a bit as you'd think the king would feel some obligation to intervene on an issue within his kingdom. Instead he simply leaves, it's a very Laissez-Faire rule. In my telling I decided to have the king be reduced to a wiser fish, with the name as a nod to the actual lack of wisdom posed by the character. The wise fish who seems to be something of a ruler states that their issue will be addressed later to assuage them in the moment, but he doesn't follow up in earnest. I believe this makes him equally responsible for the crisis and thus deserving of the same fate as the two truly struggling.
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