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8 INDIANA REPERTORY THEATREWorld War IIWorld War II was a global military conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945. It involved most of theworld’s nations, including all of the great powers, forming two opposing forces: the Allies(Great Britain, the Soviet Union, and the United States, along with France, China, and othercountries) and the Axis (Germany, Japan, and Italy, along with Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria,and other countries). It was the most widespread war in history, with more than 100 millionmilitary personnel mobilized. In a state of “total war,” the major participants placed their entireeconomic, industrial, and scientific capabilities at the service of the war effort, erasing thedistinction between civilian and military resources. Marked by significant events involving themass death of civilians, including the Holocaust and the only use of nuclear weapons inwarfare, it was the deadliest conflict in human history, resulting in 50 to 70 million fatalities.The war is generally accepted to have begun on September 1, 1939, with the invasion ofPoland by Germany and Slovakia. Germany had set out to establish a large empire in Europe.From 1939 to early 1941, in a series of successful military campaigns and political treaties,Germany conquered or politically subdued most of continental Europe apart from the SovietUnion. Eventually, Great Britain was the only major force continuing to fight against the Axis. InJune 1941, the Axis launched an invasion of the Soviet Union, starting the largest land theatreof war in history and tying down the majority of Axis military power. In December 1941, Japan,which had already been at war with China since 1937, and which aimed to establishdominance over East and Southeast Asia, attacked the United States and Europeanpossessions in the Pacific Ocean, quickly conquering a significant part of the region.The Axis advance was stopped in 1942 after the defeat of Japan in a series of naval battles,and after devastating defeats of European Axis troops in North Africa and at Stalingrad. In1943, with a series of German defeats in Eastern Europe, the Allied invasion of Fascist Italy,and American victories in the Pacific, the Axis began to retreat on all fronts. In 1944, theWestern Allies invaded France, while the Soviet Union regained all its territorial losses andinvaded Axis territories. Fighting in Europe ended with the capture of Berlin by Soviet troopsand Germany’s unconditional surrender on May 8, 1945. The war ended in August 1945 withthe victory of the Allies over Japan.World War II left the political alignment and social structure of the world significantly altered.While the United Nations was established to foster international cooperation and prevent futureconflicts, the Soviet Union and the United States emerged as rival superpowers, setting thestage for the Cold War, which would last for the next 46 years. Meanwhile, the influence ofEuropean great powers started to decline, while the decolonization of Asia and of Africabegan. Most countries whose industries had been badly damaged began moving towardeconomic recovery, and across the world former enemies began efforts to peacefully stabilizeafter-war relations.

INDIANA REPERTORY THEATRE9U-boats in the CaribbeanAlthough located far from the centers of battle in Europe and the South Pacific, the CaribbeanSea was an important front during World War II—particularly for the United States. The RoyalDutch Shell oil refinery on the island of Curaçao, located just off the coast of South America,was the largest in the world, shipping 11 million barrels of Venezuelan oil each month; andthere were several other major refineries in the region. With Italy blocking access to oil fromthe Middle East, Venezuelan oil was vital to the Allied war effort. Equally significant wasbauxite ore from the Guyanas, needed to make aluminum for U.S. military aircraft production.Perhaps most important was the Panama Canal, crucial to U.S. shipping and defense.In February 1942, two months after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, three German Uboats launched simultaneous assaults on tankers and refineries in Aruba, Curaçao, and theGulf of Venezuela; soon there were as many as a dozen U-boats patrolling the area withregular attacks. Germany during World War II had the largest submarine fleet in the world.Although German U-boats were occasionally deployed against enemy naval warships, theirprimary targets were merchant convoys bringing supplies from Canada, the British Empire,and the United States to the United Kingdom and other European allies. U-boats spent most oftheir time surfaced, running on diesel engines; their speed and range were severely limitedwhile running underwater on battery power, so they dived only when attacked or for raredaytime torpedo strikes. Today’s modern nuclear submarine, with its cylindrical body, is morehydrodynamic underwater and less stable on the surface; U-boats had a more ship-like hulldesign, reflecting the fact that they were primarily surface vessels that submerged only whennecessary. The most common U-boat attack during the early years of the war was conductedon the surface and at night.In all, the Germans sank 336vessels in the Caribbean in1942; the increasedeffectiveness of U.S. antisubmarine operations reducedthat number to 38 for the rest ofthe war. But in The Cay, in April1942, when Phillip and hismother ship out from Willemstadfor Miami, the Caribbean Sea isa very dangerous place.Two U-boats transferring a torpedoin the Caribbean, August 1942.

10 INDIANA REPERTORY THEATREAbove& Belowthe WatercayA cay is a small, low-elevation, sandy island on the surface of a coral reef,formed when ocean currents deposit loose sediment on the surface of a reef.bankA bank is a part of the sea that isshallow compared to its surroundingarea, such as a shoal or the top of anunderwater hill.(aerial photograph of Seranilla Bankin the Caribbean Sea. The lighter areasare the shallows or banks.)reefA reef is a bar of rock, sand, coral, orsimilar material, lying beneath thesurface of water. Many reefs resultfrom deposits of sand, wave erosionwearing down rock outcrops, and othernatural processes, but the best-knownreefs are the coral reefs of tropicalwaters, developed from calciumcarbonate structures secreted byunderwater coral plants.

INDIANA REPERTORY THEATRE11Wild ThingsboobyBoobies are large island or coastal birds that live incolonies and hunt fish by diving from a height intothe sea and pursuing their prey underwater. Thebrown booby (right), common in the Caribbeanregion, is about 30” long with a 4’ 6” wingspan.petrelPetrels are tube-nosed seabirds, somewhat similar to seagulls. Gadfly petrels are common tothe Caribbean region. They are named for their speedy weaving flight, as if evading horseflies.They fly low, feeding on food items picked from the ocean surface. The word “petrel” comesfrom the Latin name for Saint Peter, and refers to the bird’s habit of hovering just above theocean waves, with their feet barely touching the water, thus giving an appearance of walkingon water, as St. Peter is said to have done.sharkCaribbean reef sharks and blacktip reef sharks are the most common species of sharks foundin the Caribbean. Others include the tiger, nurse, and bull sharks.scorpionScorpions are predatory arachnids. They have eight legs and are easily recognized by theirpair of clawlike pedipalps and their narrow, segmented tails, often carried in a characteristicforward curve over the back, ending with a venomous stinger. Scorpion stings are painful butare usually harmless to humans.langostaLangosta is the Spanish term forlobster. In the Caribbean, the termusually refers to the spiny lobster(right), which looks somewhat similarto the Maine lobster with which mostof us are familiar, but without the twolarge front claws and with long thickantennae. Langosta tend to live increvices of rocks and coral reefs.

12 INDIANA REPERTORY THEATRECaribbean PlacesAntiguaAntigua is located about 225 miles east-southeast of the Virgin Islands at the northern end ofthe Lesser Antilles, the chain of islands that form the eastern border of the Caribbean Seaagainst the Atlantic Ocean.ArubaAruba is a constituent island country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the southernCaribbean Sea, located about 18 miles north of the coast of Venezuela and 50 miles west ofCuraçao. Unlike much of the Caribbean region, Aruba has a dry climate that has helped tomake it a popular tourist destination.BarbadosBarbados is located in the western Atlantic Ocean, just east of the Lesser Antilles, the chain ofislands between the eastern border of the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean.the Cayman IslandsThe Cayman Islands (19N, 81W), comprising the three islands of Grand Cayman, CaymanBrac, and Little Cayman, are located south of Cuba, northeast of Costa Rica and northwest ofJamaica.ColombiaColombia is a transcontinental country, largely situated in the northwest of South America, withsome territories in Central America at the southernmost end of the Isthmus of Panama.CuraçaoThe island country of Curaçao is located in the southern Caribbean Sea, approximately 40miles north of the Venezuelan coast. It has an area of 171 square miles (a little less than halfthe size of Marion County). The original inhabitants of Curaçao migrated from the AmazonBasin. Although a Spanish expedition arrived in 1499, Curaçao was largely ignored by earlyEuropean colonists because it lacked gold deposits. The natural harbor of Willemstad,however, proved to be an ideal spot for commerce, shipping, piracy, and the slave trade, whichbecame Curaçao’s most important economic activities. Dutch colonists began settling there asearly as 1634, and Curaçao has been a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlandssince 1815. In 1914, oil was discovered. The Royal Dutch Shell oil refinery has been theeconomic mainstay of Curaçao since 1915. At that time, to facilitate schooling for the childrenof expatriate employees of Royal Dutch Shell, the government made Dutch the sole languageof instruction in the educational system.

INDIANA REPERTORY THEATRE13WillemstadWillemstad (above) is the capital city of Curaçao. It has an estimated population of 150,000—about the size of Dayton, Ohio. Willemstad is home to the Curaçao synagogue, the oldestsurviving synagogue in the Americas. The city center, with its unique architecture and harborentry, has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.Dutch islandsThe Dutch Islands, currently or historically governed by the Netherlands, include Aruba,Curaçao, St. Maarten, Bonaire, St. Eustatius, and Saba.JamaicaJamaica is located in the northern Caribbean Sea, just south of Cuba. It is the fourth-largestisland country in the Caribbean. Originally inhabited by the indigenous Arawak and Taínopeoples, the island came under Spanish rule following the arrival of Christopher Columbus in1494. In 1655 England conquered Jamaica, and it became a leading sugar exporter. Theisland achieved independence from the United Kingdom in 1962.PanamaPanama is the southern-most country of North America. Panama seceded from Colombia in1903, and the Panama Canal was built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers between 1904and 1914. In 1977 an agreement was signed for the total transfer of the Canal from the UnitedStates to Panama by the end of 1999.Providencia IslandProvidencia Island (13N, 81W) is a Colombian island in the southeastern Caribbean Sea,located midway between Costa Rica and Jamaica.Quita Sueño BankQuita Sueño Bank (14N, 81W) is a reef formation located about 39 miles north-northeast ofProvidencia Island, west of Serrana. It has lighthouses at its northern and southern ends.

14 INDIANA REPERTORY THEATRESeveral of the smaller islands and all of the cays and banks on this list are not marked on the smallmap above. Using the clues in this listing, along with larger, more detailed maps and nautical charts,find these locations. Approximately where on this map would Timothy and Phillip’s cay be located?Roncador BankRoncador Bank (13N, 80W) is a mostly-submerged atoll with several sandy cays, located inthe west Caribbean Sea off the coast of Central America, about 75 miles east-northeast ofProvidencia Island.Rosalind BankRosalind Bank (16N, 80W) is a large (35 x 63 miles), completely submerged bank or atolllocated northwest of Serranilla Bank.San AndrésSan Andrés (13N, 81W) is a Colombian island in the southeastern Caribbean Sea, 60 milessouth-southeast of Providencia Island.Serrana BankThe Serrana Bank (14N, 80W) is an atoll located about 44 miles north-northeast of Roncador.From Timothy of the Cay: “a dangerous shoal area.”North CaySerrana Bank (above) has six cays; the most northern is called North Cay.

INDIANA REPERTORY THEATRE15Serranilla BankSerranilla Bank (15N, 79W) is a partially submerged reef in the western Caribbean Sea, 78miles north-northeast of Serrana, 24 x 20 miles. From Timothy of the Cay: “very steep-to.”Beacon CaySerranilla Bank (above) has three small cays, including Beacon Cay, which has a lighthouseand a small garrison of the Colombian navy.VenezuelaVenezuela, located on the northern coast of South America, has the world’s largest oilreserves and is one of the world’s leading exporters of oil. Unfortunately, the success of thenation’s oil industry has so overwhelmed other local industries that Venezuela is currently in astate of economic crisis.Virgin IslandsThe Virgin Islands are located on the eastern edge of the Caribbean Sea, southeast of Cubaand Puerto Rico. They are located at the northern end of the Lesser Antilles, the chain ofislands that form the eastern border of the Caribbean Sea against the Atlantic Ocean.Politically, the Virgin Islands are divided among the British, Puerto Rican, and United Statesgovernments.St. JohnSt. John is the smallest of the three main U.S.Virgin Islands.St. ThomasSt. Thomas is the largest of the three main U.S.Virgin Islands.Charlotte AmalieCharlotte Amalie (right), located on St. Thomas,is the capital and the second largest city of theU.S. Virgin Islands. Founded in 1666, it has adeep-water harbor that was once a haven forpirates and is now one of the busiest ports ofcall for cruise ships in the Caribbean.FrenchtownFrenchtown is a settlement on the island ofSaint Thomas in the United States VirginIslands. It is located on the south coast, lessthan a mile west of the capital, CharlotteAmalie.

16 INDIANA REPERTORY THEATRENautical TermsboomIn sailing, a boom is a spar (pole) along the foot (bottom edge) of a rigged sail. The boomkeeps the foot of the sail flatter when the sail angle is away from the centerline of the boat.latitude & longitudeThe latitude of a point on the Earth’s surface is the angle between the equator and the north orsouth pole. The longitude of the same point is the angle east or west from the Prime Meridianin Greenwich, Great Britain. The combination of these two components specifies the positionof any location on the surface of the Earth. In The Cay, Timothy believes that he and Phillip aremarooned at a point 15 degrees north of the equator and 80 degrees west of Greenwich, about750 miles due south of Miami and 600 miles west of Curaçao.portIn sailing, port is the left-hand side of or direction from a vessel, facing forward. (Starboard isthe right-hand side). Before ships had rudders, they were guided with a steering oar at thestern of the ship on the right-hand side (because more people are right-handed). To avoid thesteering oar, the boat would tie up at wharf on the left side, which was therefore called port.schoonerA schooner is a type of sailing vessel with foreand-aft sails on two or more masts, theforemast being shorter than the main. Suchvessels were first used by the Dutch in the 16thor 17th century. The most common type, withtwo masts, were popular in trades requiringspeed and windward ability, such as slaving,pirating, blockade running, and offshore fishing.trade windsThe trade winds are the prevailing pattern of easterly surface winds found in the tropics, nearthe equator. The trade winds blow predominantly from the northeast in the NorthernHemisphere and from the southeast in the Southern Hemisphere. For centuries, captains ofsailing ships have used trade winds to cross the world’s oceans. Trade winds enabled theexpansion of European empires into the Americas and established trade routes across theAtlantic and Pacific oceans. The trade winds also act as the steering flow for tropical stormsthat form over the oceans and make landfall in North America and elsewhere around the world.

INDIANA REPERTORY THEATRE17Pre-Show ActivitiesDiscuss World War II with your students. What were the major issues? Who were the majorcombatants? Discuss in particular the war’s impact in the Caribbean region. There are articleson pages 8 and 9 of this study guide to help you.What do your students know about daily life in the 1940s? Divide them into groups to researchvarious subjects—transportation, food, entertainment, communication, style, etc.—and havethe groups make presentations to the class.If your students have read the book The Cay, discuss the differences in storytelling between abook, a movie, and a play. Anything can happen in a book—all it takes is the reader’s ability toenvision what the author has imagined. How might a story like The Cay.To give the class some context about the Caribbean, divide into pairs or small groups. Haveeach choose one of the Caribbean locations mentioned in the play (listed on pages 12 to 15).Have each group do research and create a presentation for the class about the locale’speople, history, culture, geography, plants and animals, language, economy, etc. As class,discuss the similarities and differences among the nations and islands in the region.Post-Show Discussion QuestionsPhillip is angry with his mother about leaving Curacao. If you were his friend, what advicewould you give him? When you disagree with a parent’s decision, what is a good way tohandle the situation?Why do you suppose Timothy calls Phillip “young boss”? What does this choice suggest aboutTimothy? Why do you suppose Phillip asks Timothy not to call him that? What is thesignificance of how we address each other?What has Phillip’s mother taught him about black people? What does Phillip at the beginning ofthe play to show his feelings toward black people? How do his feelings change over the courseof the play? Why?Looking back over his experiences in the sequel Timothy of the Cay, Phillip says that he nowrealizes things Timothy did to protect him, or moments Timothy stretched the truth to keep himfrom feeling fearful. Looking back over the play, discuss these moments.After Phillip loses his sight, how do his other senses develop? Give examples from the playthat demonstrate these changes.

18 INDIANA REPERTORY THEATREWhat is the symbolic or thematic significance of Phillip’s blindness? Why do you suppose theauthor added this challenge to the story, beyond that of being marooned on an island?Why does Timothy strike Phillip? Attitudes towards such an incident are vastly different todaythan they were in 1942 when the story takes place, or even in 1969, when the book was firstpublished. What was your reaction to this moment? As society’s values and viewpointschange, how do we interpret such moments in books, plays, and movies created in the past?When in the play is Phillip dependent on Timothy? When is Timothy dependent on Phillip?What does Phillip learn from Timothy? What does Timothy learn from Phillip? How do theseshifts affect their ongoing relationship?Why does Phillip ask Timothy, “A

At first glance, Theodore Taylor's book The Cay would seem to have all the elements of an exciting action-adventure tale: a world at war, midnight torpedo raids, a harrowing escape on a tiny raft to an uncharted cay—a coral reef that barely rises out of the sea. It's a literary mash-up of perilous war story and desert island survival tale.