This article is about the theater group. For other similar uses, see Ember Island (disambiguation).

"Ugh! My mother used to take us to see them. They butchered Love Amongst the Dragons every year." — Zuko to Team Avatar.[1]

餘燼島演員 Ember Island Players
General information
Headquarters Ember Island
Affiliation Fire Nation
Purpose Acting troupe
Chronological information
First appearance "The Ember Island Players"
Last appearance "Sozin's Comet, Part 1: The Phoenix King"

The Ember Island Players were a local acting troupe who performed at the Ember Island Theater, which was Ember Island's only theater. They did not have a reputation for quality acting, but they took themselves very seriously and almost always packed the house.

The Ember Island Players were all professionals, however their pay was relatively low. Almost all of them wished to advance to a greater stage.^[2] Their plays featured very overly-dramatic acting and dazzling special effects. They performed The Boy in the Iceberg, written by Earth Kingdom playwright Pu-on Tim. They also frequently performed - or "butchered", according to Zuko - the play, Love Amongst the Dragons. When Zuko was young, his mother used to take their family to see their plays.^[1]

Contents 1 Characters portrayed in The Boy in the Iceberg 1.1 Actress Katara 1.2 Actor Sokka 1.3 Actress Aang 1.4 Actor Zuko 1.5 Actor Iroh 1.6 Actor Toph 1.7 Actress Azula 1.8 Actress Ty Lee 1.9 Actress Mai 1.10 Actress Yue 1.11 Actor Ozai 1.12 Actress Suki 1.13 Actor Bumi 1.14 Actor Jet 2 Appearances 2.1 Avatar: The Last Airbender 2.1.1 Book Three: Fire (火) 3 Trivia 4 Gallery 5 References 6 See also

Characters portrayed in The Boy in the Iceberg Edit

A list of the characters portrayed by the actors in the play, in order of appearance:

Katara Sokka Aang Appa Zuko Iroh Momo Suki Kyoshi Warriors Jet King Bumi Pirates Blue Spirit

La Zhao Yue Azula Fire Lord Ozai Ty Lee Mai Dai Li agents Earth King Kuei Bosco Combustion Man (mentioned only) The Painted Lady (mentioned only) Master Piandao (mentioned only)

Actress Katara Edit

The actress who played Katara was curvier and older in comparison to the real Katara. Unlike the real Katara, Actress Katara was always lamenting and was preoccupied with hope. She had a more dramatic voice than Katara, expressed her feelings greatly toward everyone, especially Aang, and was madly infatuated with Zuko. She overreacted to almost everything, frequently breaking into bouts of sobbing. Although Team Avatar, namely Katara, displayed dislike for her acting skills, the Fire Nation locals did express much enthusiasm toward her and the play in general.^[1]

She was voiced by the real Azula's voice actress, Grey DeLisle.

Actor Sokka Edit

The actor who played Sokka served as the comedic character in the play, was much thinner and older than the real Sokka, and had buck teeth, a very big top-knot rather than a warrior's wolf tail, and hair around it, something which Sokka did not have until Book Three. While the real Sokka seemed to like his performance, he did not like how the script delegated him to comic relief. Most of his jokes were centered on hunger and meat, a comic exaggeration of Sokka's love of food. With the help of Suki, Sokka sneaked back stage, and gave the actor some jokes that he felt were more himself. The actor liked them, and spontaneously used them in the play, to the delight of the audience and to the annoyance of the other actors.^[1]

He was voiced by Scott Menville.

Actress Aang Edit

The person who played Aang was a young woman, much to Aang's displeasure. She was acrobatic and her catchphrase in the play was "Yip-Yip!", although it was used as a trigger for the Avatar State rather than a command for Appa to fly. She was much more perky and outgoing than the real Aang and she seemingly enjoyed playing pranks on other people. Aang being played by a woman was a reference to a common practice in animated shows to select an older woman to play the voice of a young boy, as well as a reference to the fact that in most live plays of Peter Pan, Peter Pan was played by a female. Her character was bald, but her two-toned head indicates that she was wearing a bald cap.^[1] When Katara and Suki were searching in the village for the vanished Aang, she was seen along with Actor Toph promoting the play.

She was voiced by Rachel Dratch.

Actor Zuko Edit

Although the real Zuko thought he was too "stiff and humorless", the actor who played Zuko did a fairly accurate representation, except for the fact that his scar was on the wrong side, and at one point his hair had grown ridiculously long in comparison to the real Zuko. His hair was first shown tied up, then very long, and finally very spiky. He wore a sort of skull cap covering part of his head to replicate Zuko's scar. His portrayal of Zuko revolved around his search for his honor.^[1] He took a crash course in kung fu in preparation for his role.

He was voiced by Derek Basco, brother of the real Zuko's voice actor Dante Basco.

Actor Iroh Edit

The actor playing Iroh was used exclusively for comic relief, and he portrayed Iroh as a useless glutton. He had a strange obsession with cake instead of tea. He was violently betrayed by Zuko, who felt that the play's portrayal was not very far from the truth.^[1] Nick.com used a screencap of actor Iroh for Iroh's main profile picture rather than a screencap of Iroh himself.

He was voiced by John DiMaggio.

Actor Toph Edit

The actor playing Toph was an enormous, muscular man. Unlike the others, Toph actually liked this portrayal of herself very much, claiming "[she] wouldn't have cast it any other way!" Actor Toph 'saw' by releasing a "sonic wave", a very loud shriek, from his mouth while the real Toph 'saw' by feeling the vibrations in the earth.^[1] When Katara and Suki were searching for Aang, he, along with Actress Aang, was seen in the village promoting the play. He was a reference to Toph's earliest character design.

He was voiced by John DiMaggio.

Actress Azula Edit

In the play, Azula was portrayed as actually being one of the two "good guys". She did not appear very evil or conniving at all. She had a more masculine voice, and was clearly older. Actress Azula wore pink clothing and some of her features were exaggerated like her fingernails and makeup.^[1] She took a crash course in kung fu in preparation for her role, as did Actor Zuko.

She was voiced by Tara Strong.

Actress Ty Lee Edit

Actress Ty Lee was seen only for a couple moments and was depicted as an overweight ballerina. The only notable differences between her and Ty Lee were her wider frame, her lack of acrobatics and her fighting methods (she blocked people's chi by kissing her finger then touching them with it).^[1]

Actress Mai Edit

Actress Mai was seen very briefly. Her outfit greatly resembled Mai's, though the actress' had a sad face on it. Unlike Mai, she kept her stilettos in her buns, and her hair covered her eyes. Her hair buns were also much larger, so weapons could be kept inside.^[1]

Actress Yue Edit

Actress Yue was seen very briefly. Unlike Princess Yue, this actor had her braids attached to her hair loopies. Her dress had many bows on it and was a darker rose color. Actress Yue was seen riding on a moon-shaped prop off stage while the real Sokka broke into tears.^[1]

She was voiced by Jennie Kwan, the real Suki's voice actor.

Actor Ozai Edit

Actor Ozai had a longer beard and donned face-paint. He wore a crown^[1] that looked similar to the one the real Ozai wore when he proclaimed himself the Phoenix King.^[3] His depiction of the Fire Lord was markedly "hammed-up", as he acted with exaggerated motions and spoke his lines in a melodramatic voice.

He was voiced by Dee Bradley Baker.

Actress Suki Edit

Actress Suki was only seen once without any lines. She was portrayed the most accurately in the play, although some of her features, like her headdress, were exaggerated. Actor Sokka was shown asking her if his dress made his "butt look fat".^[1]

Actor Bumi Edit

Actor Bumi was seen for a short while. He wore a body suit over his own body to match the muscles of the real Bumi and donned a large hat decorated with colorful feathers. Unlike the real Bumi, who tended to speak in riddles, he seemed to have a rhyming scheme.^[1]

He was voiced by Dee Bradley Baker.

Actor Jet Edit

Actor Jet was seen in only two scenes. He was shown flooding a village in an attempt to impress Actress Katara whereas the real Jet did so to rid the valley of the Fire Nation.^[4] He then ascended a rope with Katara, who commented on how bad he was. He "died" later on when a hollow rock prop landed on him during his frenzy beneath Lake Laogai. In the Lake Laogai scenes, he sported hooks for hands, instead of wielding his usual hook swords, and wore glasses to make his eyes look big, to give the impression he was hypnotized. He was also seen chewing on a flower rather than his trademark piece of wheat.^[1]

He was voiced by Dee Bradley Baker.

Appearances Edit

Avatar: The Last Airbender Edit

Book Three: Fire (火) Edit

• 317. "The Ember Island Players"
• 318. "Sozin's Comet, Part 1: The Phoenix King"

Trivia Edit

• On Nick.com, a different design for Actress Aang is used. The one used is a small boy (the same one who told Zuko his scar was on the wrong side during the second intermission).^[2]
• The play depicts Azula killing Aang in Ba Sing Se, even though the citizens of the Fire Nation were made to think that it was Zuko.

Gallery Edit

References Edit

See also Edit

• Arts in the World of Avatar
• Ember Island
• Organizations in the World of Avatar

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