“The kind of play that makes you laugh through gentle tears.”

Join us for a free live cast reading of this new comedy by Stephanie Kyung Sun Walters on Wednesday, Nov. 18 at 7 p.m. on Zoom. Register to receive links and reminders for the Zoom presentation at http://bit.ly/EstherChoiandtheFishThatDrowned.

Esther Choi is your typical Korean-American teen except her grandfather owns a haunted dry cleaner and her best friend, Anthony, needs her help in uncovering his past and moving into the future. In an unlikely turn of events, Esther must grapple with grief, loneliness, and winning first chair in high school orchestra, all while living up to her grandfather’s new expectations.

Phoenix Theatre is developing Esther Choi and the Fish that Drowned by Stephanie Kyung Sun Walters in partnership with Philadelphia’s Simpatico Theatre which was set to present the world premiere this year before the pandemic. Simpatico and Phoenix are members of the National New Play Network, a professional theater alliance that develops, produces and extends the life of new plays.

The live cast reading will be directed by Cat Ramirez of Philadelphia Asian Performing Artists. The production will feature performances by Annie Fang, Keith Livingston and Daniel Kim.

This live cast reading is generously sponsored by Ray and Cheryl Waldman.

About the Playwright
Stephanie Kyung Sun Walters is a Barrymore nominated actor, playwright, and teaching artist in Philadelphia. She’s an InterAct Theatre Core Playwright, a graduate of The Foundry at PlayPenn, and the Lead Artist for the Philly Asian Performing Artists’ Playwrights Project. Her play, Esther Choi and the Fish that Drowned, was presented at the PlayPenn Conference. Esther Choi… was set to world premiere with Simpatico Theatre Company in 2020 but was postponed due to COVID-19. Stephanie and Esther Choi… are honored to be on the 2020 Kilroys List and Table Work Press Recommends List.