Esther Choi and the Fish that Drowned

by Stephanie Kyung Sun Walters

***NEWLY AND HEAVILY REVISED AS OF JULY 203***
Esther Choi is your favorite all-American, overachieving-Asian teen except she has a ghost. Sunny is Esther’s “home” friend and (spoiler alert) he’s dead. Mr. Choi is Esther’s grandfather and he owns a haunted dry cleaner on Cheltenham Ave. In an (un)likely turn of events, Esther must grapple with grief, loneliness, and winning first chair in high school orchestra...

***NEWLY AND HEAVILY REVISED AS OF JULY 203***
Esther Choi is your favorite all-American, overachieving-Asian teen except she has a ghost. Sunny is Esther’s “home” friend and (spoiler alert) he’s dead. Mr. Choi is Esther’s grandfather and he owns a haunted dry cleaner on Cheltenham Ave. In an (un)likely turn of events, Esther must grapple with grief, loneliness, and winning first chair in high school orchestra, all while decoding Sunny’s reasons for ignoring her at school, but being besties on the block.

read more
  • Inquire About Rights
  • Recommend
  • Download
  • Save to Reading List

Esther Choi and the Fish that Drowned

Recommended by

  • Jenny Connell Davis: Esther Choi and the Fish that Drowned by Stephanie Kyung Sun Walters
    “

    Beautifully specific relationships, bringing new meaning to "haunted." Walters does a great job of taking characters we THINK we know and twisting them, just a little, into something we have to look at more deeply, to really see. Really nice work.

    Beautifully specific relationships, bringing new meaning to "haunted." Walters does a great job of taking characters we THINK we know and twisting them, just a little, into something we have to look at more deeply, to really see. Really nice work.

    ”
  • Karen Jean Martinson: Esther Choi and the Fish that Drowned by Stephanie Kyung Sun Walters
    “

    Wow. Didn't expect to start out laughing and wind up crying while sitting and reading a play on a beautiful afternoon. This is an incredibly moving, beautiful play.

    Wow. Didn't expect to start out laughing and wind up crying while sitting and reading a play on a beautiful afternoon. This is an incredibly moving, beautiful play.

    ”
  • Cheryl Bear: Esther Choi and the Fish that Drowned by Stephanie Kyung Sun Walters
    “

    A beautiful capture of the true process of grappling with grief and the connection that can help us through. Well done.

    A beautiful capture of the true process of grappling with grief and the connection that can help us through. Well done.

    ”
View all 12 recommendations

Character Information

Esther: A practical and driven high school student (but only because she knows she’s supposed to be). She’s tough on others, but tougher on herself. She is second generation. Asian-American, female, early 20s.

Sunny: A mischievous teen with a passion for lighting the match and running away. Korean-American/Asian-American, male, early 20s.

Mr. Choi: Esther’s grandfather and immigrant from Korea. He owns a dry cleaner. Asian/Asian-American, male, grandfather age
  • Esther
    A practical and driven high school student (but only because she knows she’s supposed to be). She’s tough on others, but tougher on herself. She is second generation. Asian-American, female, early 20s to play teen.
    teens
    korean american
    Female
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      Asian, Pacific Islander, or Asian American
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Female
  • Mr. Choi
    Esther’s grandfather and immigrant from Korea. He owns a dry cleaner. Asian/Asian-American, male, grandfather age (let’s not be insulting here)
    Elderly
    korean / korean american
    Male
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      50s,
      60s
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      Asian, Pacific Islander, or Asian American
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Male

Development History

  • Reading, Phoenix Theatre Indianapolis, 2020
  • Reading, PlayPenn, 2019
  • Reading, Philadelphia Women's Theatre Festival, 2019

Awards

  • Kilroys List 2020
    The Kilroys
    Winner
    2020