How do we navigate intimacy both defined and confined by institutional walls?

How do we seek closure when unfolding the past feels like tearing up an old wound? 

In the “tank” ruled by fear, surveillance, and control, two queer “fish” embark on a wave-like, poetic quest for truth and freedom. But how can they truly escape – through love, death, or something beyond? 

Sat 6/14 2:00-3:00pm

Sun 6/15 8:30-9:30pm

Sun 6/22 8:30-9:30pm

The Shirley Dawn Studio at Thymele Arts, 5481 Santa Monica Blvd 90029

Fish in the Tank is a one-act original play exploring the complexity of queer intimacy within institutional walls. Set on the rooftop of an all-girls boarding school during a sticky, stormy summer, two former lovers — Echo and Rae — reunite after six years of silence following a life-altering event. What begins as a chance encounter transforms into a poetic and turbulent quest for truth, closure, and freedom.

Premiering at the 2025 Hollywood Fringe Festival, this immersive blackbox production invites the audience to become part of the space. You don’t just watch Fish in the Tank — you enter it, breathe with it, and leave changed.

Our goal is to raise $2,500, covering production fees and essential costs for presenting this world premiere. Every donation directly supports a team of queer, international, and emerging artists, allowing us to bring this vital, boundary-pushing work to the stage.

Your support helps us build a space where queer stories are centered, power structures are questioned, and collective witnessing can spark healing.

Audiences step into an intimate, sensory-driven world shaped by sound, lighting, and the shifting physical relationships of the performers. The play’s structure rejects traditional linear storytelling — instead inviting the audience to interpret meaning through emotional nuance, shared memory, and embodied presence.

Participants will help construct the physical space of the “tank,” watching as power dynamics evolve and roles blur. Who is observing whom? Who holds control? Who gets free?

At its core, Fish in the Tank examines how love, grief, and trauma unfold under systems of control. It asks how queer bodies survive — and connect — in a world ruled by surveillance, silence, and shame. We aim to create a space of vulnerability, not just for the characters, but for the audience as well — fostering dialogue, discomfort, and discovery.



THE TEAM 🌊

Rae - Christabelle Marbun

Echo - Emily Lee 

Playwright & Director - Cerulean Long 

Dramaturg - Ruby Wang

Sound Designer & Composer - Zoe Lai

Lighting Designer - Bianca Bishop

Co-Prop Master - Chloe Zhu & Lucy Zhang

Intimacy Choreographer - Anna Rajala

Photographer - Ruby Wang

Pianist - Jonathan Wu

Graphic Designer - Lucy Zhang

Font Designer - Chloe Zhu

Produced by in-version ensemble, in association with Untitled Theatre Company

Special Thanks: Jane Su, Jieru Wang, Lia Gonzalez, Tyler Neufeld

We understand that donating might not be possible for everyone — and that’s okay! You can still totally help us out!
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