Merlin

During a catastrophic storm surge in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, a mutual-aid collective coordinates emergency shelter operations while a woman searches desperately for her missing dog, Merlin. Inside a media studio used as an emergency coordination center, activists navigate tensions surrounding privilege, leadership, and collective responsibility while organizing shelter for hundreds of displaced residents. Meanwhile, Merlin undergoes a surreal evolutionary transformation—from dog to otter to fish to microalgae—symbolizing ecological interdependence and adaptation. As the storm intensifies, the characters confront the limits of individual heroism and the necessity of collective action. The play ultimately imagines survival through networks of cooperation and mutual aid rather than domination or escape.