Small Pond presents ALWAYS FAMILY AN ASIAN AMERICAN TALE (Oct07)

Simmone Yu, Jeremy Lum and Small Pond Entertainment proudly present the premiere of
Always Family, An Asian-American tale of growing up with the heavy burden of academic pressure and the desire to succeed while balancing the role of being a young American in a Chinese household. Under the direction of Glory Sims Bowen, Always Family stars Kenneth Naanep, Jennifer Boehm, Simmone Yu and Christopher Larkin. Performances begin at The Kirk @ Theatre Row (410 West 42nd Street, NYC). Openingnight is set for Friday, October 12, 2007 at 7:00pm.

Always Family focuses on an Asian-American family where the parents are immigrants and their children are American. A mother who is petrified of failure, a daughter who never feels like she can ever meet her mother’s standards, a scholarly and talented son who feels guilty for overshadowing his sister, and a father who just wants to keep his family together. The tale follows this Asian American family as they struggle through expectations of perfection while coming to the realization that no matter where you’re from you are, Always Family.

Jeremy Lum: (Writer) is a recent graduate of NYU Tisch's Dramatic Writing Department with a minor in Asian Pacific American Studies. He is a finalist in the Asian American International Film Festival ScreenplayCompetition in 2004 for his screenplay The Sentencing about an Asian American gang youth sentenced todeath for murdering several San Francisco police officers. He is also proud to have been an annual guest speaker at the Bellarmine Film Festival for the past three years. Most recently, Jeremy just finished principle photography on his first feature film, Elise, about a young woman with AIDS who begins a journey into her past to discover a dark secret. Always Family is another personal story, a chance to battle racial stereotypes and bring Asian Americans into the American culture.

Simmone Yu: (Writer/ Producer/ Actor) is a graduate of The Experimental Theatre Wing at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. She is primarily an actress who fell into writing. Her most recent credits are
The Well of Horniness (Playwrights Horizons), The Circus Project (Playwrights Horizons), Sabotage
(Small Pond Entertainment), "The Slash" (The Looking Glass Forum), The Vagina Monologues
(The Stiletto Project), and "The House of Bernarda Alba" (NAATCO). Film credits: Elise.
Always Family is the first play she has written.

Glory Sims Bowen: (Director) Directing credits include: North of Providence (Altered Stages),
Serenading Louie (Stella Adler Black Box) Anomal (ATA-Off Broadway), Avolan (Looking Glass Theatre), The Tempest, Measure For Measure , The Snow Queen , Special Delivery , Foursome (HERE), Evening with Family (The Brick), Jack or the Submission (The Bank Street Theater), Tryin t' touch the sun (Raw Theater Space), Golem Stories (Chashama), Anything For You (440 Theater). Regional Credits Include: The Glass Menagerie , Pippin, Joseph and his Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat , Uncommon Women and Others , Brighton Beach Memoirs , The Lady of Larkspur Lotion , The Effects of Gamma Rays on Man in The Moon Marigolds , The House of Bernarda Alba , and Ten Little Indians . She has been the recipient of the Meritorious Achievement Award in Direction from the Kennedy Center A.C.T.F. and the recipient of the Spotlight On-Off Broadway Awards for Best Director of a full length play. She is an alum of the Lincoln Center Directors Lab Classes of 2006 and 2007. Besides directing, Ms. Bowen is also an actress and playwright.

Jennifer Boehm (Mrs. Tsang), originally from North Dakota, is thrilled to be a part of another Small Pond production. Most recently, she appeared as Corrinna Stroller in the revival of The House of Blue Leaves, part of The Midtown International Theatre Festival. Prior to that she performed in a humanitarian concert tour in Bulgaria (soloist, ensemble) and appeared in Bertolt Brecht's first play Baal (Looking Glass Theatre) and The Vagina Monologues (The Stiletto Project). Other credits: Helix 999 (Looking Glass Theatre), Props (Small Pond, MITF), The Shape of Things (Radburn Players) and the NYC premiere of the one-woman show Red Rose (WabiSabi Productions). Jennifer is Managing Director at the Looking Glass and works as a freelance sportswriter and graphic designer. Loving thanks to my beautiful mother, my giving father and my daring andspunky sister. A wild abundance of thanks to Glory, the cast and crew, and my NYC family and dear friends for their unconditional love and support.

Christopher Larkin (Samford Tsang), Off-Broadway: Back From The Front (The WorkingTheatre). Film: The Big Bad Swim , Strangers with Candy . Television: Hallmark Hall of Fame's The Flamingo Rising. He is currently in his junior year at Fordham University as a theater major. Deepest gratitude towards Glory, Simmone and Jeremy for the opportunity. Endless thanks to Lloyd Suh and Kitt Lavoie for constantly keeping him in mind. Equal appreciation due to Tina Benko for opening his eyes. For his family, always.

CAST
Kenneth L. Naanep (Mr. Tsang) is thrilled to be working on Always Family . He hails from Des Moines, Iowa and moved to New York to attend C.W. Post Long Island University where he received his BFA. Being in NYC has afforded Kenneth the opportunity to work on several original pieces such as Trophy Thieves with the Gallery Players, Itadakimasu with Multi-Soup Productions and Dangerman with Project D. Some recent favorite credits include Talthybius/Eddie in Trojan Woman 2.0 (Milk-Can Theatre Company), Madmen/Pedro in The Changeling (TheatreRats), and Paris in Romeo and Juliet: Jerusalem (Genesis Theatre Company). Also, Kenneth has traveled to both the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland and the International Festival of Greek Drama in Paphos, Cyprus, as a performer in Euripides' The Bakkhai . Much love to his mom, dad, brother and Joe. Keep an eye out for www.KennethLNaanep.com coming soon to an Internet near you.

Simmone Yu (LeAnna Tsang/Writer/Producer), is primarily an actress who fell into writing.
Her most recent credits are The Well of Horniness (Playwrights Horizons), The Circus Project (Playwrights Horizons), Sabotage (Small Pond, Where Eagles Dare), The Slash (The Looking Glass Forum), The Vagina Monologues (The Stiletto Project), and The House of Bernarda Alba (NAATCO). Film credits: Elise. Education: BFA, NYU Tisch; Experimental Theatre Wing. Always Family is the first play she has written. Many thanks to Mike Roderick and Glory Sims Bowen for taking this play seriously and turning it into the best show possible.

Jeanie Tse (Felice Chiu/Doctor) is the eldest child of John and Lettice Tse, Hong Kongers who immigrated to icy Edmonton, Canada in the ‘60’s seeking the cheapest tuition in the West. Jeanie studied very hard growing up, and after high school laid aside her dramatic aspirations, as many good Chinese girls are wont to do. However, she has now rediscovered her passion for acting with roles in Love, Life, Redemption and Everything in Between (Hudson Guild Theater), 1918: A House Divided (Theater for the New City) and Colababy (Express-O Theater). She continues to study hard with the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, and previously with the Montreal School of Performing Arts. She is very pleased to be working with the fantastic cast and crew of Always Family , a play that so poignantly captures themes from her own experience.

Always Family ; is playing at The Kirk @ Theatre Row on 410 West 42nd Street beginning October 12, 2007. Tickets go on sale September 10, 2007 and are $18.00, $16.00 (with valid student ID ) and may be ordered online at www.TicketCentral.com. Tickets are also available by calling (212) 279-4200 or in person at The Kirk @ Theatre Row box office at 410 West 42nd Street from 12pm – 8pm daily
(doors will open 30 minutes prior to showtime).

Questions? Email



	Small Pond presents Always Family Simmone Yu, Jeremy Lum and Small Pond Entertainment proudly present the premiere of Always Family, An Asian-American tale of growing up with the heavy burden of academic pressure and the desire to succeed while balancing the role of being a young American in a Chinese household. Under the direction of Glory Sims Bowen, Always Family stars Kenneth Naanep, Jennifer Boehm, Simmone Yu and Christopher Larkin. Performances begin at The Kirk @ Theatre Row (410 West 42nd Street, NYC). Openingnight is set for Friday, October 12, 2007 at 7:00pm. Always Family focuses on an Asian-American family where the parents are immigrants and their children are American. A mother who is petrified of failure, a daughter who never feels like she can ever meet her mother’s standards, a scholarly and talented son who feels guilty for overshadowing his sister, and a father who just wants to keep his family together. The tale follows this Asian American family as they struggle through expectations of perfection while coming to the realization that no matter where you’re from you are, Always Family. Jeremy Lum: (Writer) is a recent graduate of NYU Tisch's Dramatic Writing Department with a minor in Asian Pacific American Studies. He is a finalist in the Asian American International Film Festival ScreenplayCompetition in 2004 for his screenplay The Sentencing about an Asian American gang youth sentenced todeath for murdering several San Francisco police officers. He is also proud to have been an annual guest speaker at the Bellarmine Film Festival for the past three years. Most recently, Jeremy just finished principle photography on his first feature film, Elise, about a young woman with AIDS who begins a journey into her past to discover a dark secret. Always Family is another personal story, a chance to battle racial stereotypes and bring Asian Americans into the American culture. Simmone Yu: (Writer/ Producer/ Actor) is a graduate of The Experimental Theatre Wing at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. She is primarily an actress who fell into writing. Her most recent credits are The Well of Horniness (Playwrights Horizons), The Circus Project (Playwrights Horizons), Sabotage (Small Pond Entertainment), "The Slash" (The Looking Glass Forum), The Vagina Monologues (The Stiletto Project), and "The House of Bernarda Alba" (NAATCO). Film credits: Elise. Always Family is the first play she has written. Glory Sims Bowen: (Director) Directing credits include: North of Providence (Altered Stages), Serenading Louie (Stella Adler Black Box) Anomal (ATA-Off Broadway), Avolan (Looking Glass Theatre), The Tempest, Measure For Measure , The Snow Queen , Special Delivery , Foursome (HERE), Evening with Family (The Brick), Jack or the Submission (The Bank Street Theater), Tryin t' touch the sun (Raw Theater Space), Golem Stories (Chashama), Anything For You (440 Theater). Regional Credits Include: The Glass Menagerie , Pippin, Joseph and his Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat , Uncommon Women and Others , Brighton Beach Memoirs , The Lady of Larkspur Lotion , The Effects of Gamma Rays on Man in The Moon Marigolds , The House of Bernarda Alba , and Ten Little Indians . She has been the recipient of the Meritorious Achievement Award in Direction from the Kennedy Center A.C.T.F. and the recipient of the Spotlight On-Off Broadway Awards for Best Director of a full length play. She is an alum of the Lincoln Center Directors Lab Classes of 2006 and 2007. Besides directing, Ms. Bowen is also an actress and playwright. Jennifer Boehm (Mrs. Tsang), originally from North Dakota, is thrilled to be a part of another Small Pond production. Most recently, she appeared as Corrinna Stroller in the revival of The House of Blue Leaves, part of The Midtown International Theatre Festival. Prior to that she performed in a humanitarian concert tour in Bulgaria (soloist, ensemble) and appeared in Bertolt Brecht's first play Baal (Looking Glass Theatre) and The Vagina Monologues (The Stiletto Project). Other credits: Helix 999 (Looking Glass Theatre), Props (Small Pond, MITF), The Shape of Things (Radburn Players) and the NYC premiere of the one-woman show Red Rose (WabiSabi Productions). Jennifer is Managing Director at the Looking Glass and works as a freelance sportswriter and graphic designer. Loving thanks to my beautiful mother, my giving father and my daring andspunky sister. A wild abundance of thanks to Glory, the cast and crew, and my NYC family and dear friends for their unconditional love and support. Christopher Larkin (Samford Tsang), Off-Broadway: Back From The Front (The WorkingTheatre). Film: The Big Bad Swim , Strangers with Candy . Television: Hallmark Hall of Fame's The Flamingo Rising. He is currently in his junior year at Fordham University as a theater major. Deepest gratitude towards Glory, Simmone and Jeremy for the opportunity. Endless thanks to Lloyd Suh and Kitt Lavoie for constantly keeping him in mind. Equal appreciation due to Tina Benko for opening his eyes. For his family, always. CAST Kenneth L. Naanep (Mr. Tsang) is thrilled to be working on Always Family . He hails from Des Moines, Iowa and moved to New York to attend C.W. Post Long Island University where he received his BFA. Being in NYC has afforded Kenneth the opportunity to work on several original pieces such as Trophy Thieves with the Gallery Players, Itadakimasu with Multi-Soup Productions and Dangerman with Project D. Some recent favorite credits include Talthybius/Eddie in Trojan Woman 2.0 (Milk-Can Theatre Company), Madmen/Pedro in The Changeling (TheatreRats), and Paris in Romeo and Juliet: Jerusalem (Genesis Theatre Company). Also, Kenneth has traveled to both the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland and the International Festival of Greek Drama in Paphos, Cyprus, as a performer in Euripides' The Bakkhai . Much love to his mom, dad, brother and Joe. Keep an eye out for www.KennethLNaanep.com coming soon to an Internet near you. Simmone Yu (LeAnna Tsang/Writer/Producer), is primarily an actress who fell into writing. Her most recent credits are The Well of Horniness (Playwrights Horizons), The Circus Project (Playwrights Horizons), Sabotage (Small Pond, Where Eagles Dare), The Slash (The Looking Glass Forum), The Vagina Monologues (The Stiletto Project), and The House of Bernarda Alba (NAATCO). Film credits: Elise. Education: BFA, NYU Tisch; Experimental Theatre Wing. Always Family is the first play she has written. Many thanks to Mike Roderick and Glory Sims Bowen for taking this play seriously and turning it into the best show possible. Jeanie Tse (Felice Chiu/Doctor) is the eldest child of John and Lettice Tse, Hong Kongers who immigrated to icy Edmonton, Canada in the ‘60’s seeking the cheapest tuition in the West. Jeanie studied very hard growing up, and after high school laid aside her dramatic aspirations, as many good Chinese girls are wont to do. However, she has now rediscovered her passion for acting with roles in Love, Life, Redemption and Everything in Between (Hudson Guild Theater), 1918: A House Divided (Theater for the New City) and Colababy (Express-O Theater). She continues to study hard with the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, and previously with the Montreal School of Performing Arts. She is very pleased to be working with the fantastic cast and crew of Always Family , a play that so poignantly captures themes from her own experience. Always Family ; is playing at The Kirk @ Theatre Row on 410 West 42nd Street beginning October 12, 2007. Tickets go on sale September 10, 2007 and are $18.00, $16.00 (with valid student ID ) and may be ordered online at www.TicketCentral.com. Tickets are also available by calling (212) 279-4200 or in person at The Kirk @ Theatre Row box office at 410 West 42nd Street from 12pm – 8pm daily (doors will open 30 minutes prior to showtime). Visit www.AlwaysFamily.net for more information or contact AlwaysFamilySPE@gmail.com Home \| News \| Calendar \| Directory \| Plays \| Library/Storefront Copyright 2007, Roger W. Tang Questions? Email

Small Pond presents Always Family