Kim's Convenience

Morganne Chu (US Janet/US Umma) is thrilled to make her OLNEY THEATRE CENTER debut! Select Previous Credits: Chesapeake Shakespeare- A Christmas Carol (Belle 2022, 2023; Ghost of Christmas Past 2024) Cumberland Theatre- Escape to Margaritaville (Ensemble), Spooky Dog… (Thelma), Comedy of Errors (Luciana), Rock of Ages (Constance), CLUE On Stage (Cook and Telegram Girl), Reefer Madness (Ensemble) Toby’s Dinner Theatre- GREASE (Female Swing), Spamalot (Ensemble and Female Swing), A Christmas Story (Ensemble); NextStop Theatre- 46 Plays for America’s First Ladies (Eleanor Roosevelt, Jackie Kennedy, Others). Education- BFA in Musical Theatre from AMDA NYC/LA. For GKC www.morgannechu.com @morgannechuartist

Franklin Dam (US Appa) is thrilled to be working with OLNEY THEATRE CENTER for the first of hopefully many times. DC AREA: Studio Theatre: Privates on Parade (Lee), Russian National Postal Service (Ensemble US), Arena Stage: A Man's A Man (Mah Sing US), Spooky Action Theater: The Oldest Boy (Monk), Franklin Park Arts Center: Twelfth Night (Curio), Rorschach Theater: After the Flood (Ibrahim), A.S.I.A. Theater: Sisters Matsumoto (Hideo), Young Playwrights Theater: YPT Tour (Ensemble). Film: Over 100 principal roles in industrials and commercial work for HBO, PBS and Paramount. Training: James Madison University, Studio Theatre Acting Conservatory. Bodhi, "my story is you."

Jonathan Del Palmer (Rich/Mr. Lee/Mike/Alex/Etc.) is happy to be debuting at OLNEY THEATRE CENTER. NEW YORK: 54 Below: How To Quit Your Day Job; LOCAL: Arena Stage: Tempestuous Elements; Folger Theatre: The Winter's Tale, Our Verse in Time to Come; 1st Stage: The Lake Effect, The Rainmaker, columbinus, The Member of the Wedding; Rep Stage: Kill Move Paradise; Theater Alliance: Day of Absence; Constellation Theatre Company: Moon Man Walk; 4615 Theatre: Life Jacket, Avant Bard Theatre: Suddenly Last Summer; UPCOMING: Folger Theatre: Julius X Instagram: @jonathandelpalmer

Jay Frisby (US Rich/Mr. Lee/Mike/Alex/Etc.) OLNEY THEATRE CENTER: Waitress, Beautiful, Fiddler on the Roof, The Music Man, Matilda, The Royale, Miss You Like Hell, South Pacific, Annie, Mary Poppins. TOURS: South Pacific; Hong Kong Disneyland: Festival of the Lion King (Simba); Click Clack Moo; The Whiffenpoofs of Yale. REGIONAL: Connecticut Repertory Theatre: Smokey Joe’s Café; Ogunquit Playhouse: South Pacific; DC AREA: Ford’s Theatre: Little Shop of Horrors, Shout Sister Shout!, Grace; Imagination Stage: Cinderella, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe; Signature Theatre: The Color Purple, The Scottsboro Boys; Labor Heritage Foundation: Working; Rep Stage: Dorian’s Closet; Toby’s Dinner Theatre: The Buddy Holly Story, Miss Saigon. EDUCATION: BA in Theatre Studies Yale University. @FrisbyJay Upcoming: Folger Theatre’s Julius X.

Zion Jang (Jung) is grateful and thrilled to make his OLNEY THEATRE CENTER debut with Kim's Convenience! Off-Broadway: Romeo and Juliet (NAATCO, TRT) Regional: Vietgone (OKC Rep), Ink (Round House Theatre), Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure (Portland Stage Co) BFA in Acting from UNCSA. Zion is an Audie Award-nominated audiobook narrator and voice actor. Thank you 엄마, 아빠, and Danny. My story doesn't exist without each of you. zionjang.com @zeejster

Stan Kang (Appa) is happy to return to the stage after over ten years off and is excited to work at OLNEY THEATRE CENTER. Previous theater credits include Theater J Yellow Face (David Henry Hwang), Studio Theater A Language of Their Own (Oscar), Washington Shakespeare Company, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Demetrius), The Winter’ Tale (Clown, Cleomenes), The Comedy of Errors (Adriana), Adventure Theatre Fairy Tales in the Sun (Director), Asian Stories in America (Asia) Theater The Theory of Everything (Director), Big Hunk of Burning Love (Director). He can be seen this fall in the Lifetime Movie Stolen by a Serial Killer (Parole Board Member). Other TV and Film Credits include Dr Death (Man in Church), FBI’s Most Wanted (Allen Larson), 12 Monkeys (X-ray Doctor), Fallen (Japanese Businessman), Brave the Dark (Mr. Sullivan), House of Cards (Counterman), Sally Pacholok (Dr Lee), Jamesy Boy (Shopkeeper), and Homicide: Life in the Streets (Bob Cheung). He is a founding member and executive director of the Educational Theatre Company (ETC). The mission of ETC is to unlock the potential of children and adults through immersion in theatre arts. He is also a board member of Hope for Grieving Families. He is an advisory board member of Washington Stage Guild and Diversity Works. Instagram: @stankang7 Facebook: stankang Twitter: @stankang7

Andrew V. Ly (US Jung) is excited to be working with OLNEY THEATRE CENTER again. Previous Olney Theatre Center credit: Artificial workshop (Simon). OFF-BROADWAY: King and the Clown workshop (Park Won-Jong). DC AREA: Baltimore Center Stage: Akeelah and the Bee (Mr. Chiu); 1st Stage: How the Light Gets In (US Tommy Z, US Haruki), The Rainmaker (US Jim, US File), Mlima’s Tale (Ensemble). EDUCATION: BA in Music from Yale University, MM in Music Composition from University of Southern California, PhD in Music from UC Berkeley.

Justine "Icy" Moral (Janet) is thrilled to be back at OLNEY THEATRE CENTER. Olney Theatre Center credits include: Brothers Paranormal (Jai) and King and I. Off-Broadway: Elephant and Piggie. Nat’l Tours: South Pacific; Elephant and Piggie; Les Miserables. Regional: Dallas Summer Musicals: King and I; Flatrock Playhouse: Miss Saigon; Wheelock Family Theatre: Beauty and the Beast (Belle/IRNE Nom.); Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center: Working; Kennedy Center: Mortification of Fovea Munson; NSO: Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs; Ford's: Ragtime (Helen Hayes Award, Ens.), Christmas Carol, Into The Woods, Sister Act, Associate Artist; Constellation: Avenue Q (Helen Hayes Nom., Helen Hayes, Ens.), Journey To The West (Helen Hayes Nom.); IStage: The Little Mermaid, Mulan, The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe (Helen Hayes, Ens.); Creative Cauldron: The Mistress Cycle; Rep Stage: Sweeney Todd, Songs for a New World, Falsettos. Training: BM, Peabody Conservatory Johns Hopkins University. Instagram: @JustineIcyMoral

Tuyết Thị Phạm (Umma) is a Helen Hayes Award-winning artist recognized for her contributions to theater, television, and film. With a career spanning over twenty years, she's participated in more than forty theater productions at venues including Everyman Theatre, Centerstage, Arena Stage, OLNEY THEATRE CENTER, Signature Theatre, Ford's, and The Kennedy Center for Performing Arts. Her play Dinner and Cake premiered at Everyman Theatre in the fall of 2022. In the spring of 2023, she was commissioned to write and co-direct Generation Rise, which was produced by Ping Chong and Company at the Reston Arts Center. Additionally, her one-act play, A Dozen Paper Tissue Roses, premiered at The Gallery Players in Brooklyn, NY, in the winter of 2024. Her play, Dawn, will have its world premiere at Everyman Theatre in the winter of 2026. Currently, she holds the position of Associate Artistic Director at Everyman Theatre in Baltimore, MD.

Ins Choi (Playwright) was born in Korea but grew up and currently lives in Toronto, Canada, with his wife and two children. Some of his theatre acting credits include Banana Boys, lady in the red dress (fu-GEN); Hamlet, The Odyssey, Comedy of Errors, The Taming of the Shrew, All's Well That Ends Well (Stratford Festival); Alligator Pie and Death of a Salesman (Soulpepper). As a writer, his debut play, Kim's Convenience, won the Best New Play award and the Patron's Pick at the 2011 Toronto Fringe festival. It then launched Soulpepper Theatre Company's 2012 season, toured across Canada, and was adapted into a TV series of the same name on the CBC and Netflix for 5 seasons. Ins was a writer, executive producer and co-creator of the TV series. He has also written a solo show called Subway Stations of the Cross: Songs, Stories and Spoken Words and was part of the collective that created Alligator Pie, re(birth): ee cummings in song, Window on Toronto (Soulpepper) and 2000 Candles (Brookstone). His new play Bad Parent was produced by Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre for the fall of 2022 at PTE in Winnipeg, the Cultch in Vancouver and at Soulpepper in Toronto. He’s also developing various TV and film projects.

ARIA VELZ (Director) is a director, producer, and teaching artist born and raised in the DMV. She is grateful to return to OLNEY THEATRE CENTER after being co-director for The Brothers Paranormal and associate director for Avaaz. Other directing credits include: The Cake at NextStop Theatre Company/Prologue Theatre and A Bright Room Called Day at Nu Sass Productions/Pinky Swear. She has also been associate director on Head Over Heels at Constellation Theatre Company, Soft Power and Pacific Overtures at Signature Theatre, and Mlima's Tale at St. Louis Repertory Theatre. Upcoming: The Last Five Years at NextStop Theatre Company. She is currently the National New Play Network Producer in Residence at Theater Alliance and a Resident Director at 1st Stage, and was an Allen Lee Hughes fellow at Arena Stage.

Debra Kim Sivigny (Scenic Designer) is happy to be back at OLNEY THEATRE CENTER! Previous Olney scenic design credits include: Beautiful, The Royale. She also designed costumes for Tiger Style, Every Brilliant Thing, Stuff Happens, Therese Raquin, and National Players Tour 53. REGIONAL: Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma: Big River, Head Over Heels, and Having Our Say; Theatre Works Colorado Springs: scenography for The Heart Sellers, Othello; Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival: The Color Purple. Hangar Theatre: Million Dollar Quartet, Waitress, and scenography for Ms. Holmes Ms. Watson Apt 2B. DC AREA: IN Series: scenography for The Nightsong of Orpheus, costume design for Poppea and 20 years of shows at various theatres in the DMV including Round House Theatre, Kennedy Center TYA, Signature Theatre, Imagination Stage, 1st Stage, The Welders, and Rorschach Theatre, among others. AWARDS: 2018 Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Scenic Design and a six-time nominee. EDUCATION: MFA in costume design University of Maryland, BA Theatre Middlebury College. Deb is an assistant professor of costume design at Ithaca College, and is represented by Michael Moore Agency NYC. Website: www.debsivigny.com @indepenguin @twincat.art

Julie Cray Leong (Costume Designer) [she/her] is happy to be back at OLNEY THEATRE CENTER. Previous Olney Theatre Center credits include: Most Wonderful Time and the National Players Tour 73 productions of Fences and Much Ado About Nothing. REGIONAL: Rorschach Theatre Company: Night of the Living Dead, She Kills Monsters, Annie Jump and the Library of Heaven; Chesapeake Shakespeare Theatre: A Midsummer Night’s Dream; Arts on the Horizon: Squeakers and Mr. Gumdrop, Beep Beep; Spooky Action: The Oldest Boy; The Keegan Theatre: Mack, Beth; Shakespeare Theatre ACA: Romeo and Juliet, The Rover; Pointless Theatre Co: Imogen; PERSONAL: Julie serves as the Costume Shop Supervisor for The Olney Theatre Center. She is mother to a strong and inspirational 8-year-old aspiring astronaut and is a houseplant enthusiast. Training: BA in Drama from The Catholic University of America; Instagram: @yesiamjulie. JulieCrayCostumes.com

Minjoo Kim (Lighting Designer) is happy to return to OLNEY THEATRE CENTER. Previous Olney Theatre Center credits include Waitress and The Brothers Paranormal. Off-Broadway credit: Demon at The Bushwick Starr. DC credits: Twelfth Night at Folger Theatre; American Fast at Theater Alliance; The Comeuppance, The Sensational Sea Mink-ettes at Woolly Mammoth; English, Fat Ham at Studio Theatre; King of the Yees at Signature Theatre; Ink, The Great Leap at RoundHouse. Regional credits: The Far Country at Berkeley Repertory Theatre; The Comeuppance at Wilma Theatre; American Fast at City Theatre; The Chief at Pittsburgh Public Theater; Dial M for Murder at The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis; The Royale, Christmas Carol at Kansas City Rep; Cambodian Rock Band, Violet at TheatreSquared; Life Sucks at Cygnet Theatre; One in Two at Diversionary Theatre. International credits: South Korea: The Two (Space Owul), Crimson Girl (Dongsoong Art Center), Die or Not (Seoul Art Space Mullae), China: Mask on/off (Shanghai Dramatic Arts Centre). Education: MFA in Theatrical Lighting Design from UC San Diego. BA in Theatrical Design from Chung-Ang University. Her work The Royale was selected for the National Exhibit at Prague Quadrennial in 2023. Website: minjoo-design.com

Kevin Lee Alexander (Sound Designer) is excited to join OLNEY THEATRE CENTER on this production of Kim’s Convenience. Previous Olney Theatre Center credits include: Senior Class, Long Way Down. REGIONAL: TheatreWorks Hartford: King James; Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma: Bright Star; Imagination Stage/Childsplay Theatre: Hula Hoopin’ Queen; New Repertory Theatre: Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical and Oliver; First Stage Milwaukee: Bob Marley’s Three Little Birds and Diary of a Wimpy Kid; DC AREA: 1st Stage Theater: Quilters; NextStop Theatre: In the Heights;  Kennedy Center’s Theatre for Young Audiences: Acoustic Rooster’s Barnyard Boogie and Spells of the Sea; Constellation Theatre: Head Over Heels, Once on This Island, and Desperate Measures; and Adventure Theatre MTC: Huckleberry Finn’s Big River. Kevin holds a Master of Science in Entertainment Business from Full Sail University and a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre from the University of Maryland. He is also a member of IATSE Local USA 829.

Kate Kilbane (Production Stage Manager) is happy to be back at OLNEY THEATRE CENTER. Previous Olney credits include: Waitress (ASM), Long Way Down (Substitute ASM), REGIONAL: Williamstown Theatre Festival: 2024 Fridays@3 Reading Series (ASM); Everyman Theatre: The Chinese Lady, Jump, Sense and Sensibility (ASM); Contemporary American Theatre Festival: The Overview Effect (ASM), 2022 Repertory Season (Swing SM). DC AREA: Signature Theatre: Primary Trust; Joe’s Movement Emporium: Out of the Vineyard; Folger Theatre: Our Verse in Time to Come, Amadeus and 1, Henry IV; Imagination Stage: Corduroy, Zomo the Rabbit: A Hip-Hop Creation Myth, and Thumbelina; Shakespeare Theatre Company: The Tempest Free For All, (ASM), The Tempest (ASM); The Kennedy Center, Family Theater: The Watsons Go to Birmingham-1963 (ASM). The Kennedy Center: First You Dream (2nd ASM), Follies (2nd ASM), The Lisbon Traviata (ASM), Ragtime (2nd ASM). 13 productions at Ford’s Theatre and 15 productions at Theater J. Asian Stories in America: Big Hunk o’ Burnin’ Love. For my parents.