Fiery Seahorse Productions to Present YE-XIAN: THE CHINESE CINDERELLA” (“C2”)

Fiery Seahorse Productions will present the 2022 Reading of Chicagoan Marie Yuen's adaptation of "Ye-Xian: The Chinese Cinderella" (Working Title "C2"), on Saturday, April 30, 2022 at the Chinese American Museum of Chicago - Raymond B. & Jean T. Lee Center, 238 West 23rd Street, in Chicago's Chinatown, beginning at 1:30 p.m. (www.ccamuseum.org) .* CAMOC is serving as the generous Venue Underwriter.

The writer has shared that this story is in the public domain and predates the French version of Cinderella by about a thousand years!

Held on the eve of and in celebration of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, Producer ENERI Communications is pleased to announce these Special Guests are now scheduled to appear to give Opening Remarks:

Illinois State Representative Theresa Mah (D-2nd); City of Chicago Alderman Byron Sigcho-Lopez (25th Ward) and newly-appointed City of Chicago Alderman Nicole Lee (11th Ward).

Opening Remarks are scheduled at 1:30 p.m. CST followed by the Reading. A Light Refreshments/Reception with the artists and crew will immediately follow.

Marie Yuen's adaptation is based on "Yeh-Shen: A Cinderella Story From China," as retold by Ai-Ling Louie from a story translated from The Miscellaneous Record of Yu Yang as written by Tuan Ch'eng-Shih. Yuen has adapted this magical story for musical theater, serving not only as book writer but as a lyricist on the project. Yuen and Liz Lai of the Greater Los Angeles, California Area worked from the Chinese version of the story, adapted into English by Yuen.

The 2022 Reading marks an important step in the eventual goal to present the musical in a fully-staged version, with all of the color and glory and funny, historical twists that come with it with an Asian instead of French setting. It is envisioned that one day, people from all regions of the world will hopefully get to enjoy the show.

ENERI Communications is serving producer and as agency of record. Rieny G. Cualoping is serving as Executive Producer for the 2022 Reading of C2.

Guests will also have the opportunity to view the current Museum 4th Floor Gallery exhibit,

"Laura Lynn Hsieh: Mahjong and Dumplings," featuring ceramics and video by artist Laura Lynn Hsieh.

This spring, the Chinese American Museum of Chicago (CAMOC) launched the Spotlight Series, a new initiative to showcase recent and past work by emerging and mid-career artists of Chinese descent locally. Curated by Larry Lee (Molar Productions), the project aims to introduce, promote and celebrate the divergent artistic visions and experiences of being Chinese in America. "Laura Lynn Hsieh: Mahjong and Dumplings," is the inaugural exhibition of the series.

Doors will open to the 4th Floor at 1:10 p.m. CST.

(The Museum's 2nd and 3rd Floor Galleries open earlier for viewing at 10 a.m. CST.)

ABOUT MARIE YUEN

A prolific writer, Marie Yuen has about 18 other pieces in various stages of development, including musicals, one-acts, scenes and shorter pieces. She also has written poetry. (Full profile attached.)

DIRECTOR AND CASTING NEWS

Fiery Seahorse Productions and C2 Team's Executive Producer Rieny G. Cualoping previously announced that theatre veteran Ginger Leopoldo of Chicago has been cast as C2's director.

Veteran performer Lawrence Lin of San Diego, formerly of Chicagoland, is serving as C2's Project Consultant, especially in the area of Chinese culture.

The piece is written for a cast of seven, with two roles cast as multiple characters. Fiery Seahorse Productions and C2 Team's Executive Producer Rieny G. Cualoping previously announced that the cast for Marie Yuen's "Ye-Xian: The Chinese Cinderella," directed by Ginger Leopoldo, includes:

Ada Cheng (Stepmother/Villager); Van Ferro (Jin-Yu (the fish)/Old Sage/Merchant); Edward W. Lai (Reader/Stage Directions); Victoria Li (Ye-Yian: The Chinese Cinderella); Ginger Leopoldo (Stepsister); and Larry Leopoldo (The King of Tuo Han).

ILLINOIS ARTS COUNCIL AGENCY GRANT AWARD

In addition, Fiery Seahorse Productions previously announced that Writer Marie Yuen was notified last month (March 2022) that she has been named a 2022 recipient of an Illinois Arts Council Agency - Individual Artist Support grant in the area of Theatre.

This program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency.

TICKETS

In-person TICKET SALES ARE NOW OPEN via eventbrite.com . Limited capacity; please book now. Tickets are $10 each plus eventbrite fees.

Link:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/317664682617

Masks are required to be worn at all times while visiting the Chinese American Museum of Chicago.

TATSU AOKI

Prolific musical composer, performer, filmmaker, educator, and producer Tatsu Aoki (Executive Director of Asian Improv aRts Midwest) has served as a Pre-Production Consultant on the project.

MEDIA IMPACT GROUP LLC

The firm Media Impact Group LLC has also served as a Pre-Production Consultant on the project.

FOR MORE INFO

For more information about the upcoming planned 2022 Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Reading of Marie Yuen 's "Ye-Xian: The Chinese Cinderella," including arts patron opportunities at $250 and Up, $100 and $50; media requests for images, cast and creative team profiles or media interview requests, please contact ENERI Communications at info@enericom.net or (312) 635-0888.

*In-person status is pending State, federal and local including the City of Chicago, health and safety protocols in position at that time.

(Short Form; Long Form Available Upon Request)

ADA CHENG, Ph.D.

is an educator-turned artist, storyteller and creator. Among her many accomplishments, she is currently a vising associate professor with the Asian American Studies Program at Northwestern University as well as an adjunct faculty at Dominican University. Her interests encompass academia, storytelling/performance and advocacy.

Van Ferro

is a professional stage, screen, and voiceover actor based in Chicago, Illinois. He recently won two acting awards at the regional BroadwayWorld Chicago Awards - one for Best Supporting Performer in a Play for his critically-acclaimed performance in Oil Lamp Theater's "Shipwrecked;" and one for Best Supporting Performer in a Streaming Musical for his role in The Sigman Brother's "Rip Van Winkle." BroadwayWorld is the leading theater news website in the United States.

EDWARD W. LAI

Edward W. Lai began his career as as art director in the Point-of-Purchase and advertising industry. A graduate of the American Academy of Art in Chicago in advertising and photography, he is the son of legendary Chicago on-site artist, the late Grace Lai.

VICTORIA LI

Victoria Li, a newcomer to the professional Chicago theatre scene, has been selected to play the role of "Ye-Xian: The Chinese Cinderella." Li had the opportunity to study improv at The Second City. She has performed both virtually and in front of a live audience.

While studying at Dartmouth College, Li took an acting course and performed on stage in "Vagina Monologues" there. Multi-talented Victoria Li is also musical. As a flautist, she has played with the Chicago City Wide Symphony Orchestra, a community orchestra founded in 1947.

Born in New York City, Victoria Li holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics, with a minor in Chinese language from Dartmouth College. She also studied Chinese abroad at Beijing Normal University

GINGER LEOPOLDO

Ginger Leopoldo is an actress, director, producer, educator and community organizer. She is a proud founding member of Pintig Cultural Group, now celebrating its 30th Anniversary and the Founding Artistic Director of the Center for Immigrant Resources and Community Arts (CIRCA). Leopoldo received her Bachelor of Arts degree and Master of Arts degree in theater from the University of Illinois at Chicago. She is an adjunct instructor at the University of the Potomac.

LARRY LEOPOLDO

Veteran theatre performer Larry Leopoldo has joined the production in the role of "The King of Tuo Han." Leopoldo trained at Acting Studio Chicago and has appeared in several productions for Pintig Cultural group and Circa Pintig.

LAWRENCE LIN, Ph.D.

Lawrence Lin, Ph.D. is a director, producer, singer, art director and performer . Formerly of Chicagoland, Lin is now based in California, In 1993, he founded the Performing Arts Club of Chinese Americans at Greater Chicago (PACCAGC). Among many PACCAGC shows. he produced, directed, and performed in two shows with music at Navy Pier's Crystal Ballroom - each with an audience of over 1,000 people - one in 2008 (East-West Pop Festival in Retrospect); and one in 2004 (East-West Show Tune Festival).

By profession, Lawrence Lin is a consulting statistician in industry and academia. He received his Ph.D in statistics from the University of Iowa. He retired after 33 years at Baxter Healthcare Company consulting in quantitative research projects. Lin was appointed as an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Mathematics, Statistics, and Computer Science at the University of Illinois Chicago in 1995, a position he still holds.

MARIE YUEN

Writer, Actress, Producer

(March 2022)

Marie Yuen was trained at Chicago Dramatists Workshop, the Theatre Building Chicago Musical Writer's Workshop and Artistic New Directions with Jeffrey Sweet (New York).

As a writer, her 10-minute play, "My Father's Father" was recently named a finalist for the Theatre Resources Unlimited's (TRU) TRUSPEAK Benefit for 2022. TRU is based in New York. (A record 131 plays were submitted this year and of these, only 10 were chosen to be finalists.)

Marie Yuen was notified in March 2022 that she has been named a 2022 recipient of an Illinois Arts Council Agency - Individual Artist Support grant in the area of Theatre.

A Spring 2022 Reading of Marie Yuen's adaptation of "Ye-Xian: The Chinese Cinderella" is scheduled to be presented at the Chinese American Museum of Chicago - Raymond B. & Jean T. Lee Center. This adaptation is based on "Yeh-Shen: A Cinderella Story From China," as retold by Ai-Ling Louie from a story translated from The Miscellaneous Record of Yu Yang as written by Tuan Ch'eng-Shih. Marie Yuen has adapted this magical story for musical theater, serving not only as book writer but as a lyricist on the project.

A prolific writer, Yuen has about 18 other pieces in various stages of development, including musicals, one-acts, scenes and shorter pieces. She also has written poetry.

An excerpt of Marie Yuen's "Wingmen" sitcom pilot was read as part of Chicago's "Cold Reads, Hot Scripts" reading series as well as Los Angeles' "The New Normal Reading Series" (2018). (She had previously also served as executive producer for the show's screening at the Music Box Theatre (2007). "Wingmen" was originally written for the 2007 Chicago Comedy TV Pilot Competition, where it received finalist and runner-up designations.)

Yuen's one-act "Tourist Trap" was produced in New York City as part of the "Fourth Annual Radioactive Festival: A Festival of Female Playwrights" (2017). It was also featured at the University of California, Berkeley's "New Play Reading Series" (2017).

Pearson Scott Foresman commissioned Yuen's "Rosetsu's Carp" for an anthology series of short stories and plays for students (2016).

An excerpt from her one-act "Autumn Moon" was produced in conjunction with A-Squared Theatre Workshop's sold-out run of "My Asian Mom" (2012). A concert reading of her full-length musical "Roxane, of Bergerac" (Book and Lyrics: Marie Yuen; Music: Dave Flippo) was produced at Theatre Building Chicago (2007). She was commissioned to write "Dreams Come True" and "The Boy Who Would Be Famous" (2005) for Scott Foresman Publishing's 2007 Reading Series: Readers Theatre Anthology, a program for elementary school students.

Yuen's "Too Many Cooks" (Book: Marie Yuen, Lyrics: Julie Pedersen, Music: Jill Marshall-Work) was workshopped in a 20-minute version presented by the Theatre Building Chicago (2000). Her one-acts, "Silk Scarf" and "My Father's Father" were produced by North Avenue Productions (1996).

Yuen is a member of the Dramatists Guild of America.

Onstage as an actress, Marie Yuen has appeared twice in "The King & I" (as "Little Eva" in Hong Kong and as "Topsy" in Chicago); as a platinum blonde tap dancing angel named "Virtue" in "Anything Goes" (Chicago); and as "Tommy the Cat" in "Dick Whittington and His Cat" (Hong Kong).

Backstage, Marie Yuen has served as stage manager for YAMA Works' production of "Hamlet," and Pintig Cultural Group's production of "Nanay Isog and her Children."

Marie Yuen's experience includes serving as a script reader for Victory Gardens Theatre (2004) and as a Box Office Associate and House Manager for Lifeline Theatre (2001-2005).

She is winner of the South China Morning Post/Radio Television Hong Kong Short Story Competition (1993) and the Dalan Award by CITA for Excellence in Acting (1998).

Born in Chicago, Illinois, Marie Yuen holds a Bachelor of Science in Advertising from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Her early career advertising agency experience includes serving as a copywriter for BBDO Hong Kong and for Cycle Advertising Ltd. Yuen spent about five years living abroad in Hong Kong.

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