Welcome to TASA
The Actors Studio Academy, founded by Joe and I, has since nurtured thousands of artistes, many who are regarded as the crème de la crème of the industry today.
Our very first class in 1992 comprised luminaries such as Tiara Jacquelina Eu, Patrick Teoh, Leslie Dawson, Ramli Hassan, Jeffery Nicholson and Fawziah Nawi.
Today, students from as young as three years old have a clear pathway to grow with us, learn from industry professionals and enjoy klpac’s full-fledged professional facilities.
Besides our year-round Speech and Drama programmes, we also customise specialist training programmes for arts groups, schools, drama teachers as well as corporates under our corporate training arm.
After two years of disrupted learning, let’s inspire our creative minds to BE EXTRAORDINARY again through much-needed physical interaction, creative play time and a safe space to express themselves.
Dato’ Dr. Faridah Merican & Joe Hasham OAM
Co-Founders, The Actors Studio Academy
Head of Academy
Kimmy Kiew, Head of Academy
“I am glad to be back at klpac again, working with many familiar faces and old friends alongside Joe & Faridah at The Actors Studio Academy @ klpac.
I have enjoyed working onstage and offstage in various capacities. Ever since I became a mother, nurturing young creative minds has become my passion which is why I have focused on arts education in the past decade.
I am looking forward to getting to know you and your children in the coming weeks.
Feel free to reach out if you have any questions or concerns.
See you all at klpac.”
A theatre graduate from the Malaysian Institute of Arts, Kimmy has more than 20 years of experience in the arts having worked as a front-of-house supervisor, publicist, producer, educator, actor and director.
She was a Publicist and Associate Producer with Gardner & Wife Theatre Company before joining klpac as Director in-Residence from 2010 to 2012. She has participated in the ASEAN-Japan Exchange (2003) in Tokyo, CPI (2007) in Seoul and Tamsui Arts Carnival 2010 in Taiwan. Kimmy’s production of “The Bear” (2003) won Best Production at the 2nd ADA Awards and she was named Best Actress at the BMW Shorties Awards 2008.
A mother to a ten year old, she has shifted her focus to arts education in the past decade. She has been a speech and drama facilitator at The Actors Studio Academy @ klpac, Never-ending Story Education, Earth Tone Dance Academy and several other kindergartens. In 2018, Kimmy directed “Journey of a Baby Butterfly”, the very first baby theatre in Malaysia produced by Hong Jie Jie Workstation.
Pre-school Facilitators
Teacher Vicky Ang
Vicky specialises in working with young children, through creative English classes with speech and drama components, private tutoring, school holiday programs, special needs homeschooling, class presentations, year end concerts, and live shows! Passionate about educating young minds, Vicky strives to make the world a better place through embarking on educational journeys with the future generation.
Teacher Lennard
LENNARD OUNG ‘s love for all things performance began when he was in high school, where he participated in many drama competitions and shows all around his home state of Penang. After graduating with a Diploma in Drama & Visuals from New Era University College, he has since performed in various shows such as “Goodbye Mr. Detective” and “Ah Ma”, the latter of which earned him a nomination for Best Supporting Actor at the 17th ADA Drama Awards. He is also a member of ACT-ion Theatre, a Mandarin-language community theatre troupe based in the Klang Valley which has produced children shows such as “Earth·Water·Fire·Wind and “The Lower Depths”.
When he is not performing, Lennard shares his fondness for the stage with his students as a part-time lecturer at New Era University College and as a Drama Coach of Chung Ling High School, the place where it all began. Now, he looks forward to sharing his passion for the arts with The Actors Studio Academy @ klpac’s students.
Teacher Suba
SUBA MAGAS, a vibrant woman who thrives in the teaching industry. With a deep passion for educating young minds, she finds immense joy in teaching kids.
During her precious spare time, she indulges in captivating activities like dancing and acting, allowing her creativity to soar. Additionally, Suba’s adventurous spirit knows no bounds as she embarks on thrilling escapades, such as diving and hiking. It’s truly inspiring to witness her zest for life and dedication to both teaching and exploring the world.
Assistant Teacher, Aishwarya
Aishwarya (Aish) firmly believes that the formation of kind, intelligent and creative adults starts by encouraging children’s curiosity and passions in language and arts. She has been a volunteer teacher for primary school English and Science at the Selayang Harmony Refugee School and tutored pre-school English and Maths, primary Science and BM and SPM English Literature at Pro-Ed Education Centre Petaling Jaya. She has always been passionate about literature and creative writing and was awarded a first-class Bachelor’s degree in English Literature with Creative Writing at the University of Nottingham, Malaysia, before going on to put her skills to work as a writer at a local arts magazine (The Daily Seni) and publicist at a food bank (The Lost Food Project).
Assistant Teacher, Lee Yi Chen
Yi Chen has always had a tender heart for caring for younger children. Her love for playing with and engaging children led her to volunteer and assist at various children’s holiday camps even before graduating from Sasana Waldorf International School. Her passion for drama sparked early in her childhood, leading her to The Actor’s Studio for the Speech and Drama programme. Yi Chen is now pursuing her dream at New Era College, majoring in Theatre and Performing Arts. With a deep passion for learning and the performing arts, Yi Chen is on a mission to navigate the stages of life with style and grace. She has graced the stage in school dramas such as “Where Is the Cat” (2019), directed by Kimmy Kiew, and the eurythmy drama “Shadows of Mordor” (2023), in collaboration with Germany’s Waldorf School director, Peter Schmidt.
Speech & Drama Programme Facilitators
Teacher Jeremy
A young and energetic educator, JEREMY ANG, has been involved in numerous theatre performances since he was in high school. He has also trained under the programme of one of the pioneering children’s theatre companies in Malaysia, Greenhopper Theater. After finishing his internship in Taiwan’s theatre company, Jeremy returned homeland to complete his final year at the Drama and Film Department of New Era University College, specialising in stage production and children’s theatre education.
Jeremy appeared in various performances and productions, including “開心死了” (2018), “迴家” (2019), “Game On” (2019), “babebibobu 2.0” (2019), “蠶豆” (2022), “The Swordfish Then The Concubine” (2022), “Black n White”（2022），”King Lear” (2022), “The Curious Incident of The Dog at the Night-time” (2023), and “Grasstraw Festival” (2023).
He has been awarded several times for their accomplishments: First-Class Male Actor award in the High School Drama Awards (2013), Second-Class Male Actor Award (2014), Second-Class Music Composition Award (2018), and Second-Class Director Award (2018).
Teacher Axyr
AXYR HANZ WILLIAM is a theatre practitioner with a passion for all forms of storytelling, both creative and corporate. He is an alumni of klpac’s iconic Theatre For Young People (T4YP) programme which he joined in 2017 and has since starred in and directed multiple works for SHORT+SWEET Malaysia in 2017 and 2018. His other notable works include starring in TheatreThreeSixty’s production of “The Fall Of The House Of Usher” and “A Man For All Seasons”.
Teacher Farah Rani
FARAH RANI is an actress based in Kuala Lumpur. In her career spanning 18 years, Farah has been an avid theatre practitioner, having performed in Kuala Lumpur, Tokyo, Adelaide, Brisbane and New York City. A six-time recipient of The Boh Cameronian Arts Awards, Farah is most known for her roles in Instant Café Theatre’s ‘Parah’ (as Melur), ‘Nadirah’ (as Maznah), Playground Productions’ ‘Projek Disko Baldi’, The Actors Studio’s ‘Kandang’ (as Bintaga), ph7 Productions’ ‘The Language Archive’ (as Emma) and Instant Café Theatre’s ‘Gold Rain & Hailstones’ (as Amy). Her film credits include Dain Said’s ‘Iman Untuk Bulan’ (as Ida), Amanda Nell Eu’s ‘Tiger Stripes’ (as Ustazah), and Liew Seng Tat’s ‘Flowers In The Pocket’ (as Cikgu Dara). Farah was trained at the Michael Howard Studios in New York City.
Farah is currently a part-time lecturer at Sunway University and has taught for BluBricks, ThinkCity, TheatreSauce, Hush The Theatre and The Language Studio.
Assistant Teacher, Jinnie Lim
Jinnie is a Penangite who graduated with a degree in Performing Arts in University Malaya. For her role as Potato Head in klpac’s “Big Head & Potato Head”, Jinnie won the “Best Actress” award for the 9th ADA Drama Award. Besides acting on stage, Jinnie also actively involved in stage management and conducting drama classes for children.
Jinnie had participated in Kaki Seni Arts Exchange 2013 which the team travel to Iran to perform “The Abrisham Journey- Mythical Month”, and tour in Malaysia. Her other on stage credits include: “Aku Cinta Jarak 1 Meter”, “The Tapir” (KL, Kanchanaburi and Singapore), “Nana And Ah Lu”(KL, Penang and Bangkok Harmony World Puppet Carnival), “ Mr.Fox You’re Special”, “ Mystery of The Phoenix Tree”(KL, Jakarta and Chiang Mai), “Dear Elena Sergeevna”, “Aku Cinta XXX 2011” , “Gila-gila to The Moon” , “Aku Cinta XXX” and many more!
Assistant Teacher, Loh Zhi Xian
Loh Zhi Xian is a Year 2 student in the Department of Drama and Visual at New Era University College. He participated in drama club activities led by the Red Sister Theater Company and competed in external competitions during elementary school. In high school, he served as an assistant in several children’s scout camping activities, enjoying the process of teaching and playing with children.During university, he took part in stage plays such as The Blue Bird, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Crucible, HAMLET INFINITY, and The Seagull.
Dance Teacher, Sharyl
Teacher Sharyl is a professional dancer and dance teacher based in Kuala Lumpur. Sharyl started her ballet journey at the age of 6 and continued her dance education at Akademi Seni Budaya dan Warisan (ASWARA), where she completed her diploma and degree in dance.
Since 2023, Teacher Sharyl has been teaching ballet, contemporary dance, and Bollywood dance to kids at Sri KDU Subang. She has also been involved in many fun workshops, projects, and events over the years. Some of her exciting performances include the Southeast Asian Games 2017, Hari Unesco Malaysia 2018, Malam Konsert Hora Horey Live Didi & Friends 2019, Bollywood Workshop for Lite.fm 2022, and Yuvan Live in Singapore: HIGH ON U1 2023, among many others.
Come meet Teacher Sharyl at klpac, who will always greet everyone with a cheerful and sweet smile!
Dance Teacher, Ang Zhen Wei
Meet Teacher Z, also known as Ang Zhen Wei! She loves when children call her Teacher Z. Ang started her dance journey in her 20s and hasn’t stopped dancing since. She graduated with a diploma from ASWARA’s Dance Faculty and later earned her Master of Dance from University Malaya.
Teacher Z has danced her way through many performances both inside and outside ASWARA, including shows like GELOMBANG BARU, JAMU, and klpac’s Short and Sweet and Dance Box. Even during the MCO period, she kept the dance spirit alive by participating in online productions like Be a pART and Dance Showcase 2.0 with WuXu Dance Troupe.
She didn’t stop there! Teacher Z also joined online competitions with ChoreoArts’ Studio and shined in the International Dance Competition “Golden Dance” – Online Edition, earning a Gold Diploma. She also won second place in the Virtual Intervarsity Traditional Dance Competition.
Music Teacher, Joe Loy
Joe Loy is a dynamic figure in the music industry, balancing roles as a producer, educator, and performer with remarkable versatility. Initially gaining recognition as a contestant on Malaysia’s Akademi Fantasia, Joe transitioned to focus on music production and education. His career spans diverse roles such as sound engineer, session musician, and contributor to musical theatre.
He was part of the team behind “Follow the Light,” which won Best Musical Theatre at the 18th Boh Cameronian Arts Awards in 2023, and “Fortune Kooky,” which received multiple nominations.
As the founder of Brightlights Music in Kuala Lumpur, Joe has fostered creativity on a global scale, leveraging grants to develop impactful educational content for children in collaboration with institutions like Perpustakaan Negara Malaysia and NetEase. His initiatives, such as “Groove to English,” have enriched events like the Georgetown Festival, reflecting his commitment to innovative, interactive learning experiences. Joe’s dedication extends further as an adjunct lecturer at UCSI University and through workshops across the Klang Valley.
In his latest venture, Joe is celebrated for his involvement in the hit children’s animated series, “Anna & Hanna,” collaborating with Universal Music Malaysia to create this lighthearted series filled with fun sing-alongs for the entire family. It is available on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Music.
