Artist of the Month
Creative Management Team
Mike Mazur – Vice President of Youth Theatres, NTPA Academy Head of School
Mike is thrilled to be a part of the NTPA family, having worked as a theatrical director, writer, choreographer and educator since earning his Bachelor’s in English, Speech and Drama Education from Bowling Green State University in his home state of Ohio. Since graduating, Mike has taught theatre at the High School, Community College and University level and earned his Master’s in Musical Theatre Writing from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts.
He has directed over 60 shows in New York, New Jersey, Ohio and California. Among his favorites are Rent, Hair, Oklahoma!, The King and I, and Children of Eden. As a writer, his youth theatre piece THE SIXTH DAY has been performed in NYC three times, and he was commissioned to create “Simple Joys,” a revue of the work of Stephen Schwartz at the Cassidy Theatre in Ohio. As a youth, he was a member of The Singing Angels Performing Chorus, an internationally touring show choir based out of Cleveland, Ohio.
After graduating from NYU, Mike became their Artistic Director. Under his direction, the group toured Hollywood, London, Warsaw, and Paris; released two recordings; performed with Nancy Sinatra and Roberta Flack; and was invited to a Command Performance at The Pentagon. He then became a professor of Musical Theatre at California State University, Chico, where in addition to teaching and directing shows, he led the “Off-Broadways” Touring Ensemble in performances in New York and San Francisco.
These experiences have led Mike to lecture on the role of theatre in society at both The Sondheim Symposium in New Jersey (where he met Stephen Sondheim) and the International Conference on Fine and Performing Arts in Athens, Greece. He shares his experiences with the talented youth of North Texas and empowers them to use the performing arts as a tool to build the self-confidence needed to succeed in any career path they choose.
Cibby Bowden – Managing Director, NTPA – Fairview
Cibby Bowden joined the NTPA team in 2017 to serve as Director and Managing Director of NTPA – Fairview. Cibby has worked in the industry as a director and actress for over 35 years. She previously worked as Theatre Production Manager, Resident Director and Acting Instructor at Katy Visual and Performing Arts Center and as Theatre Director at Faith West Academy both in Katy, TX.
Favorite director credits include; Little Women, Fiddler on the Roof, The Music Man, Oklahoma!, Once Upon a Mattress, A Christmas Carol, Annie Get Your Gun, Oliver Twist, Willy Wonka, Beauty and the Beast, Annie, Honk!, Legally Blonde, High School Musical 1 and 2, The Wizard of Oz, Shrek and Xanadu. She has also appeared in many of KVPAC’s Encore Players productions including Joanne in Sondheim’s Company, Mistress Paige in Shakespeare’s The Merry Wives of Windsor, Betty Meeks in The Foreigner, Mrs. Trotsky in All in the Timing and Effy in The Spitfire Grill.
In her twenties, Cibby worked as an actress in Hollywood and can be seen (in re-runs!) on Full House, Cheers, Married with Children, Night Court, Star Trek the Next Generation, Days of our Lives and several films including Ghostbusters 2 and Maid to Order.
Cheryl Lowber – Managing Director, NTPA – Dallas
Cheryl is a professional actor, director, and acting coach based in DFW as well as an experienced UIL One Act Play adjudicator at both the Middle School and High School levels. She joined NTPA in 2018 as an assistant director and currently serves as Managing Director of NTPA Dallas as well as Head of Acting for the NTPA Academy. She holds a B.A. in Theatre from Oklahoma Baptist University and an M.F.A. in Acting from Southern Methodist University, where she taught undergraduate courses in “The Art of Acting.” Cheryl has appeared onstage at numerous venues in DFW, New York City, and as far away as South Korea. NTPA directorial credits include: Romeo & Juliet, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, Legally Blonde, Macbeth, Urinetown, Little Mermaid, Tuck Everlasting, Carrie, Charlotte’s Web, Willy Wonka, 101 Dalmatians Kids, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Aladdin Kids, The Neverending Story, and Bye Bye Birdie. Favorite regional acting credits include: As You Like It (Fair Assembly), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Shakespeare Dallas), The 39 Steps (Stage West), Role Play (Stage West), A Christmas Carol (Dallas Theater Center), House and Garden (Theatre Three), and Picnic (Theatre Three). Her absolute favorite roles, however, are those of wife to Adam and mom to Evie, Maggie, and Andy.
Kerry Murdock – Managing Director, NTPA – Frisco
Kerry has a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from East Central University (OK) with a minor in Musical Theatre and an M.Ed. in Multicultural Literature from Xavier University (OH).
Kerry has spent the last 25 years working with children as a teacher, choir director, storyteller, director, costume director, and piano teacher. Kerry also serves as Show Manager for multiple shows, including the Immersive Production the students perform each semester.
She has a passion for instilling a love of reading in young students and enjoys implementing her acting skills to bring books and stories to life. Kerry has enjoyed participating in theatre in many different roles across six states. Her favorite memories are sharing the stage with her three children in several productions. Now that they are taking the stage on their own, she is excited to see their love of performing grow.
Paige Price, Program Director – Plano
Tori Edwards, Program Director – Southlake
Bethany Bourland – Artistic Director, Collegiate Pursuits
bbourland@ntpa.org
Bethany has been directing and teaching children’s theatre for over a decade. She earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Drama: Acting Emphasis from the University of Oklahoma. Growing up in Katy, Texas, Bethany began her directing and teaching career with the Katy Visual and Performing Arts Center. Bethany worked in Oklahoma as a Casting Associate for film and television with Freihofer Casting. During that time, she also worked as an on-camera acting coach and as the program director for The Actor Factory Young Performer Academy. During her time in Oklahoma, Bethany acted as Associate Producer for the OU School of Drama’s theatre-for-young-audiences touring series, Helmerich Literature Alive. Favorite directing credits include Something Rotten, Cabaret, The SpongeBob Musical, Oklahoma, Tuck Everlasting, A Gentleman’s Guide To Love and Murder, Mamma Mia, and Little Women. Bethany would like to send all her love to Connor and Eloise for their endless love and support.
Kameron Knott, Collegiate Pursuits Program Director
Kameron started working with NTPA in 2019 as a Choreographer and Assistant Director. He has also been working as an integral part of the Collegiate Pursuits production team since its inception. A native of Texas, Kameron holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Drama; Acting Emphasis and a minor in Dance from the University of Oklahoma. In addition to his work with NTPA, he has worked professionally in many aspects of the entertainment industry with the Williamstown Theatre Festival, the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, EarthX Film Festival, and the Actor Factory. Kameron has also worked as a professional actor in New York City for the past several years. Favorite past performances include The Proposal (Chubukov), Sylvia (Greg), Angels in America; Perestroika (Joe), City of Angels (Sonny/Fight Captain), and Biloxi Blues (Hennessey). Favorite NTPA projects have included the Junior/Senior Showcase, Company, Peter and the Starcatcher, Bonnie & Clyde, Something Rotten, Cabaret, The SpongeBob Musical, Oklahoma, and Tuck Everlasting. In addition to continuing to serve as a Choreographer and Director, Kameron now also leads the educational efforts of the Collegiate Pursuits program overseeing workshops, classes, and lessons to prepare students in grades 10-12 who are planning to pursue a performing arts degree in college.
Kaitlyn Barnard – Director of Education
Kaitlyn Barnard-Wright graduated in 2013 Cum Laude from Texas Woman’s University where she performed in both their opera and theater productions. She is currently completing her Masters of Arts in Professional Counseling while serving as the Director of Education for the NTPA Academy. She has been with NTPA since 2017 and has directed and music directed with the organization on many occasions. Some of her favorite titles have been: Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, and Honk the Musical. She taught music and choir in Plano ISD for five years. Kaitlyn is certified in the Kodaly Method of music education and completed her third level of training in the summer of 2015. For the 2015-2016 school year, Kaitlyn received the Bass Hall Fellowship for excellence in music education and in the spring of that year presented about elementary music at the Texas State Music Education Association conference in San Antonio. Kaitlyn is a member of Pi Kappa Lambda Honor Society, Who’s Who Nominee, Presser Scholar Nominee, and the recipient of the first Lily Mildred Hodges Endowed Scholarship. For the 2016-2017 school year, she was nominated as Teacher of the Year and received the PTA Life Member Award. Music and theater are her passion and she loves to see children grow through the arts.
Gregory McKnight – Technical Programs Director
Gregory has been working in film and video production for over 20 years and is a seasoned theater technician, having worked in multiple venues across DFW over the past two decades. He currently serves as the Senior Technical Director at NTPA where he leads all technical theatre programs across NTPA and teaches technical theatre classes in The Conservatory at NTPA Academy.
Since joining the NTPA team in 2017, Greg has served as a director and music director for many shows and has written several original scripts that have premiered on NTPA stages including fan-favorites “The Adventure of BetaKid” and “The Adventure of GammaKid.” He also spearheaded the NTPA Studios program providing a new opportunity for students to learn and experience film production. Greg has been a musician since the age of 7 and has played piano professionally for over a decade.
Tammara Wright – Assistant Technical Director
Tammara has been teaching Acting, Directing, Singing, and Audition Preparation for many years. She relocated to Texas in 2014 after having lived and performed all over the United States. Tammara has 30+ years of professional experience in Theatre, Radio, Television and Film; as an Actor, Director, Producer and Singer.
Tammara’s Training includes: a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications and Theatre from Western Michigan University, as well as, an Associate’s of Fine Arts Degree from Bay de Noc College, and over 12 years of private training in Vocal Performance for Soprano in Classical/Opera and Musical Theatre. She also has specialized training in: Audition Preparation for Stage & Camera, Creating Characters using Voice & Movement, Voice-overs and Narration, Lighting and Sound as a Character, and Script Analysis. She is a member of SAG-AFTRA and has an FCC-Commercial License.
Tammara teaches homeschoolers at HOPE Prep Academy, and other area Children’s Theater Companies working with 1st – 12th graders as a Director & Instructor. Tammara also offers private lessons through her studio Upwardly Vocal for both voice and acting. She is also a former Director and Instructor with Scene & Heard Performing Arts, For The Love of Dance – Summer Theatre Camp and Strive Studios. Tammara also volunteers as a technician in the AV Booth at her church. She’s been married to her husband Rob for over 25 years, homeschools their three children (all three have appeared on local stages) and helps take care of their BIG family dog (a Great Pyrenese) named Leo.
Resident Directors
Nick Mann – Creative Director
Nick grew up in the towns of Bowie, TX and Carlsbad, NM. Even as a child, Nick was always interested in drama. He recalls the very first musical he created with stuffed animals and a tape recorder when he was in the 4th Grade! Nick graduated from the University of North Texas earning a B.A. in Theatre Performance and Education. His advanced training includes Song Interpretation with Tony Award-Winning Actress Betty Buckley, Meisner Acting Technique with Terry Martin and Improv and Sketch Comedy at The Second City Training Center.
Nick is also a Stand-Up Comedian and playwright. His play, Baby of Mine, was a semifinalist for the 2012 Eugene O’Neill National Playwrights Conference. Nick’s special talent is that he can name all the winners of every Academy Award in the Picture and Acting category (Hopefully that means he will win one)!
Denver Danyla – Creative Director
Denver received his BFA in Acting for Stage and Screen from Azusa Pacific University in Los Angeles. He found his passion for acting while in Jr. High and High School, landing such roles as Curly in Oklahoma! and Harold Hill in The Music Man. He went on to pursue his study of acting. Stage credits include Lord Goring in An Ideal Husband, Leonato in Much Ado About Nothing and several other Indie stage productions. While in college he worked as a counselor at several youth camps including Kanakuk and Forest Home where he then knew he wanted to spend the rest of his life working with students.
Soon after graduating, he began directing children and young adults in the Houston area and is thrilled to continue his love for teaching, directing and mentoring here in the Dallas area, as a Senior Resident Director for NTPA. Some of his favorite works as a Director are Les Miserables: School Edition, Puffs and Avenue Q: School Edition. Denver was named NTPA Director of the Year for 2019.
Jason Villarreal, Senior Resident Director
Jason began his journey with the performing arts studying the dance Ballet Folklorico in his hometown and Texas border city, Edinburg. In 2006 he moved to Dallas to attend The University of Texas at Arlington where he graduated with a BFA in Theatre Performance. After graduation, Jason received roles performing in several national tours including Dora The Explorer (Tico The Squirrel), Rapunzel, A Very Hairy Fairy Tale (Socretese), and A Christmas Story.
Jason now resides in Dallas where he enjoys working with youth and using the art of theater to help develop social skills in young children and teens. Jason joined the NTPA Creative Staff in 2019. He has performed in numerous shows all over DFW. Some of his favorite roles include, (Molina) Kiss of the Spider Woman, (Hotblades Harry) Urinetown, (Baker) Into the Woods, (Edgar) Rapunzel, A Very Hairy Fairy Tale, and (Will Parker) Oklahoma.
Preston Page – Senior Resident Music Director, Director of Community Partnerships
Preston is an accomplished teacher, director, accompanist, and arts administrator. He completed his Bachelors’ degree from the University of Texas at Dallas, and studied Musical Theatre at Collin College and with noted industry professionals throughout North Texas. He has years of experience working with children’s theaters and school districts across North Texas, teaching a range of workshops, master classes, private voice and acting lessons, as well as leading teams of other teaching artists. He is the former General Manager of The Acting Studio after working with the Young Artist Training Program and interning at Lyric Stage, and developed the musical curricula for three Montessori schools.
Preston is also a noted performer and director who has worked with many of the professional and regional theaters in North Texas, including Garland Summer Musicals, Our Productions Theatre Company, Theatre Frisco, and many others. He has also been involved in developing new works at WaterTower Theatre and Lyric Stage. Favorite directing credits include Les Miserables, Little Shop of Horrors, and 13 The Musical. Favorite performance roles include Cornelius Hackl in Hello, Dolly!, Man 2 in Songs for A New World, and Leaf Coneybear in Spelling Bee.
Riley Madlock, Senior Resident Choreographer
Riley joined the NTPA family in 2020 and now serves as NTPA’s first Resident Choreographer, Conservatory Dance Department Head, and Graphic Designer. Riley has a Master of Arts in Teaching with an emphasis in Dance from New Mexico State University and a BA in Mass Communications from Ouachita Baptist University. Prior to joining NTPA, she was the resident choreographer for The Muses Project in Hot Springs, AR. She then served as dance faculty at New Mexico State University and co-founded/directed the NMSU Hip Hop company. Riley has choreographed for drill and dance teams around the state of Texas. Her choreography has won numerous awards and been adjudicated at American College Dance Association conferences throughout the south. Riley has trained and performed with many professionals around the world including Dmitri Roudnev of the Bolshoi Ballet, Gavriel Spitzer of Batsheva Dance Company, George Staib of StaibDance in Sorrento, Italy, and T. Lang Dance in Atlanta, Georgia. Favorite NTPA credits include Tuck Everlasting, Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella, Oklahoma, Something Rotten, and Bonnie & Clyde. Riley sends love to her family, husband, Matthew, and puppy, Noodle, for their never ending support.
Linda McAdams, Resident Director
Linda McAdams has a B.A. in psychology from The University of Texas at Austin and a Master’s degree in education from UNT. She has been involved with NTPA for over 18 years. She has studied dance, musical theatre, voice and piano. She performed onstage as a dancer in High School and again as an adult taking tap classes. Growing up in Dallas, she attended the Dallas Summer Musicals for many years and dreamed of dancing in a musical. Being a first-grade teacher in PlanoISD was one of her favorite experiences. She has served on the executive board for several PTAs, chairperson for a cub scout pack in Plano, Service Unit Cookie Coordinator for Girl Scouts and on the NTPA Dallas board. She is currently the Volunteer Coordinator for NTPA and enjoys helping volunteers since she started out as one herself. Linda has assisted in many shows as the Show Manager, Choreographer and Assistant Director. She recently directed Descendants, Into the Woods Jr. and The Little Mermaid Jr. all out of NTPA Frisco. She would like to thank her family for their love and support. Having seen firsthand the incredible growth in her own children through theatre, she loves working with the parents and children at NTPA and being a part of their dreams.
Marissa Bergère – Resident Director
Marissa joined the NTPA creative staff in 2021, and has choreographed for several NTPA productions, including Xanadu Jr., Willy Wonka Jr., Big Fish The Broadway Musical, Moana Jr., The Lightning Thief, and Moana Jr for the 2022 NTPA Junior Theatre Festival Troupe which received perfect scores. Most recently, she directed NTPA’s debut of Newsies Jr. Marissa will also be part of the creative team leading this year’s NTPA’s Junior Theatre Festival troupe.
Marissa received her Bachelor of Science in Dance from Texas A&M University and her Master of Fine Arts in Choreography from Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance in London. During her time in the Texas A&M Dance Program, Marissa choreographed, produced, and stage managed dozens of shows, including lighting, sound, and costume design. She found ways of carrying these experiences into her work at Trinity Laban, where she produced an evening show and directed a fifty-minute dance film. Marissa has also performed as a dancer around the world, including Hong Kong (2016), Scotland Fringe Festival (2017), and England (2018-2020).
Austin Hines, Resident Director
Austin Hines joined the NTPA family in 2022. Growing up in Grand Prairie, Austin has been involved in the arts since he could hold a pencil. He earned an Associates Degree in Musical Theatre from the KD Conservatory in Dallas where he later served as an instructor from 2020-2021. Austin has performed nationally with the Murder Mystery Company since 2019. In addition to directing, Austin also serves as NTPA’s Box Office Manager assisting patrons with ticketing needs across all NTPA locations.
Zayde Vetter – Resident Director
Zayde is a recent graduate of Pacific Lutheran University, receiving her B.A. in Theatre with minors in Communication and Psychology. Her acting resume includes Pugsley in The Adams Family, Florence in Souvenir, a Fantasia on the Life of Florence Foster Jenkins, and Jaquinetta in Love’s Labors Lost. During a study abroad program at Oxford, her passions grew to include directing, playwriting, and dramaturgy. Some of her previous directorial productions include The Glass Menagerie, Ugly Lies the Bone, and Into Evil: a Musical Revue, as well as debuting at NTPA as Assistant Director for Frozen Kids.
Zayde believes that theatre has the power to inspire and foster growth. She is extremely excited to join the team at NTPA and hopes to encourage the love of theatre in the next generation of thespians.
Samantha Reser – Resident Director
Samantha Reser received her BFA in Theatre for Young Audiences with a minor in Directing from Oklahoma City University, and recently completed her Masters degree in Theatre for Young Audiences at the University of Central Florida. Using experience as a teacher, director, actor, and musician, Samantha Reser’s mission is to create theatre that is accessible for youth regardless of financial status, ability, or previous theatre experience. She strives to teach empathy for others by using fundamental acting techniques and creative play. She believes achieving this goal will create a kinder, more sympathetic world, one theatrical experience at a time. Favorite directing credits include James and the Giant Peach, JR, Peter Pan, Jr, Beauty and the Beast, Jr, Stargirl, Passage, and “It’s Okay” and “Guns in Dragonland” for the #ENOUGH project.
Hayley Honescko, Associate Resident Director
Hayley started with NTPA as a student in 2014 and graduated from the NTPA Academy in 2020. Currently, Hayley is enrolled at The University of Texas at Dallas pursuing a B.A. in Visual and Performing Arts with a Communication concentration. NTPA has played a vital role in her current academic and professional path. A few of Hayley’s directing credits include Aladdin Kids, Willy Wonka Kids, Frog and Toad Kids, and Seussical Kids. She hopes to use her college education combined with her artistic experience from NTPA to inspire connection and confidence in the hearts of young actors.
Ruby Pullum – Associate Resident Director
A certified CCO, stage manager, choreographer, director, designer, and performer in the DFW area with 8+ years of experience, Ruby has worked on various shows with North Texas Performing Arts including; Les Mis & Annie Jr. (NTPA Plano), Willy Wonka & Jungle Book Kids (Dallas), Bonnie & Clyde (Academy), Addams Family, Peter & the Starcatcher, In The Heights, Spongebob the Musical, Legally Blonde, and Heathers (NTPA Repertory). And has worked regionally with Stage Management & Design credits including Rage (AT&T Performing Arts Center), State Fair & Elf (Grand Prairie Arts Council), Raisin in the Sun & Odd Couple (WaterTower Theatre), and Black Nativity (Bishop Arts Theatre).
Adjunct Directors
Lindsey Lederer – Adjunct Director
Lindsey Lederer joined the NTPA creative team in 2011 as a summer camp teacher, but that was not her first exposure to North Texas Performing Arts. She started with the organization, taking the stage, as a student and attributes her success thus far to the training she received at NTPA. She has served as a Summer Intern, a Director, an assistant in the Development Office, NTPA-Frisco’s Managing Director, NTPA-Dallas’ Managing Director, and VP of Youth Theatre Operations. After igniting her passion for the theatre arts, Lindsey graduated from the NTPA program and went on to complete her Bachelor of Arts in Musical Theater and minor in psychology from Ouachita Baptist University. She has performed with major entertainment corporations, such as Walt Disney World and Six Flags over Texas. Her favorite NTPA directorial credits include “Beauty and the Beast Jr.,” “Legally Blonde Jr.,” “Elf Jr.,” “High School Musical Jr.” and “Junie B Jones.” Lindsey strives to instill a great passion for the arts in all of her students and to make a difference in the lives of youth through the artistic process. She wants to thank her NTPA students, families, and peers for making her job incredibly rewarding!
DeAnna Stone – Adjunct Director
DeAnna Stone has served many different roles for North Texas Performing Arts. She began directing for NTPA in 2015 and helped launch the NTPA Academy in 2018. She also served previously as NTPA’s Frisco Managing Director. Throughout all of her roles at NTPA, DeAnna has loved directing and serving students and their families. She began her adventure on stage at the young age of six and continued to pursue the performing arts throughout college. After college, she continued her theatre journey within the homeschool community. As a homeschooling mother of four children, she has a passion for creating opportunities for students that desire an alternative style in education. She has a passion for motivating youth and inspiring others to achieve their best. North Texas Performing Arts created opportunity for her own personal family and upholds the values that she deems important in growing future leaders.
Kally Duncan – Adjunct Director
Kally grew up surrounded by theatre and started acting at the age of 6. Her first show was “Anything Goes” and once she got a taste of the spotlight she never looked back. She received her BFA in Acting and minor in Directing from Oklahoma City University and studied Advanced Shakespeare in London at Kingston University. She participated with her devised play “Bad Shakespeare”, a play exploring all of the Shakespearean villains and why they are bad, at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland.
DeeDee Munson – Adjunct Choreographer
DeeDee is the Managing Director at THE MOMENT Dance Convention Experience and the Assistant Director for THE MOVEMENT at the KM AGENCY. She is the former General Manager/Artistic Director for Power House of Dance Dallas / Frisco & the former Artistic Director of Dance for North Texas Performing Arts. Her credits include Kilgore College Rangerette, Stephen F. Austin Repertory Company, Stephen F. Austin Pom Squad member and coach, Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader, and Dallas Mavericks Dancer. She is also a former Walt Disney World Dancer where she performed in The Beauty & The Beast Show, Pleasure Island
Explosion Dancers, various conventions and special events, and the Rhythms of the World Show at Tokyo DisneySeas.
DeeDee has taught and choreographed for drill teams, dance teams and theatres across the country. She has also worked as a choreographer for Walt Disney World, Paris Disneyland & Disney Cruise Ship Auditions and Casting. She is an international adjudicator & master teacher. She has served as a judge for MA Dance, Varsity Brands, Cheer Power, Freedom Dance, The Groove, HTE, The USASF Dance Worlds held at Walt Disney World, COP Brands, Inferno Dance and The Kilgore College Rangerettes/Swingsters. She currently serves on the Texas Dance Educators Association DEAL Adjudication Staff. She was also a dancer/actress in the movie Miss Congeniality starring Sandra Bullock.
Valerie Sauter, Adjunct Music Director
Leah Flores, Adjunct Director
Lyz Miller, Adjunct Director
Lyz is originally from Connecticut, where she grew up with parents who had deep roots in education and theater. She inherited her parents’ love for both at a young age. Now living in Frisco, she has passed this love onto her two boys. Lyz has a bachelor’s degree from Mount Holyoke College with a double major in Mathematics and Theatre. She also went on to earn a masters from the University of Florida and is a certified Mathematics teacher. Currently she is a faculty member of the NTPA Academy.
Lizzie Shelby, Adjunct Music Director
Lizzie graduated from Ouachita baptist university with a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance where she performed in multiple operas. She then went on to do an opera program in Italy where she sang solos, duets and group numbers with people from all over the world. She worked at a Yamaha music school and currently teaches private voice at Dowell middle school in McKinney. She enjoys teaching all styles of music to all ages!
Some past music directing credits include Legally Blonde and Into the woods with NTPA Frisco, Disaster! with NTPA Dallas and Sound of Music with NTPA Fairview.
Hunter Mackenzie Brown – Adjunct Director
Hunter Mackenzie Brown is thrilled to be a part of NTPA. He recently moved to Dallas from New York City where he was able to perform in the cabaret circuit, be apart of new works, and learn from great teachers and performers. His favorite credits include Jesus in Godspell, Willard in Footloose, and Puck in a Midsummer Nights Dream. He is a graduate of Ouachita Baptist University where he holds is BFA in Musical Theatre.
Bonnie Grugle – Choreographer
Bonnie is a Dallas-based choreographer, dancer, actor and classically-trained soprano. She has performed in more than 30 productions, including several productions with NTPA as well as Uptown Players, Watertower Theatre, Garland Civic Theatre, and Unity Players. Her favorite choreography projects include “Guys and Dolls, Jr” “South Pacific” “Nunsense,” “A Grand Night for Singing” and “Anything Goes” with NTPA and Unity Players. She has performed in Carnegie Hall, the Dallas Make A Wish Foundation, the Dallas Hip Hop Festival, and countless others. She began studying dance at age three and maintains a primary focus on ballet, tap, and jazz with an emphasis on musical theater performance. She has worked with and under renowned instructors Mary Six Rupert, Melva Smith and Paula Moreland, among others. Supplemental training and teachings include hip hop, Bollywood and belly dancing.
Through her teaching, she instills in her students that dance should be fun and led with the heart, a notion imparted to her at a young age. Her unique appreciation for and understanding of how music, story, and movement flow seamlessly together ensures her students embody the art of dance as well-rounded, versatile performers.
She is a proud adjunct faculty member at the NTPA Academy. She resides in Richardson with her husband and fellow performer, Tom Grugle.
Shannon Hauser – Adjunct Director
Shannon received her Bachelor of Science in Dance Education from Bowling Green State University where she focused on the biomechanics and kinesiology of dance. She also minored in theater with an emphasis on Shakespeare and directing was an inaugural member of Beautiful Kids Independent Shakespeare company. She directed Waiting and The Interview during her time at BGSU and choreographed close to 40 performances between the school of theater and school of dance.
After graduation, Shannon moved to Lake Tahoe where her the opportunity to expand a local Royal Academy of Ballet school into the competitive dance world presented itself. Shannon was the competitive director of Tahoe Dance School for 10 years. Former students have gone on to dance with Alvin Ailey, Sean Curran and Doug Elkins. She partnered with Tahoe Theater Workshop and the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival where she got to continue her love of Shakespeare.
She married her husband, Marty, in 2004 and has two sons and three cats. Shannon took a teaching hiatus to stay home with her boys while they were young but is excited to return to the performing arts and share her passion with the next generation.
Kaylee Killingsworth – Adjunct Director
Kaylee Killingsworth is excited to return to North Texas Performing Arts after teaching a variety of camps and classes years ago. She joins the community this year after working as a speech/debate and theatre teacher for Plano Independent School District and working in a variety of after school theatre programs, and teaching master classes and private voice lessons across DFW. Kaylee studied and trained musical theatre at Collin college, and finished her Bachelors of Fine arts in Theatre Studies at the University of Texas in Arlington, training in dramaturgy, playwriting, technical theatre and directing. Kaylee continues to build her performance skills working as a Medical Clown with The Laughter League at Cook Children’s Hospital. She’s performed at many DFW theaters including Jubilee Theatre, Firehouse Theatre and most recently, in Dallas Theatre Center’s The Odyssey. She will be teaching the Musical Review, Intro to Stage Combat, and Makeup and Costume classes. Kaylee is available to teach private voice and acting lessons and has trained in classical, musical theatre and pop/jazz vocal styles. Kaylee will also be joining the Core team as a Core Counselor.
Hannah Anderson – Adjunct Director
Hannah graduated from Ouachita Baptist University with a degree in Musical Theater, and currently works as a director for the North Texas Performing Arts, particularly but not exclusively with the Starcatchers program. She has been trained in the Bel Canto school of classical singing for eleven years, and has had the honor of performing such roles as Zita in Gianni Schicchi and Aunt March in Little Women, as well as studying theater at Liverpool Hope University and training with the Opera in Italy program in Urbino. After directing the premiere production of Star Miz: a Star Wars parody of musicals in 2019, she fell in love with the process of putting together the puzzle pieces of a production, having a vision and working with every department to present that vision onstage. Since that time, she has directed multiple productions, including one-act plays, cabarets, and full-length musicals. When she isn’t on or backstage, she enjoys reading fantasy and science fiction novels, drawing, and writing fanfiction and original fiction with her boyfriend.
Sid Polezcek – Adjunct Director
Sid Polezcek is a performer, director and educator based in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. Sid is originally from south Louisiana and attended Northwestern State University of Louisiana for two years before transferring to The University of Texas at Arlington where he received his BFA in Theatre. Some of his most notable performance credits include Hanschen in Spring Awakening, Steward in Into the Woods, and Faux Rosencrantz/Tragedian in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead. Sid’s notable directing credits include Jason Robert Brown’s Songs for a New World in UTA’s 2020 virtual season and the world premiere of Dig by Natalie Gaupp also at UTA. Sid is thrilled for the privilege of his continued participation in the development of the next generation of artists at NTPA.
MacKenzie Kern – Adjunct Director
MacKenzie Kern is a Dallas native and was in her first production at NTPA when she was just eight years old. Now over a decade later as a proud NTPA alumni she is grateful to be welcomed back as a Director. She graduated from the University of Texas at Dallas with her Bachelor of Arts in Theatre and formerly trained at Ann Lacy American School of Dance and Entertainment in Oklahoma City. She has been in 30+ productions around the DFW metroplex and has worked with NBCUniversal, Dallas Summer Musicals, and Oklahoma Shakespeare. When not directing she enjoys improv and dance and wishes to inspire young actors to pursue performing the way she was here at NTPA when she first started.
Kelemen Szabo – Adjunct Music Director
An alumnus of NTPA, Kel was thrilled to return and join the creative staff in 2022! He has music directed several NTPA productions including Jekyll & Hyde, High School Musical 2 Jr., A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, and Bye Bye Birdie. He has also taught private voice lessons and has served as a sound specialist in the tech crew of the above productions.
Kelemen graduated from the University of North Texas with a Bachelor of Music in Choral Music Education, having completed his clinical teaching in Frisco ISD. He is the Choir Director at Griffin Middle School in Frisco ISD, the Director of Music at Horizon Unitarian Universalist Church, and a member of the Vocal Majority. He is also a professional multi-instrumentalist, having played for a number of churches, musical theatre productions, and local bands on various instruments.
Peyton Churchwell – Adjunct Director
Peyton received his Bachelors of Science in Secondary Education for English from the University of Louisiana at Monroe, and he is currently getting his Masters of Arts in Theater at Texas A&M University at Commerce. He has trained in opera and acting for 7 years, and was taught different techniques of dance from ULM.
He has performed in many productions of both college and community theater in the Northeast Louisiana area: Hugo Peabody in Bye Bye, Birdie, Ubaldo Piangi in Phantom of the Opera, and George Gibbs in Our Town. Peyton has directed a production of How the Grinch Stole Christmas during his time as a drama teacher at Neville Junior High School in Monroe, Louisiana, and assisted in directing a production of Disaster! at the Strauss Little Theater. Peyton made his NTPA debut playing Lt. Joseph Cable in the community theater production of South Pacific.
Peyton is so excited to continue his growth as a director, teacher, and performer by working with NTPA as a director, and he hopes to inspire and instill the love of theater in the arts in the students and actors he gets to work with.
Nick Cutelli – Adjunct Director
Nick Cutelli, a versatile talent with a knack for comedic storytelling, is your guide to a world of laughter and entertainment. With a BFA from Southeast Missouri State and an ongoing MFA pursuit at the University of Idaho, Nick combines a solid foundation in theater with a fresh upbeat comedic perspective.
Originally hailing from the creative hubs of Chicago improv comedy and Los Angeles, Nick is excited to join the ranks of amazing directors at NTPA. His journey from Chicago’s Second City to the Lone Star State is a testament to his adaptability and artistic exploration.
With a Midwest charm and West Coast innovation, Nick brings a unique flavor to Texas theater. Don’t miss his upcoming productions for a dose of humor and unforgettable performances. To learn more about Nick feel free to check out his website www.cutellicomedy.com
Denise Forney – Adjunct Director
Denice found a love for theater in high school and headed to NYC to attend The New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts. She then utilized her knowledge to teach high school theater until her move to TX. Now with her own daughter starting her theatrical journey she is happy to get back to being in the director’s seat.
Melissa Smith – Adjunct Director
Melissa has a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Houston and an M. Ed. in Curriculum and Design with an emphasis on leadership from Concordia University Portland. Melissa has spent over 15 years working with children as a teacher, guide, and director. She currently works with the theatre department of REACH co-op and works as a teacher for NTPA’s after school classes and camps. Additionally, Melissa has served as Show Manager for numerous shows and loves watching the growth and development of each student that takes the stage. She has a passion for education and using theatre as a way to develop individuals both on stage and beyond. She enjoys bringing stories to life through acting and helping students use their creativity. Melissa has enjoyed participating in theatre in many different ways throughout her life.
Natosha Scott – Adjunct Director
Natosha has been an educator for 25 years. She received her Bachelors degree in Elementary Education with a minor in Music from the University of North Texas. She has performed since a young age. She became a part of the NTPA family 5 years ago when her son, Jude, decided he wanted to be an actor. Since then, she has volunteered as a parent, a board member, and now a director.
Katie Ames, Associate Adjunct Director
Katie Ames is a proud alumni of North Texas Performing Arts. She performed with the organization throughout high school and now has the pleasure of returning to teach NTPA students. She was a homeschooled middle child of 5 and has always had a passion for theatre and music. Her acting career began when she was 12 years old at Artsview Children’s Theatre in Longview, Texas. Some of her favorite roles include Ariel in “The Little Mermaid”, Annie in “Annie,” Winnifred in “Once Upon a Mattress,” Hodel in “Fiddler on the Roof,” and Goody Goodell in “Fire at the Coconut Grove 1942” which she had the pleasure of performing in New York City off-Broadway. She has been working in childcare since 2019, and is excited to bring those skills to the theatre classroom. NTPA was a big part of her youth; she credits learning many valuable life skills and making several lifelong friends to NTPA, and she treasures getting to be part of that experience for today’s young actors.
Austin Keefer – Associate Adjunct Director
Austin Keefer first came to NTPA in 2018 during his senior year of high school and has been performing in shows ever since, with some of his favorites being “Peter Pan”, “Julius Caesar”, “Twelfth Night”, “Sound of Music”, and “Scrooge”. He joined the front desk staff in 2022 and in the Summer of 2023 began working as a Full Day Production Camp Director in Southlake and Fairview, with “Descendants”, “Wizard of Oz”, and “Beauty and the Beast” being among his favorite camps. Austin is in his final semester at the University of Texas at Dallas, where he is pursuing a degree in Literature with a Creative Writing concentration. He previously attended Collin College where he received his General Studies degree and participated in numerous productions, including “Radio Daze”, “Measure for Measure”, and “Radium Girls”. He is actively pursuing a career as a professional actor, writer, and director in both Theatre and Film. Austin is very grateful for the friends he has made through theatre, and to his family for their continued love and support.
Sasha Garcia – Associate Adjunct Music Director
Sasha attends UNT where she is studying Jazz Voice. Some of her favorite shows to music direct have included “Legally Blonde,” “In the Heights,” “Heathers the Musical,” and “Spongebob the Musical.” Her work on “Spongebob the Musical” was awarded the Broadway World Award for Best Music Direction & Orchestra Performance.