Staff

Phillip Slay 
Program Director

Phillip has been with Drama Kids since 2015 as a Drama Teacher and Program Manager, and now serves as the Program Director. He acquired his Bachelor’s in Arts & Performance from the University of Texas at Dallas and his Master’s in Performing Arts Administration from Roosevelt University. Phillip is very active in community theatre, both performing and directing, as well as being a resident company member of Repertory Company Theatre. He loves Drama Kids and everything that it does for students in the DFW Metroplex. Drama Kids is FUN!

Jessica Torres
Administrative Support

Since Drama Kids inception, Jessica has been working behind the scenes and handling registration processing, class scheduling, and bill processing, along with a myriad of other responsibilities. Jessica hails from Sam Houston State University. She has seen thousands and thousands of kids build confidence and life skills in DK, including her own two boys, who are now articulate young adults! Jessica is a help and friend to many, including the four-legged type!

Kelsey Foster
Drama Kids Lead Teacher

Kelsey is our most veteran Drama Kids teacher and has been with the Drama Kids program for over 15 years as either a student or employee. She knows the program well and has witnessed and experienced the benefits firsthand. She grew up with an  appreciation for the arts and has performance experience in both dance and theatre arts. She is a true Broadway fan, having seen over 85 shows to date! She hails from UNT Dallas with a Bachelor’s degree. Kelsey’s students constantly beg to have her dramatic Cavalier Spaniel, Bonnie serve as class mascot!

Sway Sanford
Drama Kids Teacher

Ms Sway’s Drama Kids will be thrilled that she is back for another year of dramatic fun. While working in the acting field in Atlanta Ga, she felt the “pull” to move to Dallas, and had no idea what was in store for her. Ms Sanford fell in love with her drama students, and the way she could help develop their confidence while letting her own childlike spirit soar! Her BA in Speech and Theatre, coupled with her acting experience and love for children make her an excellent DK teacher!

Rebecca Reagan
Drama Kids Teacher

Ms Becca is a returning DK teacher whose family called her a “drama queen” from the day she was born! When she had a speech delay at 4 yrs, she found her voice through singing, dancing and acting. She knows first hand the developmental magic that occurs. Becca holds a Bachelor of Arts from UNT and is passionate about making a difference, whether it be working for a non-profit, building confidence in kids, or advancing progressive policies that impact an entire country.

Jennie Remington
Drama Kids Teacher

Ms Jennie has a solid background in Musical Theatre and Early Childhood Education and is thrilled to be joining the Drama Kids family. She has a fondness for her community and loves to be involved in community theatre. Jennie also has a passion for helping others and letting her “light shine” whether it be at church, at school or at play! She fell in love with acting, teaching, and taking care of others at an early age and can’t imagine doing anything else. We are lucky to have found her!

Lanay Barksdale
Drama Kids Teacher

After serving as a summer camp counselor for three summers and falling in love with the creativity of children, Ms Lanay knew being a drama teacher for Drama Kids would be a great fit! She has spent the last seven years studying theatre and has been performing on stages since the age of four. Ms Lanay clearly has a passion for helping others as evidenced by her goal to complete her masters in social work and continue on to make a true difference in the lives of others. She hails from UNT and adores pink glitter and a good book!

Morgan Newman
Drama Kids Teacher

It is so amazing to have Ms Morgan on our Drama Kids teaching team because she was a drama kid herself back in the early days of Drama Kids! Not only was Morgan a star in the Drama Kid program, she also went on to perform in numerous plays and musicals after she aged out of DK. Her talent and love of performing and singing led to auditions for The Voice and America’s Got Talent, where she received callbacks from both! Ms Morgan loves teaching kids and can’t wait to share what she has learned from the program, first hand.

Stephanie Baker
Drama Kids Teacher

Stephanie is excited to be teaching our Drama Kids in the Wylie area this year! She holds a BA in Special Education From Western Governors University, and has decades of experience teaching, inspiring and developing children. One of her favorite things is to watch her students (and her own three children) discover themselves and blossom! Ms Baker also brings her playful spirit and Community Theatre experience into the DK classroom. She lives an active and healthy lifestyle but admits that M&M’s are great!

Gabriela Gosey
Drama Kids Teacher

Meet Ms Gabi! She is a student at UNT who has such a heart for kids and is extremely passionate about creating an emotionally safe learning environment where even the most guarded or shy child thrives. After teaching in the community for over five years, she has learned the power of simple love and kindness. She enjoys seeing things through the eyes of her creative and dramatic students. One day Gabi hopes to make a difference helping children in the Foster care system.

Hannah Pargmann
Drama Kids Teacher

Ms Hannah is currently attending SMU, working towards a career in clinical psychology. We are thrilled to have her join our teaching team, as her life long experience teaching and performing in the theatre, along with her years of working with children, has prepared her for this adventure! She is an avid reader and dancer, and loves food, friends and fun times! Ms Hannah is ready
to be amazed by her students’ creative and energetic minds.

Amanda Michaels
Drama Kids Teacher

Ms Amanda is currently a graduate student at the University of Texas at Dallas. She has over ten years of experience working with children, but what her drama kids might be surprised to know is that she has been a classically trained musician since the age of 4! She enjoys sharing her love for the arts with kids! Amanda is passionate about education and thoroughly enjoys her students’ imagination and curiosity. She studies serious things like neuroscience and human cognition, but her Drama Kids remind her to have FUN!!!

Hannah Parker
Drama Kids Teacher

We are thrilled to have Hannah return for a second year teaching our award winning program. She is finishing up her degree at TWU and plans to be a board certified music therapist. She is passionate about the effect that music has on people’s lives. Her performance experience includes lead roles in the Operas The Medium, and The Old Maid and the Thief. Ms Hannah loves to play board games, cook, and play with her dog!

Camille Cole
Drama Kids Teacher

Ms Millie aspires to star on Broadway one day! (Wouldn’t it be amazing if she starred in Thoroughly Modern Millie?) In the meantime she is finishing up her degree at UNT and sharing her love for performing with Drama Kids! Ms Millie has been performing Musical Theatre since the age of nine and is a “triple threat” with her acting, singing and dancing skills. She especially appreciates the adventurous spirit she observes in her students and their willingness to “take risks” in creating new characters in class.

Maci Hatcher
Drama Kids Teacher

Ms Maci’s most recent role on stage was in Shrek, the Musical! She loves performing in plays and also has 12 years of dance training. While attending UNT, she has completed her minor in Child Development and looks forward to a career as a licensed professional counselor. Maci is most passionate about helping people. (especially little people!) Her favorite thing to witness in a Drama Kids class is when a child’s bad day turns into a good day! Drama can be magical in turning a frown upside down.

Sara Snyder
Drama Kids Teacher

After attending Booker T Washington High School of Performing and Visual Arts, Ms Sara completed her BA in Theatre from UT Austin. She then taught theatre and improv to elementary students at Just Imagine Entertainment in Austin. Sara loves sharing her theatre knowledge with her drama kids! In addition to performing on stage herself, she enjoys playing guitar, songwriting, playwriting and creative writing. We are blessed to have her in our DK family!

Rylie Canales
Drama Kids Teacher

Ms Rylie developed such great relationships with her drama kids last year that she was adamant about returning to the same school locations! Rylie not only taught at several Rockwall elementary schools, but she also led our community program and our DKI Acting Academy (tweens and teens) in Rockwall. She has been involved in theatre her entire life and loves being able to share it with her students. Rylie is passionate about teaching and plans to teach elementary school full time. She attends Collin College.

Alexa Ruvalcaba
Drama Kids Teacher

Ms Alexa has a real appreciation for the dramatic movement portion of our curriculum due to her background in drill team and western partner dance team performance. She loves to dance! She has also served as an intern at A Therapy Connection, a company who offers full range of diagnostic testing and therapy for children with a variety of diagnoses and disorders. Ms Alexa is studying child development at TWU and plans to pursue a career as a Behavior Technician. We are thrilled to have her on our creative teaching team!

Tanner Hudson
Drama Kids Teacher

Mr Tanner is a returning DK teacher who holds a BFA in Acting from the University of Texas at Austin. He also owns Blue Firebox Theatre Co where he acts as creative director. When he isn’t teaching theatre to others, he is performing on the stage, screen or in voice-overs. Mr Tanner is passionate about his relationships with people and strives to teach his students about the true meaning of ensemble. (working together!)

Deborah Miller
Drama Kids Teacher

Ms Deb has a joyful heart and we adore the kind and compassionate energy she brings to her drama classroom. She holds an AA in Music from Collin College and her BA work at Dallas International University has been in International Studies and World Art. She has taught elementary students overseas as well as worked with them on her homeland via youth ministry in camps, VBS, weekly music classes and the like. She is quite adventurous and loves to be active. Ballroom dancing is a favorite! Deb appreciates the safe space that DK provides for children to process emotions. She is especially inspired when kids become empowered through this process and grow in confidence. We are fortunate to have her on our team!

Kara Foster-Odom
Drama Kids Substitute Teacher and Spring Performance Stage Manager

Kara is an experienced Drama Kids teacher who has been a part of the program for many years. She believes in the program and is passionate about building confidence in children. Kara has been involved in theater arts as either an actress, director, or crew member since she was a small child. She obtained her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Texas Tech University and currently works as a Registered Nurse at Medical City, Plano. During our Spring Performances, Kara is the wizard who works backstage to keep things running smoothly!

Carly McGehee
Drama Teacher

Ms. Carly comes to us with an impressive background in Theatre Education. She holds an MA in Theatre Education from New York University and a BFA in Acting from Oklahoma City University. She was the theatre teacher at North Broward Preparatory School in Florida and also partnered with Juillard to create and develop drama curriculum for ages 5-18. Ms Carly is in complete alignment with our developmental approach to drama, and we are lucky to have found her!

Trevor Powell
Drama Teacher

One of the things that makes Mr Trevor happiest is his love of acting and sharing that passion with others! You can frequently find him performing on local stages such as the McKinney Performing Arts Center or at the Core Theatre in Richardson. His drama students are going to love his energetic spirit. His work is definitely his play! We are excited to have Mr Trevor on our teaching staff this year.

Olivia Bolden
Drama Teacher

Miss Olivia is no stranger to the world of theatre. She is currently pursuing a BA in Theatre Acting from UNT. She is excited to share her experience with our Drama Kids in Denton County. Her time as a camp counselor grew her passion for working with children. She loves to make a difference in the lives of kids and is thrilled to be joining the DK team! In her spare time, Miss Olivia also enjoys the creativity of drawing and other visual arts.

Blake Regis
Drama Teacher

Ms. Blake has a passion for making positive changes in her community, which is why she is a perfect fit for the role of a Drama Kids teacher! She genuinely enjoys working with children and appreciates their humor and ability to make her laugh. Her acting experience includes a variety of musicals and performances, including The Little Mermaid and Willy Wonka. In her free time, she enjoys painting and listening to music. Our Drama Kids will love her kind, playful spirit.

Lexi Kimmel
Drama Teacher

Ms Lexi performed with a summer theatre troupe from age 5-12, so she knows firsthand the magic that such an experience brings. She has continued performing ever since. Her favorite role was in Fiddler on the Roof! She currently attends UNT. Fun fact: Ms Lexi also teaches tennis lessons in her spare time and tends to the family bee farm!

Camille Meeks
Drama Teacher

Ms Camille is a wonderful addition to our teaching team! She adores working with children and has a passion for acting herself! She has 17 years of theatre experience and is pursuing a degree at UNT. Her previous experience as a drama camp counselor instilled an appreciation for the curiosity and creativity that children bring to the stage. When she isn’t in the classroom, you can find her enjoying live music, reading or loving on her cats!

Audrey Bersterman
Drama Teacher

Theatre performance has been a family affair for Ms Audrey for as long as she can remember! She followed in her mother’s footsteps onto the stage, and now her own children are following in hers! Ms Audrey is a returning DK teacher who adores the talent and humor she encounters in her students. She hails from Trinity Valley Community College and UNT where she studied theatre. In her spare time, Audrey loves to make pottery and paint.