Staff

Phillip Slay 
Program Manager

Phillip has been with Drama Kids for many years as a Drama Teacher and is happy to now be part of the leadership team as Program Manager. Since 2015, he has acquired his Bachelor’s in Arts & Performance and his Master’s in Performing Arts Administration. Phillip is very active in community theatre and can be seen on stages all over Dallas in many plays and musicals throughout the year. 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 handles registration processing, class scheduling, and bill processing along with a myriad of other responsibilities. Jessica hails from Sam Houston State University. She believes in the Drama Kids system and loves watching the kids grow in confidence.

Kelsey Foster
Program Coordinator and Drama Kids Teacher

Kelsey is a veteran Drama Kids teacher and has been with the Drama Kids program for over 12 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 15+ shows just in the past year alone! She hails from UNT Dallas with a Bachelor’s degree. Kelsey also serves as our Drama Kids Programs Coordinator as well as being a Team Lead for our teachers.

Maya Apodaca
Veteran Lead Drama Teacher

Maya has been with Drama Kids since 2007 and was promoted to Director of Teaching and Summer Camps in 2012. She takes the lead in hiring, training and supervising our teachers. Maya attended the University of New Mexico where she majored in Elementary Education and Theater Arts. Outside of Drama Kids, Maya is a ballroom dance teacher and has been teaching children the creative elements and fundamentals of dance and drama for over 18 years.

Tonya Megyesi
Drama Kids Teacher

After years of being a Drama Kids parent, Tonya wanted to get more involved in the program. Tonya was excited about the philosophy of DKI as she had witnessed the results of the program first-hand in her daughter. As a Sunday school teacher and home school mom, Tonya plans classes that engage children in active, hands-on learning that instill the importance of presentation and creativity. She has also been involved in many community theatre productions herself. Tonya subs occasionally for our elementary aged students but her heart belongs to our Acting Academy tweens/teens. She heads up our Acting Academy program and does a fabulous job!

Ashley Page
Drama Kids Teacher

Ashley is a graduate of Sul Ross State University where she obtained her Master’s as well as a BFA in the areas of Theatre, Film, and Music. She has been involved in the performing arts since a very young age and has had the amazing opportunity to study and work all over the world! She helped establish the children’s theatre program for the Theatre of the Big Bend, performed as a beloved character at Disney World, and even taught
English in China using theatrical techniques. Ashley is eager to share her love for the arts and help empower every unique drama kid!

Gillian Horowitz
Drama Kids Teacher

Gillian is a graduate from the University of North Texas with a degree in Hospitality Management. However, she is no stranger to the world of performing arts. She has been participating in children’s theaters around the DFW Metroplex since the age of 4. She has taken opera lessons, and enjoyed singing and music so much that she even put a musical theatre spin to her ice skating performances! Miss Gillian has been performing and competing through ballroom dance for the past 12 years. As a returning teacher, Gillian is thrilled to continue the DK journey because she says Drama Kids includes all the things she loves, including her love of theatre and deep desire to give back to others that which she received from her own mentors. She knows first hand the positive impact the experience can make.

Morgan Leath 
Drama Kids Teacher

Morgan is a freshman at the University of North Texas where she is studying Audiology/Speech Pathology as well as Theatre with a performance concentration. She was a Drama Kid herself for 9 years and understands what our Drama Kids students experience from their point of view. She has been in performance theatre since she was in first grade and was in the varsity acting class in her high school years. She even won Best Actress in her senior year UIL OAP district competition. Morgan is so excited to inspire each child she teaches. She hopes they will take from the program what she did, when she was a Drama Kid herself. Morgan’s favorite quote is:
“Whatever you do, do it well. Do it so well that when people come see you they will come back and bring others to show them how well you do what you do.” – Walt Disney

Alyssa Nicolas 
Drama Kids Teacher

Alyssa has been around children and theatre nearly all her life. She has experience as a Sunday school teacher and has worked for multiple children’s programs. She found her passion for acting around the age of nine when she started acting in plays at her church and hosting her Elementary’s school broadcast show. From there she was hooked and was a part of as many plays as she could be! She found that when she was on the stage she could come out of her shell. Alyssa has her B.A. in Theatre Arts at Cal State Northridge. Since obtaining her degree, she has furthered her education by being involved in various acting programs and improvisation classes such as Comedy Sportz and United Citizens Brigade. She believes that there is always something new to learn!

Jordan Holthus
Drama Kids Teacher

Ms. Jordan (Joey) is a returning Drama Kids teacher. In addition to teaching for Drama Kids, she also has many years of experience working with children through children’s ministry and as a special needs preschool teacher. She is currently completing her degree as she focuses on making a difference through social work. Drama Kids is a perfect fit for her passion of positive change in children, as it allows her to nurture personal growth and confidence in the students she spends time with.

Kara Foster 
Drama Kids Teacher

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 recently obtained her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Texas Tech University Health Science Center. Outside of the theatre, she works as a Registered Nurse where she uses the social skills Drama Kids taught her as child. Kara is excited to see how Drama Kids will positively impact her students while they have fun!