Maya Apodaca
Director of Teaching and Summer Camps
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.
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.
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. Tonya has also been involved in many community theatre productions herself.
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.
Oscar Kincheloe
Drama Kids Teacher
Oscar is an alumnus of Oklahoma City University where he earned his BFA in Acting/Children’s Theatre. He has worked with children in the theater for upwards of 10 years most recently with Oklahoma Children’s Theatre. While at Oklahoma Children’s Theatre (OCT) he served as the Outreach Education Coordinator and was an actor, teacher and director. He has also taught high school professionally in Oklahoma City. He also served as the director of Young Company for OCT (a company of child actors in 2nd-5th grade) and was the staff advisor of OCT’s Youth Advisory Board. As an actor Oscar has appeared in such shows as Hamlet, Romeo & Juliet, Macbeth, Hank the Cowdog, Miss Nelson is Missing and A Christmas Carol. Oscar is ecstatic to be working with Drama Kids this year!
Natalie Hernandez
Drama Kids Teacher & Marketing Specialist
Natalie is a part time student at Collin College where she is studying musical theatre. She is a performer at heart but Natalie comes from a long line of teachers. Helping children learn and grow is a very big passion of hers. Natalie worked with children for 6 years at Hummingbird Music Camp in New Mexico before joining the Drama Kids team. Natalie loves the Drama Kids program and what it has done for so many children!
Kelsey Foster
Drama Kids Teacher and Administrative Assistant
Kelsey has been with the Drama Kids program as either an Acting Academy student, Summer Camp counselor, Spring Performance staff or office support for over 12 years. 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 currently a senior at UNT Dallas. Kelsey also helps our Administrative team with customer service, marketing and business development.
Doreen Degenhardt
Drama Kids Teacher
Ms Doreen has been involved in theatre since the age of three. Over the years she has worked in film, television and live theatre. She also enjoys writing and directing plays for all ages. Most importantly, Doreen has a passion for working with children and seeing them use and develop their imaginations. She is excited about the year ahead and all the creativity she and her students will explore together
Mary Ruvolo
Drama Kids Teacher
Mary has appeared on Broadway and with the first national touring company of Tommy Tune’s Grease. She toured with Radio City Entertainment’s The Wizard of Oz, and spent seven years with The Radio City Christmas Spectacular. Mary has also performed with many stock and regional theater companies. Holding a Bachelor of Arts from Hofstra University and a Masters Degree in Childhood Education from The College of Saint Rose, Mary has married her worlds together by working with children in many various programs. Mary’s experience working with children is too vast to list! Most recently she was a theatre teacher and technical director at The Poughkeepsie Day School, in NY. Mary enjoys working with children of all ages and is very excited to be apart of the Drama Kids team.
