Staff

Ann Marie Morris
Owner/Managing Director/Teacher

Owner/Managing Director/Lead Teacher Ann Marie Morris is a Texan by transplant. Born & raised near Buffalo, N.Y., Ann Marie graduated from the State University of New York (SUNY) Fredonia with a B.A. in Theatre Performance, and working minor in Costume Design & Construction. But the fact that she was nicknamed “Sarah Bernhardt” growing up tells it all. Her experience is varied; as is usual for most theatre grads, she did many different jobs while working on and appearing in local productions. She has been devoting her life to the theater and performing arts and helping children realize their full potential.

Once in Houston, she had the joy of teaching at a private Special Needs School. In 2017, she started at Katy Visual and Performing Arts Center (KVPAC), where she was the lead teacher in their Arts Pre-School program and the Pre-K 4 teacher, taught the acting specialty for young children, premiered a new Acting and Theatre program for Autistic children, and directed performances. But after Hurricane Harvey closed the school, a friend introduced her to Drama Kids International, and the rest, as they say, will be history!

Dwayne Sepcich
Teacher

Dwayne is a New Orleans transplant who landed in the Katy area to be near family. Jumping almost immediately into the theatre scene at Katy Visual and Performing Arts Center (KVPAC), a local, award winning community theatre, he started out with a production of High School Musical. Over time he has racked up many credits for Acting, Choreography, Directing and Wardrobe work. And he has a personal philosophy about Theatre: that it “has a way of branching into many different aspects of our lives. Not uncommon is its ability to teach us about ‘thinking on our feet’, adapting to challenges and teaching us to overcome the hardships that get thrown at us.” Which makes him a perfect fit for Drama Kids!

Erin Corbitt
Teacher

Erin Corbitt is a veteran performer of 15 years, and is a classically trained vocalist. She taught pre-school age children full time for 10 years, but decided to take a step back after having 2 wonderful children of her own. She is goofy, fun- loving, energetic and a lover of all things dramatic!

Brittany Bennett
Teacher

Art has always been a major part of Brittany’s life. Attending Sam Houston State University, she earned a BFA in Art and a Certificate in Teaching. Amazing fact, she was trained by Disney Animators! Obviously, she has a love of the graphic art medium, just look at her picture! And she shares that love of the visual arts by teaching Kindergarten through 12th grade! While she was in college, she was the President of the Art Club, and got to know theatre when the Art Club would help out the Drama Department on productions. Now a Mom, she is finding a way to express her love of teaching and kids by helping them grow, becoming their best selves through Drama Kids! And she will continue her tradition of helping out the “Drama Department” by helping with the visual arts side of our classes – show posters, props, backdrops and set pieces for the end of year Showcase performances and holiday camps!

Andrea Torres
Teacher

Andrea is very happy to join the Drama Kids Team! As a Houston native, she grew up going to see local productions at the Alley Theatre and participating in theatre summer camps. Her love for theatre, acting and performance started in high school and has only grown from there! She graduated from Agnes Scott College with a Bachelor’s in Theatre. She has acted in various plays, worked backstage as a crew member, stage manager, and has even directed! She most recently interned at the Alley Theatre in their production management and education departments. She has always had an active involvement in education, helping kids in and outside the classroom. Her passion for theatre and working with kids to help them learn while having fun is why she is looking forward to being a teacher with Drama Kids!

Melanie Flanagan
Teaching Specialist

Melanie Flanagan is a theater arts professional specializing in directing and producing theater for youth. She grew up dancing and began her teaching career as a teenager, teaching tap and music in San Jose, California. She earned her Bachelor’s in Arts from the University of Southern California as a Theater major with a Musical Theater minor. Throughout and after college she worked at various theater camps, directing and choreographing full-length musicals with casts of 60-140 students. In 2007, she moved to New York and began a new leg of her career, shifting into production management. For eight years, she was the Director of Production for an orchestra company that specialized in theatrical concerts for young audiences. She has produced and directed performances at Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall, working with opera singers, movie stars, aerialists, giant puppets, and marching bands. After eleven years in New York, Melanie and her family recently relocated to Houston. She is thrilled to return to teaching theater, and excited to join the Drama Kids team for an amazing first step in her new journey!

Katalin “Kat” Bakonyi
Puppet Specialist

Kat Bakonyi has had a passion for puppets as long as she can remember. Born and raised in New Jersey and now living in Texas, she is a multimedia artist with experience in many different forms of art, film and theater. She earned a BA from UC Irvine and an MA from UCLA Film School. Her most recent project was creating a giant five-headed dragon for the Houston Community College’s production of “She Kills Monsters”.