Dylan Bailey

Dylan Bailey is a Raleigh-based theatre artist. He holds a BFA in Theatre for Youth from ECU. As a teaching artist, he works with RLT, Applause! Youth Theatre, NCT, Seed Art Share, TAP, and The ArtsCenter. He also often works with Burning Coal Theatre as an actor and a stage manager. When not on a stage or in a classroom, he enjoys writing or adapting new TYA plays!

Flora Bare

Flora Bare is a former USA National Champion, nine-time All-American, and Cal Aggie Athletic Hall of Fame gymnast from the University of California, Davis. She received her MFA from the London International School of Performing Arts in Lecoq-based physical theater and has lived, trained, and been a theater and circus performer and maker in California, New York, Italy, Uruguay, and London. Flora’s particular focus as a performer, director, educator, and creator is on highly physical and daring storytelling through a devised, collaborative process. 

Samantha Corey

Samantha is a Raleigh actress, teaching artist, and a proud alum of Applause! Cary Youth Theatre! Samantha has a B.A. in Theatre Performance from Appalachian State University and is over the moon to come full circle and work with Applause!.

Everett Edwards

Everett holds a B.F.A. in Arts Education from Howard and an M.A. in Education from Lesley University. Currently, Technical Director at Millbrook High School, he previously taught drama and technical theatre at DeKalb Elementary School of the Arts for 23 years. Everett finds strength in teaching healthy life habits through theatre and looks forward to sharing his expertise with Applause! students.

Jenni Elion

Jenni Elion is a Raleigh-based improviser who has performed since 2012. As a teaching artist, she works with Raleigh Little Theatre, Applause! Cary Youth Theatre and Firebox Theatre. She has also led corporate workshops. When not in the classroom, she performs at ComedyWorx and Mettlesome. She also volunteers at the NC Museum of Natural Sciences in the Investigate Lab and for special events.

Erin Engstrom

With over five years of experience in youth theatre, Erin specializes in directing, improvisation, choreography, and set and costume design. Erin also enjoys performing onstage and is a regular actor in community theatres. As an artist and teacher, Erin loves encouraging young people to explore creativity and bring imaginative ideas to life through theatre. 

Emily Freer

Emily Freer is a Raleigh-based actress and teaching artist. She graduated with her BFA in Musical Theatre from William Peace University and teaches around the area at places such as The Justice Theater Project, Raleigh Little Theatre, North Carolina Theatre Conservatory, and, of course, Cary Arts Center! She is passionate about creating an environment for students to have fun, be safe, and learn about the world of theatre. 

Barbette Hunter

Barbette holds a B.A. from NC State University and has over 25 years of experience working as a director, stage manager, and award-winning professional actress in theater, film, TV, and radio. Barbette has been teaching theater for youth at Applause! and Raleigh Little Theatre for nearly two decades. 

Amanda Jenkins

Originally from a small village in England, Amanda Jenkins moved to Cary in 2023 and quickly became a vibrant part of the local arts community. A lifelong theatre educator, she has taught drama in schools, run her own youth theatre programs, and worked in the UK’s National Health Service supporting neurodiverse children through play‑based developmental work. At the Cary Arts Center, she has directed Matilda and Tuck Everlasting and teaches classes that emphasize creativity, accessibility, and joy. Amanda trained with LAMDA and New Era and holds a degree in Early Childhood Education. She now teaches preschool in Cary and loves exploring North Carolina’s parks, beaches, and music scene when she’s not visiting her grown children back in the UK. 

Kiersten Johnson

Kiersten Johnson is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she earned a B.A. in Dramatic Art with minors in Musical Theatre and Entrepreneurship. She is a performer, director, and teaching artist who has worked extensively with youth through camps, classes, and productions. With training in physical comedy, voice, directing, and stage management, Kiersten is passionate about creating fun, supportive environments where young artists can grow in confidence and creativity. She believes the skills students develop in theatre extend far beyond the stage and into everyday life.

Kayla Mason

Kayla Mason is a passionate theater educator with eight years of experience as a high school theater teacher in Hallandale Beach, Florida. After relocating to Cary, North Carolina, in 2025, she continues to inspire young performers through her love of the arts. Kayla has been involved in theater since childhood, with experience both on stage and behind the scenes. She is dedicated to helping students build confidence, creativity, and a love for performance. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her husband and their four-year-old child. 

Gwen Muncy-Champitto

Gwen is a local actress and theater teacher. She has her B.A. in Theater Education from Appalachian State University. Gwen’s teaching philosophy and practices reflect the idea that agency and empathy inspire creativity. Gwen’s first acting performance was at Applause! and she is so excited to be backstage managing and teaching!  

Laura Novia

Laura J. Novia played Nancy years ago in her elementary school production of “Oliver,” and has loved the theater ever since. An actor, singer, director, and instructor, Laura studied acting at Oberlin College, attended the Herbert Berghof Studio in New York City, performed regularly on professional stages in and around New Jersey, and earned her SAG and AFTRA memberships while working on-camera in Los Angeles. Laura has directed children’s theater and taught acting classes at various venues over the years, and is delighted to be part of the Cary Arts Center Applause! program. 

Tony Pender 

Tony is an award-winning performer, director, and designer who has developed and taught educational programs and workshops in NC and GA. Tony studied theatre and acting at UNC-Wilmington and NC School of the Arts, and has worked extensively on and off stage throughout the southeast.   

Lauren Polak

Lauren graduated from NC State University with a B.A. in Arts Applications and has been sewing and making costumes for herself and others since she was very young. Lauren's costumes span from historical reenactments to self-designed steampunk to super fun cosplays. She’s excited to pass on her enthusiasm for costuming and geekdom. 

Timsy Rowe

Timsy Rowe is new to the Cary area but has been teaching theatre for three years in junior high and high school. She received her degree in Theatre Education from Southern Utah University and has taught a variety of classes and directed several productions, most recently Seussical, Jr. She loves directing and watching students fall in love with theatre as much as she has. When she's not teaching, Timsy loves performing and working behind the scenes with lights and sound. She also loves reading, hiking, and finding new restaurants! 

Kathleen Rudolph

Kathleen attended her first Broadway show at age 6 and has never stopped loving theatre.  She holds a B.A. in Theatre and Communication Arts from Marist College and has studied at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute and the Herbert Berghof Studio, both in New York. Kathleen is a local director, teaching artist, and actor with over 25 years of experience, and the founder of the Peak Ensemble Players.   

Maura Stewart

Maura holds a B.A. from UNC-Chapel Hill and an M.F.A. in fashion design from SCAD. An instructor in the fashion marketing department at the Art Institute of Raleigh-Durham, Maura is working on her own collection of whimsical party dresses and ready-to-wear clothing. 

Renee Wimberley

Renee is a local teaching artist, director, actor, and arts integration advocate. She has taught drama to students from kindergarten to college-age in community theaters, Missoula Children’s Theatre, and in various NC school systems and universities. Renee is the creative director of Seed Art Share, where she produces site-specific plays, teaches arts integration programs, and creates opportunities for families to experience art together.

Liam Yates

Liam Yates is an actor, director, writer, and has performed Shakespeare internationally since 2015. He studied at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David, specializing in theatre education, film and radio, stage combat, and Shakespearean performance and analysis. He has worked with such local theaters as NCT, Moonlight Arts & Entertainment, and Theatre Raleigh.