Applause! Cary Youth Theatre Faculty
Applause! Cary Youth Theatre’s gifted instructors hold Master’s Degrees in Theatre or have equivalent experience. These theatre professionals are committed to encouraging theatre appreciation, self-confidence and personal growth in the young people they inspire.
Shannon Clark
Shannon Clark holds an MFA in Scenography from UNCG. Currently, he manages the Fine Arts auditorium at Cary Academy. He has been a freelance designer for the past seven years and has designed locally for Raleigh Ensemble Players, The Justice Theatre Project and Applause! Cary Youth Theatre, as well as for Opera Festivals nationwide. Shannon enjoys working with young artists and the energy they bring to creating theatrical environments.
Mary Helen Floyd
Mary has an MFA in Acting from the professional theatre training program at the University of South Carolina at Columbia. Her love for teaching began with her graduate teaching experience and grew while working with students at the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey. There she served as the assistant director of the Junior Senior Corp and co-directed various Shakespeare productions performed by the students. In addition, Mary has taught at the Summer Drama Conservatory at Theatre South Carolina and provides movement and vocal coaching for professional theatre.
Betsy Henderson
Betsy Henderson has an MFA in Acting from UNCG and is currently on the Fine Arts Faculty at Vance Granville Community College where she was the 2005 Teacher of the Year. As an actress, Betsy has worked with Raleigh Ensemble Players, Deep Dish Theatre Company, Burning Coal, North Carolina Shakespeare Festival and the Justice Theatre Project. She also serves as Vice-President on REP’s Board of Directors.
David Henderson
A Morehead Scholar graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill with a degree in English and performance studies, David is a member of the Burning Coal Theatre acting company and serves on its board of directors. He has appeared in film, television, and theatre throughout the South, New York and Los Angeles.
Barbette Hunter
Barbette holds a BA from NC State University (1990). She currently serves on the board of directors for Raleigh Ensemble Players. Additionally, she has served on the board for the North Carolina Theatre Conference, Raleigh Little Theatre, Arts Access and Encore! Theatre in Laurinburg, NC. Barbette has directed and acted professionally for over 15 years and has taught dramatic arts to people of all ages. Her professional credits include theatre, film, television and radio. Currently she teaches Cold Reading Techniques workshops for Raleigh Little Theatre’s Youth Education Program. Barbette was recognized for her work as an actress when she received the Best Actress in a Comedy/Musical, 2001 Triangle Theatre Award, Independent Magazine.
Thomas Mauney
Thomas has designed locally for the NC Symphony, Carolina Ballet, Raleigh Ensemble Players, Theatre in the Park, Miss NC Pageant, Actors Comedy Lab, Raleigh Little Theatre, Peace College, Applause! Cary Youth Theatre and many presentations at Memorial Auditorium. Thomas has been “on the boards” in many productions in the Northwest and his corporate clients take him across the country with national and international clientele. He holds a BFA from UNC Greensboro and an MFA from the University of Montana. He has been named in Who’s Who in Entertainment, and recently served as a Production Manager and Technical Director at Memorial Auditorium and the BTI Center for the Performing Arts for over three seasons.
Julya Mirro
Julya is the Theatre Program Coordinator and acting technique professor at Shaw University. In addition to working on publications, directing shows at Shaw, and teaching classes/camps around the triangle area, she has worked with local companies including Raleigh Ensemble Players, Ape & Astronaut, and Flying Machine Theatre Company.
Virginia O’Brien
Virginia O'Brien is drama/show choir teacher at West Cary Middle School. She received her Bachelors (Kean University of NJ) and Master's Degree (NC State) in Education and is certified in several teaching areas including theatre arts. Before teaching she worked as both a singer/actress and director. While at West Cary she has directed and produced 5 full scale musicals and approximately 30 plays. She appeared in Cary Parks & Recreation's Broadway Love Songs in 2001 and was its musical director for the encore September 2003.
Carnessa Ottelin
Carnessa received her MFA in directing from UNC-Greensboro where she studied and worked in film and stage. Regionally, she has worked with North Carolina School of the Arts and Actors Theatre of Louisville. Locally, she has directed for Meredith College, Peace College, Burning Coal Theatre, and Applause! Cary Youth Theatre. Her production of And Then They Came for Me with Meredith College in 2003 was selected as a regional finalist for the Kennedy Center American College Festival. Most recently she directed Private Eyes for Peace College and acted in Witness with the Justice Theater Project. Carnessa is also a founding member of Stillwater Theatre, a professional theatre company in residence at Meredith College. Carnessa’s other endeavors take place at WakeMed Health and Hospitals where she serves as Education Manager for Imaging Services.
Annika Pfaender
Annika holds a BA in Drama and English. She has worked extensively with children in theatre education, including The Vineyard Playhouse in Vineyard Haven, MA; The Arts Center in Carrboro, NC; Chatham Hall School in Chatham, VA.; Opera North in Hanover, NH; and the Seattle Children’s Theatre. She was the recipient of The Ashford Memorial Award for Excellence in Dramatics in 2000.
Steven Roten
Steven is a professional actor and member of the Actor’s Equity Association. He is Artistic Director of Stillwater Theatre, a professional company in residence at Meredith College, where he is a faculty member in the Dance/Theatre department. Steven is also a member if New River Dramatists, an organization to foster and promote playwriting. He holds a BFA in Acting from Western Carolina University and an MFA from UNC Greensboro.
Nan Stephenson
Nan L. Stephenson teaches drama at Davis Drive Middle School in Cary. She earned her BS in theatre education and her MA in theatre, communication theory, and radio and television at Louisiana State University. Her PhD from the University of Nebraska included the MFA directing coursework in addition to the customary scholarly courses. As a professional, she has worked as an actor, director, costumer, historian, and administrator. She is on the editorial board for Southern Theatre, and is a member of Screen Actors' Guild and is the Secretary-Treasurer for the North Carolina Theatre Arts Educators.
Steve Whetzel
Steve Whetzel has been teaching Stage Combat for the last 5 years. As a member of “The Shadow Players” stage combat group, he travels the US performing in live sword-fighting shows and works closely with Capitol Opera Raleigh and other theatre and film companies around North Carolina. As a member of the Society of American Fight Directors, Steve stresses the importance of 'Safety First' in this exciting and unique art form and is honored to be asked to teach this class for the Town of Cary.