meet us

Kassie Misiewicz, Executive Artistic Director, holds a Masters of Fine Arts degree from Arizona State University and a BA in Theatre from the University of Notre Dame. Over the past thirteen years, she has worked with Equity level professional theatre companies in Seattle, Milwaukee and New Jersey. Kassie is an Arkansas Rostered Artist and has taught extensively throughout the United States, working most recently with the Walton Arts Center to develop programs and curricula around their children’s shows. She co-founded TheatreSquared in Fayetteville, and also served as an executive board member of TYA/USA, the national service organization for theater for young audiences.

Christa Davis, Program Manager, earned a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre from Davidson College, concentrating in Stage Management. She has stage managed and assistant stage managed for Equity professional, youth, and community theatres in Virginia, North Carolina, New Hampshire and Tennessee, as well as stage managed new playwrights’ works that culminated in staged readings at The Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. She taught drama for summer youth camps in Memphis, TN, and is currently stage managing an original play in development with Trike.

Marie Vukin, Partners-in-Play Director, has a Masters degree in Counseling Education and has trained in play therapy since 1991. For the past 20 years, she has worked with children and families by creating unique and exciting family programs in hospitals, schools, community events, city parks and libraries. Marie has taught parenting education classes since 1997 and as a professional trainer has conducted seminars at national and international conferences in the US as well as in Germany and the Philippines.

Jason Suel, Artistic Associate, holds a Masters of Arts degree with an emphasis in puppetry from Bowling Green State University and a BA in communications from The University of Central Arkansas. For the past three years he has been teaching, acting, and developing educational programs for youth theatre programs in Hereford, England.

Erika Wilhite, Artistic Associate, received her BFA in Theatre Arts from the University of Central Oklahoma and her MFA in Acting from the University of Central Florida. Recently she worked as an actor and teaching artist at Orlando Shakespeare Theatre. She performed in a one woman show, "X: the Rise and Fall of an Asylum Star" which debuted at the Orlando International Fringe Festival. She also produced, devised and performed in "Orson Welles' War of the Worlds"

Kris Stoker, Academy Players Director, is returning to the Northwest Arkansas area after a two year stint as a resident ensemble actor and teaching artist with the Cincinnati Shakespeare. He has spent time in New York studying long form improv with The Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre and holds an MFA in Acting from the University of Arkansas. Kris has taught numerous camps for Trike and holds an Adjunct Professorship at the University of Arkansas.

Chamisa Wheeler, Artistic Associate, began dancing at the age of 3 with Fran Page and The Aspen Dance Connection in Aspen, Colorado, and then studied with Rennie Harris and Chuck Davis and The African American Dance Ensemble, among others, through her teen years. She taught Dance and Drum therapy in Arkansas before moving to North Carolina to be a lead dancer for Soko African Dance Ensemble and an Artist in Residence with the Dreams Center For Arts Education. Now back in Arkansas, she is an Emerging Choreographer for The Dance Coalition, Spring 2010 Dance Festival.