LAURA HIMES (she/her/hers) is a graduate of University of Oklahoma with a BME in Vocal Music Education. She worked as a choir teacher in the public schools for five years until she decided it was time to follow a life long dream of opening a performing arts studio. As a performer and music director, she has worked at Lyric Theatre, Sooner Theatre, Poteet Theatre, Cimarron Opera, Jewel Box, The Bethany Stage, and The City Cabaret. She has played the piano for 20+ years and has accompanied choirs, private voice students, ensembles, and musicals.  Laura is a co-founder of OKC onstage – okconstage.com. 

ANGELA POLK (she/her/hers) recently worked for The Mine in NYC as a Talent Agent with 200+ clients in TV, Film, and Theatre. While in NYC, she worked for Leading Artists, Dave Clemmons Casting, and DGRW. As a director, actor, and stage manager, she has worked for Lyric Theatre, Fresh Paint Performance Lab, Ignition Arts, Manhattan Repertory Theatre, Paper Mill Theatre, CityRep, Poteet Theatre, Jewel Box, The Bethany Stage, The City Cabaret,  and Red Carpet Theatre. Angela holds a BM and MM in Music Theater from Oklahoma City University where she studied under Florence Birdwell. She currently works as an Executive Assistant to Lance Baker at The Advisors Raymond James in Edmond. Angela is a co-founder of OKC onstage – okconstage.com. 

ELLIE BARTELL (she/her) is originally from San Antonio, TX, with a life long history of performing. Her dance background varies from Mexican Folklorico to cheerleading, to Musical Theatre. Other styles she has done include hip hop, contemporary, ballet, tap, and jazz. Performing and creating works that move from a place of purpose and community while creating a culture of consent and safety are some of her passions, no matter which project she is working on. She is a graduate of the University of Central Oklahoma with a degree in Musical Theatre, and is currently working towards her 200 hour yoga certification. She is also continuing her journey in Intimacy Direction training while cultivating a sense of consent and safety within each artistic process. One of her communities is within the YMCA where she was able to create a program for school age kids called Musical Fitness, encouraging kids to get up and move! Ellie has choreographed for some local productions of Footloose, Beauty and the Beast, and Ghost the Musical. Some of her favorite performance credits include LIZZIE and American Idiot! Ellie is stoked to share her passion for art and expression at Kismet Arts!

ANDREA BARTLOW (she/her/hers) graduated from UCO with a degree in Vocal Music Education and Business Administration minor. She’s taught music education in public schools for over 15 years where she has directed over 50 stage productions. In that time, she has been honored by her colleagues as Teacher of the Year twice. Andrea also taught private voice and piano lessons for 7 years. She has performed with local community theatres and has even shared the stage with some of her students. 

GABRIELLA BECK (she her/hers) is a musical theatre graduate from University of Central Oklahoma. She grew up in Clarksville, Indiana but has found her roots in Yukon, Oklahoma. Gabriella has performed many onstage roles, standouts of which include Johanna in “Sweeney Todd”, Rosie/ Sally U.S in “Cabaret”, Ariel in “Disney’s the Little Mermaid”, and Wednesday Addams in “The Addams Family.” In addition to her work on stage, she has found a fervent passion for children’s entertainment. She has performed for five years as a character performer for Character Connection Co., portraying such characters as Belle from “Beauty and the Beast”, Aurora from “Sleeping Beauty” and so many more! She also performs as an underwater, free-diving mermaid at the Blue Zoo Aquarium.

LILY NOELLE BLANCHARD (she/her/hers) is a pianist and conductor based in Edmond, Oklahoma. She holds a Bachelors Degree in Vocal and Piano performance from Oklahoma Christian University, where she studied under Prof. Laura Coale, Dr Paula Hutton, and Prof. Miho Fisher, as well as a Masters Degree in Orchestral Conducting from the University of Oklahoma, where she studied with Dr. Jonathan Shames. In addition to conducting endeavors, Lily works in and around the OKC metro as a collaborative pianist and vocal coach, and runs a private lessons studio out of her home in Edmond. She is passionate about making quality music education accessible to students of all ages and abilities, and spreading the joy of music through high-level performance to audiences from all walks of life. 

CHARLIE BURNS (he/him/his) is an educator for elementary and middle school who has a passion for arts education and community arts initiatives. At Kismet, he has both directed and assistant directed in addition to serving in other capacities on our creative teams. Under his direction throughout the state, over 70 productions have come to life including award-winning high school and community theatre shows. He loves to share theatre with and for all ages. He and his husband, Jason, and their daughter, Amelia, love to camp, attend festivals, support the arts, and try new food!

MADISON CARTMILL (she/her/hers) is a student at John Brown University and is active in both the Oklahoma City metro and Northwest Arkansas region. Her technical experience includes light designing, assistant directing, stage managing, and working tech for multiple projects. Madison's recent performance credits include Wednesday Addams (The Addams Family), Nikki (Curtains), and Mamma Murphy (Bright Star). She is a NATS national qualifier and Irene Ryan nominee.

RACHEL CASTOR (she/her/hers) has a Bachelors of Science in Elementary Education and previously taught 3rd Grade in the public school system.  Now a homeschool mom, and founder of the Playroom Theatre Company, she has over 15 years of performing arts teaching experience, directing 3-4 productions each year.  She’s a proud wife and a mother of 7 daughters who are all involved in the arts in some capacity and her daughters have been Kismet students since 2018!

ROBERT COOPER (he/him/his) is a graduate of Southern Nazarene University with a Bachelor’s degree in music education. He has been an educator for 12 years, which included time as the  choral and drama teacher at Edmond Central Middle School. His show choirs and jazz choir won numerous awards, and he has directed over 15 musicals and plays in his time at Central. As a performer, he has been on the stage at Poteet Theatre (Lord Farquaad in SHREK THE MUSICAL), Jewel Box (Billis in SOUTH PACIFIC), and Kismet’s productions of OLIVER! and THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME.

SIERRA DICKERSON is a dancer, aerialist, and stuntwoman who mostly just loves bringing fun, high-energy characters to life. Whether she is playing an eccentric character in the air, a storyteller on a dance stage, or the person getting dramatically punched in a scene, she focuses on making every role memorable and entertaining. Her performance history includes sharing the stage with groups like RACE Dance Collective and Perpetual Motion, as well as performing for the Calderón Dance Festival. These days, you can usually find her hanging from the ceiling or getting into theatrical trouble as a resident performer at Six Flags, Frontier City. Sierra enjoys using her dance background and stunt training to jump into whatever wild, action-packed, or goofy character a director throws her way.

MADDIE DOMINICK is a dancer, dance teacher, and choreographer in Oklahoma City. Originally from central Pennsylvania, she began training at Enterline’s Dance Center and the Williamsport Civic Ballet. In 2020, Maddie moved to Oklahoma City to train at the Oklahoma City Ballet Yvonne Chouteau School’s pre-professional day program. While training in the program, she had the opportunity to dance in company productions and create choreographic work. After completing her formal dance training, she became a teacher at RACE the Space, of RACE Dance Collective in 2024, and 8Count Studio in OKC. Maddie is excited to be teaching at Kismet this season!

ELIZABETH DRAGOO (she/her/hers) is a graduate of the University of Central Oklahoma and holds a Bachelors of Music in Musical Theatre.  She has been an active member of the theatre community in Oklahoma for over 20 years and has had the great pleasure of performing with many local theatre companies including: Summerstock Productions, Reduxion Theatre Company, Kismet Arts, The Sooner Theatre, The Pollard, Oklahoma City Theatre Company, Jewel Box Theatre, Carpenter Square Theatre, Poteet Theatre and Lyric Theatre.  Elizabeth has directed, choreographed, and taught classes for The Sooner Theatre, El Reno Community Theatre, The Bethany Stage, Oklahoma Center for Arts Education, Yukon High School, and Poteet Theatre.  She most recently served as the Artistic Director for The Bethany Stage and is currently on the adjunct musical theatre faculty at the University of Central Oklahoma.

BRAXTON DRISKILL (he/him/his) is a Family Science/Human Development major at Oklahoma Christian in Edmond, OK. He has performed with numerous theaters including OC’s music department, Southwest Playhouse, Red Carpet Community Theater, Lyric Thelma Gaylord Academy, and Kismet Arts Studio & Theatre. Braxton now teaches at Kismet in their Curtain Call class as an assistant director. He has appeared in various shows including Les Misérables: School Edition (Kismet Arts), Newsies (Lyric Academy), Drowsy Chaperone (Southwest Playhouse), and Guys and Dolls (Oklahoma Christian).

KYERA “KFITZ” FITZGERALD (she/her/hers) started her professional dance journey with the OKC Thunder as an Emcee/member of the O’City Crew. She was previously a company member with R.A.C.E. Dance company for the 21-22 season. Kyera is currently a company member with Abstrakt Mindz, a commercial dance company based out of Tulsa, OK where she continues to train and be a “forever student”. She specializes in Hip-Hop but is well versed in various styles such as Jazz, Modern, and Contemporary. Kyera is also an instructor and choreographer at The University of Central Oklahoma where she teaches an Advanced Topics Hip-Hop class. As a performer Kyera has performed and choreographed for various local artist such as Nia Moné and Honey Lebang. She is ready to take this next step into teaching the younger generation. “I’m super excited for this opportunity! I strive to be the teacher that I always needed when I was younger, no judgement only love, structure, and growth!” -KFitz

MATT FOWLER (he/him/his) is a filmmaker and actor with a strong foundation in both performance and production. He holds an Associate’s degree in Film & Video Production from Oklahoma City Community College and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre Arts Performance from the University of Central Oklahoma. Matt has worked on a wide range of short films, with Stanley Gets Fired and Moebius both earning spots as official selections at the deadCenter Film Festival. He currently teaches beginning acting and on-camera acting at UCO, where he helps young performers understand how to work confidently and authentically in front of the camera. With experience on set and in the classroom, Matt is passionate about helping the next generation of actors understand how film works, and how to stand out in it.

ANNIE FUNKE (she/her/hers) is an actor and teaching artist whose career spans Broadway, off-Broadway, TV and film. She made her Broadway debut as Tracy Turnblad in Hairspray, followed by a year in Wicked. Off-Broadway credits include productions at MTC, MCC and and Roundabout Theatre where she received a Lucille Lortel award for her work opposite Jake Gyllenhaal. Annie’s television credits include Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders, This Is Us, The Offer, Grey’s Anatomy, Reservation Dogs, Chicago Fire, Lucifer, and FBI: Most Wanted. Annie is passionate about teaching and mentoring the next great generation of artists! She is a graduate of OU's Weitzenhoffer School of Musical Theatre and the Steppenwolf School in Chicago.

SAMANTHA HAYNES (she/her) completed her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance Performance and Choreography at the University of Southern Mississippi in 2016 with Highest Honors. While completing her undergraduate degree Samantha attended the American Dance Festival in Durham, North Carolina for two summers where she studied under numerous artists including Elizabeth Corbett (Forsythe Company), Jennifer Nugent (Bill T. Jones Company) Teena Marie Custer (Venus Fly Trap Crew), Pamela Pietro (Anthony Morgan Dance Company), Gerri Houlihan (Lar Lubovitch Dance Company) and Sherone Price (Chuck Davis African American Dance Ensemble). Shortly after graduating from USM, Samantha moved to the OKC area where she fell in love with the local dance community. She actively teaches many styles of dance including jazz, musical theatre, ballet, contemporary, and modern. In addition to choreographing and teaching, Samantha is also a guest judge for P3 Talent Competition.

EMORY KING (she/her) is a 16-year-old actress, singer, and dancer with dreams of being on Broadway. Some of her favorite roles at Kismet include Eponine in Les Miserables, Regina in Mean Girls, and Ocean in Ride the Cyclone. She lives with her parents, brother Griffin, and fur baby Saber. When she’s not rehearsing for her next show at Kismet, she’s reading a young adult novel, hanging out with friends, or watching the OKC Thunder play. She’s so excited to be the first marketing ambassador for Kismet and would like to thank Laura and Angela for this opportunity to learn from them and grow in her marketing skills!

KRIS KUSS (he/him/his) is a Senior Instructor of Duling Arts International, an organization devoted to comprehensive training for performers, teachers, and directors in the art of theatrical combat. Kris teaches movement, stage combat, and theatrical intimacy as Associate Professor of Movement at Oklahoma City University, and he serves as fight director for productions at OCU and theatres throughout the region.

BRADY MCCOMAS is a graduate of Oklahoma City University with a Bachelors in Musical Theatre. Brady has performed in many OCU productions such as Willard in Footloose, General Waverley in White Christmas, and Bogdonavich in The Merry Widow. Brady trains vocally under the guidance of Dr. Christensen.

LUIS ROJAS is a dynamic performer and educator from Colombia, with extensive training in musical theater and dance. He trained in Colombia and Argentina, and later worked and trained with renowned professionals in New York City. With recent credits in productions like Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Oklahoma, RENT, and Hip Hop Nutcracker, Luis brings a wealth of experience to the stage and classroom, inspiring students and captivating audiences with his performances and passion for the arts.

LYANNA SAITO graduated from Samford University with a bachelors in Journalism and a minor in dance. Lyanna taught at Reclaiming Arts from 2017-2024, teaching contemporary and tap. She also was a teacher/co-director/director of Reclaim Dance Company, as well as the student companies, HEarts and Creative Leaders Academy. More recently, Lyanna has taught at Oklahoma Dance Center, and starting in August, Race Dance Collective. Lyanna is so excited to start teaching at Kismet, and cannot wait to get to know the amazing students and their families. 

KALIE SLOAN (she/her) is a performer, director, teacher, and writer from Sulphur, Oklahoma! She recently graduated from OCU where she studied Acting, and minored in Children’s Theatre and Directing! She has experience working with stage combat, directing, puppets, stage management, and even stage craft!  She is very excited to be joining the Kismet team!

MAGGIE SMITH (she/her) is a Senior musical theatre student at the University of Central Oklahoma. A Singer, actor, and dancer, Maggie has performed consistently since the age of 13, also taking on backstage roles, such as casting assistant, stage manager, and assistant director. She has appeared in 2 UCO mainstage musicals, first as Sarah Brown in ‘Guys and Dolls’, and most recently as Mae Tuck in ‘Tuck Everlasting’. Maggie has also been a cast member on Warner Brothers’ ‘The Polar Express’ train ride for 3 years – about to begin her fourth – serving as a Dance Captain and Swing. Maggie also recently concluded her first summer as a teacher and assistant at Oklahoma Children’s Theater, winning the “Princess of Funtime” staff award. 

JULES STRAUGHN (she/her) is an Oklahoma-based choreographer, performer, and dance filmmaker. She holds a BFA in Dance Performance from the University of Central Oklahoma and an AA in Music Theatre from Rose State College. Jules has choreographed and taught for organizations including UCO, Oklahoma Christian University, RACE Dance Collective, and various schools and theatres across Oklahoma. Her work also includes producing 13 dance films, assistant directing, coaching competitive dance and drill team for eight years, and teaching barre as a certified American Barre Technique instructor. Insta: @jules.choreography

RILEY TURNER (he/him) is an Oklahoma born director and actor. His work focuses mainly on high school level theatre education, where he has worked for the past seven years as the Director of Theatre at Deer Creek High School. He received the award for “Best Direction” at the Oklahoma State One-Act Competition for his work on Twelfth Night (2021), Almost, Maine (2023), and The Women of Lockerbie (2025). His previous musical productions nominated for a Kelli O’Hara Award are: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Outstanding Musical Performance - Winner) and Pippin (Outstanding Ensemble). Riley graduated from the University of Central Oklahoma with a Bachelors of Fine Arts Education in Theatre Education/Communication. Most recently he has directed The Women of Lockerbie, The Outsiders, and The Addams Family. 

BRETT YOUNG is excited to join the Kismet team! An actor, director, and teacher based in Oklahoma City. Brett previously served as the Education & Touring Director for Oklahoma Children’s Theatre before spending 25 years teaching Theatre, Speech, and Debate at the high school level. Most recently at Bishop McGuinness, he coached the Speech & Debate team to four consecutive State Championships, multiple years of National qualifiers, and directed productions including Legally Blonde, Chicago, Grease, Into the Woods, Mamma Mia, Lucky Stiff, 9 to 5, Drowsy Chaperone, Little Women, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Suite Surrender, and more. In 2024, he was honored as the OSSAA Speech & Debate Teacher of the Year. He recently accepted a position to be the speech & debate coach at Oklahoma City University! Some favorite acting credits include Paris in Romeo & Juliet, Snug in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Biondello in Taming of the Shrew (Oklahoma Shakespeare in the Park), Narrator in Rocky Horror (Lyric Theatre), Brad in Rocky Horror (Boom Productions), Danny in Looped, Charles Schmindeman in Picasso at the Lapin Agile, Jack in Leading Ladies, Lecturer in Reefer Madness (Carpenter Square Theatre), Mr. Stevens in Carrie, the musical, Fred in A Christmas Carol (OKC Theatre Company), Malvolio in Twelfth Night (Reduxion Theatre), John Worthing in The Importance of Being Earnest (Poteet Theatre), Potiphar/Reuben in Joseph…Technicolor Dreamcoat (Sooner Theatre), as well as doing shows with Jewel Box Theatre, Next Stage, Theatre Crude Festival, and others. This summer Brett was thrilled to join the staff at Lyric Academy and directed Junie B’s Essential Survival Guide to School Jr and Alice in Wonderland, an original.