Payton Prince, Voice Instructor, Assistant Director & Choreographer

Payton has been trained by the best our area has to offer and has been a CAPA Instructor since its conception! She graduated from BYU with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting and loved her time there performing with the BYU Young Ambassadors, touring nationally and abroad to South Korea! She’s had the fortune to be directed by tony award winner, Casey Hushion, and shared the stage with legends, David Ira Wood III, Andrea McArdle and Chelsea Hightower. Payton is represented by KU Talent Agency and brings an amazing ability to relate to youth as well as grow talent in them. A gifted teacher, her visionary ability in staging musicals makes us fortunate to have her join us each summer as our Choreographer and Assistant Director for CAPA Summer Stock Musical Theatre Workshops. Payton is also a gifted Voice Teacher! She takes great care to grow student’s voices in a healthy way while encouraging them to make great leaps vocally! She is currently teaching Voice for CAPA remotely while she travels and performs!

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Melanie Prince is a stage and film trained actress with a BA in Theatre with emphasis in Musical Theatre from CSUS. Recognizing the need for strong arts programs in North Carolina’s Southwest Wake County Region, and motivated to raise the bar for youth fine arts instruction, Melanie founded Carolina Academy of Performing Arts (CAPA) in 2017. Represented by KU talent, a film acting coach with a proven track record, and CAPA’s Artistic Director, Melanie is the principal director of productions at CAPA and the primary acting instructor in CAPA’s conservatory. Under her leadership, CAPA has nurtured both production team members and instructors, as well as top-tier talent. With students competing in, and winning, the renowned Junior Theatre Festival, selection for Triangle Rising Stars, one advanced to the Jimmy Awards in New York City. Her children can be seen in Blockbuster hits like “The Lone Ranger”, “Terminator Genysis” and many televisions shows and films. One had a run in the hit Broadway show “Mrs. Doubtfire”. With her students consistently receiving auditions and callbacks for feature film, television, and Broadway roles, she’s had many students book roles in films, television, and regional theatre. With a philosophy to create a safe environment to teach youth as professionals they will be one day, Melanie has a proven track record of preparing students for the collegiate and professional world, with students being accepted into some of the most competitive programs in the country. She has helped guide them into prestigious BFA musical theatre and acting programs and helped many secure professional representation. Melanie, her children, and her students have appeared on both small and large screens, providing Melanie with significant experience on commercial, television, and major motion picture sets. With her finger on the pulse of the professional industry, she is currently co-writing and producing a television series.

Some of Melanie’s favorite directing credits include the premiere of Between the Lines outside of NYC, Newsies, Matilda, and Les Misérables. Melanie is incredibly fulfilled by fostering talent and helping her students achieve their dreams, embracing Shakespeare’s notion that they “are such stuff as dreams are made on.”

Angie’s most recent directing and writing credits include the music video Ain’t Nobody Sees Them from Finding Patience the Musical, which has won first place at the London International Short Film Festival, the Las Vegas International Film & Screenwriting Festival, the Utah Film Festival and Zion’s Indie Film Festival. She is also in the middle of directing a short film about enduring love called Tomorrow.

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Angie’s most recent acting credits include the TV series Out of Touch, the film Trails and several commercials and industrials. Angie has been in numerous regional and national commercials, multiple film projects for the North Carolina Museum of History and various film productions. She is most well-known for her role in You Never Know How Much Good You Do, a short film which has gone viral and international, with over 3.4 million views on YouTube, translated into multiple languages.

Angie has been writing and directing theatre projects between acting gigs for the past 20 years, including the 2017 & 2022’s sold-out theatre musical Finding Patience. In 2018, Angie gave a TEDx talk at Duke University about the power of Local History Theatre and Film. Along with teaching in a classroom setting, Angie is also a private acting coach for both film and theatre. Angie believes that all art can be used for good – to uplift, enlighten, inspire and change the world.

Angie Staheli, Film & Commercial Acting Instructor

Tanya Quinn, Improv Instructor,  CAPA Jr. Director

Tanya Quinn is an actress/improviser/director. As a teenager, Tanya's performances made it to the main stage as a member of the Lollipop Guild in "The Wizard of Oz," Chava in "Fiddler on the Roof," and Puck in Shakespeare’s "A Midsummer Night's Dream." Following high school, Tanya attended Utah Valley University where she received a scholarship to study theater. Her professional theatre experience includes roles as Eileen Harper in "Arsenic and Old Lace," Marie in "Scarlet Pimpernel," and Rosalind in "As You Like it." Tanya’s commercial work includes companies such as Sizzler, Intermountain Healthcare, and Verizon. 

Studying and performing improv since 2002, Tanya Quinn has performed with multiple groups including Comedy Sportz of Provo, Thrillionaires of Utah Valley, and Comedy Face-Off of Jackson Hole, WY.

Tanya has experience directing, and teaching and leading improv lessons to children, actors, and professionals in the corporate world looking to improve teamwork and communication skills.

Tanya feels deeply that any experience in the arts is valuable. There is so much more to be gained from experience in theatre than just a path that leads to Hollywood or Broadway. She believes the skills, lessons, and precious memories gained in the theatre will influence and bless their entire life. Of all the roles Tanya has played throughout her life, her favorite has been that of a mother.  Her ability to manage children, while fostering an environment of fun where creativity can flow will be a valuable asset in the theater classroom. Making theater experiences available to children, as they have so much to offer, is a passion of Tanya's since she has experienced first hand the effect it can have in one's life. Theater helped her confidence and creativity grow, and she is eager and ready to offer that same growth to the students.

Hunter Browning, Conservatory Music Director, Conductor and Instructor

Hunter Browning is thrilled to serve as the Conservatory Music Director for the Carolina Academy of Performing Arts. Known for his innovative approach and deep passion for musical excellence, Hunter has made significant contributions to the industry through their work with choral ensembles, musical theatre productions, and accompaniment. 

Graduating with honors from The University of Delaware in 2022, Hunter began his career as the choral director at Apex Middle School in Apex, North Carolina, quickly recruiting competitive numbers and rising through the ranks due to their exceptional talent and leadership skills. Their repertoire is diverse, encompassing classical masterpieces, contemporary works, and original compositions. Hunter has a reputation for bringing a fresh perspective to traditional pieces while also championing new and emerging artists.

Hunter has collaborated with numerous prestigious institutions and festivals, including Festival Disney, Orlando, The Junior Theatre Festival, and the North Carolina Music Performance Assessment, and has received accolades such as Overall Performance Group (JTF), a Superior Rating (NCMPA), and Bronze Overall Ensemble (Festival Disney). Their recordings have been praised for their clarity, emotion, and technical precision.

As a visionary leader in the music community, Hunter continues to inspire audiences and students alike, shaping the future of music with each performance and project they undertake.

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Lacy studied dance at Asheville Center of Performing Arts in all styles of tap, jazz, ballet, modern, contemporary, and hip-hop. In 2011, she received her Bachelor's and Licensure in K-12 Dance Education from Meredith College. After graduating, she performed and guest taught tap, jazz  ballet, modern, hip hop and contemporary at triangle area studios. She was also the dance director for Martin Middle School in Wake County Public Schools for 12 years where she taught classes and choreographed many musicals such as Lion King Jr, Aladdin Jr, Once Upon A Mattress Jr and recently Frozen Jr.  Lacy is excited to be joining the CAPA team and teaching Dance Labs! 

Lacy Lowder Frye, Dance Lab Instructor

Erin Spraker is a recent graduate of East Carolina University where she earned a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts in Dance Performance and Choreography. She began training at the age of six in the Myrtle Beach area and was a part of numerous musical productions at Carolina Forest High School. Erin began her professional career at the age of 17, performing in Christmas On Ice with Dublin Worldwide Productions. During her time studying at East Carolina University, she had the opportunity to perform in productions of Dance @ Wright, Fall and Spring Dance, Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities grants, and Senior choreography projects. She choreographed for ECU’s Contemporary Concert, Lights Up, and Senior Choreography. Erin also served as a teacher assistant for an intermediate modern class. Erin now lives in North Raleigh and is excited to join the team at CAPA.

Erin Spraker, Company Dance Instructor and Assistant Dance Lab Instructor