Payton Prince, Assistant Director & Assistant Choreographer

Payton has been trained by the best our area has to offer.  Now her training continues at Brigham Young University, a nationally recognized musical theatre program.  She’s had the fortune to be directed by tony award winner, Casey Hushion and share the stage with legends, David Ira Wood III and Andrea McArdle. Payton is represented by Terri Dollar and brings an amazing ability to relate to youth as well as grow talent in them. A gifted teacher, her visionary talent to stage musicals makes us fortunate to have her join us each summer as our choreographer and assistant director for CAPA Summer Stock Musical Theatre Camp.

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Melanie Prince has been teaching Acting and Musical Theatre for more than two decades. She earned her BA in theatre with emphasis in Acting and Musical Theatre from California State University Sacramento. Melanie led a Northern CA charter high school theatre program for three years and has also owned and operated a children's performing arts school in Nashville TN.  She also spent three amazing years working with Estes Tarver at Moonlight Stage Company in Raleigh, but realizing the need for strong acting and arts programs in the Southwest Wake Region of North Carolina, Melanie founded Carolina Academy of Performing Arts, “ CAPA”  in 2017. She is the Artistic Director, principal director of productions, and primary acting instructor of CAPA. CAPA boasts many students who are the top talent in their schools with some competing in Triangle Rising Stars and gone on to the Jimmy Awards in NYC. 

Melanie has successfully placed students in musical theatre, and BFA acting collegiate programs as well as guided them to professional representation. Melanie is represented by Terri Dollar of KU Talent, a film actress and film acting coach. Melanie, her children, and students can be seen on the small and large screens. She has spent countless hours on commercial, television and major motion picture sets.  Among her favorite director's credits are Newsies, Oliver and Les Miserables. Growing talent in others and helping her students to raise their ceiling and realize their dreams, is as rewarding to her as performing herself for they, “are such stuff as dreams are made on” (Shakespeare).

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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.

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.

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Angie Staheli, Marketing & Social Media Manager  

Michelle Yousik, Tech Teacher, Head of Crew and Administrator 

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Michelle began singing along with Olivia Newton John when she was little (she even had the same ONJ haircut for 3 years) to singing in her high school chorus, mixed show choir and in an a capella choir. Michelle played the violin all though elementary, middle & high school and learned to play the cello and viola when needed. She participated for three years in the dance team, performed as one of the brides in "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers", and sang during her HS graduation. Michelle attended San Jose City College in California and while there took art classes that have inspired her ever since.  She has also sang at weddings and performed with a band or two through the years. Michelle uses improv's" Yes, and..?" rule, and it has led her to prop making, to set design & construction and to administration with CAPA where her daughters perform. Michelle believes "CAPA is Saving the Arts!"

Hajnalka Klieman has been making music her whole life. A classically-trained pianist, she has a BS in Biology and a master’s degree in music education. She enjoys wearing many hats as a preschool music teacher, teen choir director, and singer for church services, weddings, and funerals.  Four of her five children participate in musical theater, and the fifth sings along with gusto at home while waiting for his two front teeth to grow in.   

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Hajnalka Klieman, Music Director Assistant

Michelle Yousik is CAPA’s office administrator and was Stage Manager for casts 2/3 of “Into the Woods” master workshops. The entire Yousik family supports the program & they are proud to call CAPA home.

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Kasey Flowers is one of our costume designers for CAPA. She loves working with each and every one of the kids and seeing them grow throughout each production. Kasey is so thankful for CAPA for bringing such a wonderful theater program to our community and super grateful to be a part of an amazingly talented production team.

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Kaleen grew up in sunny Tucson, Arizona where she learned to love music and the performing arts. She is a costume enthusiast and believes in creating costumes that highlight an actors natural beauty and talent to enhance their performance. When not creating costumes, Kaleen loves spending time with her amazing husband Kevan and her eight adorable children. She believes that performing arts is the best way to increase a child’s confidence and lays a strong foundation for an any career path. She simply adores working with and in the environment that is CAPA.

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Kaleen Holdaway, Costume Designer and Costume Tech Teacher

Kasey Flowers, Costume Designer  & Costume Tech Teacher

Ella Yousik, Stage Manager

Vicki Earl, Non-Profit & Grant Advisor 

Jeff Peters, Sound Engineer

Diane Helbling, Producer

Hunter Browning, Music Director and Conductor

Ashley Anderson, Choreographer

Ashley Walker Anderson received her pre-professional dance training from Robb Beaman, Patricia Warren, and Kim Saad, and trained at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts in Ballet. Ashley attended North Carolina Governor’s School and was invited to dance with the Joffrey Ballet. 

Ashley received a BFA in Dance Education from East Carolina University, and under the direction of Rodger Belman, performed works by Laura Dean in New York City. Upon graduation, she accepted the position of Dance Director at Garner Magnet High School.

Ashley received a ballet teaching certification from the Royal Ballet School in London, is a certified Progressing Ballet Technique (PBT) teacher, and has a certification in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion from Cornell University. She is currently in graduate school working on her Masters Degree in Dance Education. 

Ashley is the Dance Director and choreographer for Carolina Academy of the Performing Arts and has served as a faculty member for private dance studios across the Triangle. She is currently choreographing, teaching, and offering private lessons for students of all levels.

Hunter Browning is thrilled to be joining CAPA this summer for his first production as Music Director! Hunter moved to North Carolina last August to begin his teaching career as the Chorus and Theatre Teacher at Apex Middle School. He studied choral music education at the University of Delaware and has loved musical theatre practically since birth! His recent credits include The Addams Family (Director), Mamma Mia! (Harry), A Chorus Line (Music and Pit Director), and Newsies (Music and Pit Director). Hunter cannot wait for all this summer brings as we begin to read "Between the Lines"!

Ella has loved participating in theatre for as long as she can remember. Although she enjoys performing, working behind the scenes to create a magical experience for both the audience and actors is endlessly fulfilling. She plans to pursue a BA in Technical Theatre Design, and hopes to help create more wonderful memories for everyone to enjoy.