Marta King (Director): Marta King serves as the theatre arts specialist at Powell GT Elementary School of the Visualand Performing Arts in Raleigh, NC where she has had the opportunity to work with brilliant students every day for the past eleven years. Through her work with students, she realized theatre’s tremendous power to inspire a love of reading and develop and enhance reading skills. This experience led her to acquire an M.Ed. with a Focus in Literacy from UNC at Chapel Hill, and National Board Certification in Literacy. Prior to Powell, she taught theatre, dance, and Language Arts at the middle and high school levels. For the past five years, she has worked with NC State education majors on effectively using theatre in the classroom. Additionally, she has taught acting at the NC School of the Arts, Interlochen Center for the Arts, as well as other venues. As an actor and director, she has worked for many years with theatre companies she co-founded in Charlotte, Durham, and Raleigh. Before entering the classroom, she toured the country performing poetry and teaching poetry performance workshops to teachers and students. Her most thrilling experience to date was co-directing the Hungarian premiere of Sam Shepard’s play, Buried Child, for the 8:15 Theatre Co., which won the Silver Star Award. While in Hungary, she taught jazz dance to the Szeged Ballet Company and movement to actors. She has been fortunate to serve as an A+ Fellow since 1995, which has fostered her growth as an educator and as a person more than any other professional experience.

J Chachula (John Honeyman): J Chachula is a professional actor, teacher, and director. He is a graduate of The American Academy of Dramatic Arts and teaches Meisner Technique, Improvisation and Scene Study for the Flying Machine Theatre Studio. Memorable jobs include two years touring with the Transactors Improv Company as well as directing, writing and acting for the NC Museum of Natural Sciences’ Nature Fun Theatre. In recent years he has been using his teaching and improvisation skills in corporate education programs across the country. He lives in Raleigh with his wife and son.

Eric Hale (Andrey Botvinnik): Eric Hale is a singer, actor and story teller who has appeared on stage locally with Burning Coal, Raleigh Little Theater, Meredith Presents, and Capital Opera. Notable roles include Dr. Carrasco in Man of La Mancha, Sheriff Heck Tate in To Kill a Mockingbird, Robert in Proof, and Peter in the Brockes Passion. He is a frequent performer at the Monti StorySLAM.With Richard Ruggero, he created the Fourth Friday Mix concert series, now in its ninth year. He is the founder and managing director of Exit Through Eden.