Junior Players

Rosaura Cruz, Executive Director - Rosaura Cruz, Executive Director, has been with Junior Players in several roles. Her engagement with Junior Players is    all-encompassing, she is a Junior Players student alumna, was the 2003 Junior Players Texas Commission of the Arts summer intern, a former theater and dance teacher, and Junior Players previous Program Director. Since stepping into her current role in 2015, she has led Junior Players through many new and creative initiatives, including producing and broadening Junior Players artistic production seasons, co-creation of Junior Players Presents: The Transformation Project, arts-centric panel conversations, a myriad of community collaborations, the co-creation of the D-PAC (Dallas ISD Playwriting Arts Collective)     collaboration, the conception of the Transformation Project’s Residency program and the creation of the 2017 Youth in Arts Panel: Create, Transform, Heal. Additionally, Rosaura is currently represented by The Campbell Agency with personal artistic credits including work with theater companies such as        Shakespeare Dallas, Cara Mia Theatre Co., WaterTower Theatre, Kitchen Dog Theater and Project X amongst several others. Rosaura is responsible for the overall direction and artistic quality of the agency. She has ensured that Junior Players provides excellent training for all teaching artists, who are professionals in their respective fields. 

Megan Carfa, Operations and Development Director - Megan Carfa, Junior Players Operations and Development Manager, is a graduate of the University of North Texas with a Bachelor of Music Education. As a student at UNT, Megan performed with the UNT Concert Band, the UNT Brass Band, the UNT     Basketball Band, the Green Brigade Marching Band, Phi Tau Chorale and Phi Tau Winds. Her passion for music and arts led to starting her professional career as a Ticketmaster Event Support Specialist with Live Nation Entertainment. Megan then served as a Development Coordinator of Individual Gifts for the   nonprofit AT&T Performing Arts Center, where she managed a portfolio of 1,500 donors focusing on stewardship, cultivation, benefits fulfillment and daily donor interaction. While with Junior Players, Megan began as Development Manager in 2017, where she substantially increased individual and foundation funding to provide artistic opportunities to the youth of North Texas. Now, as Operations and Development Director, Megan is responsible for financial  management and operational strategies. Since 2013, Megan has continued her love of music performance while playing with the Carrollton Wind Symphony trumpet section.

 Carine Rice, Program Director - Carine Rice-Konieczny, Program Director, joined Junior Players as a college intern in August 2015. She graduated from the University of Texas at Dallas in December 2015 with a Bachelor of Arts degree with an emphasis in Theatre & Dance. After graduation, she stayed on with Junior Players and has held several administrative roles in the organization. She took time away to focus on her growing family in 2017 and returned in      December 2019 as the Program Director. Carine has an extensive background in theater, and a passion for sharing the arts. and is currently signed with the Kim Dawson Agency. Additionally, Carine owns and runs her own photography studio, Carine Odette Photography. Carine is a mother to two wonderful boys and is very excited to be a part of the Junior Players team.

 Clare Cutler, Development Manager - Clare Cutler is a graduate of Towson University with a BA in Psychology and is currently a graduate student at Boston University School of Social Work with a focus on macro practice and social policy. Her previous work includes administrative and development coordination work with nonprofits in her native city of Baltimore, MD, including Maryland CASA and Maryland Family Network. Clare has focused her work and studies on youth and child advocacy and working with organizations dedicated to eliminating the opportunity gap through equal access to quality education and       enrichment. She is very excited to be a part of the Junior Players team and is enthusiastic about the opportunity to contribute to such an impactful mission.

 Andrea Farnham, Artistic Manager - Andrea is a fourteen-year theatre arts director and educator. She has been involved in the performing arts world for the past thirty plus years directing, teaching, acting, singing, dancing, painting, and creating original works of performance art. Over her educational career,  Andrea has guided countless students to audition for and obtain acceptance to BA and BFA programs at some of the top know theatre colleges. Many of her students have won individual accolades and her casts have done extremely well in competitions. Andrea earned her Bachelor of Art & Performance from the University of Texas at Dallas and her Associates from Collin College. In her early career, Andrea performed with various professional companies and won multiple individual acting awards. Andrea loves traveling, exploring museums, finding new restaurants, spending time with her family, and delving into her creativity. Andrea’s greatest production to date is her beautiful daughter.  She is beyond excited to be a part of the Junior Players team. One of her fondest high school performance memories was stepping on the stage at Samuell Grand as a member of Junior Players back in 1999. She is thrilled for the opportunity to bring theatre arts to the youth of Dallas!

Ryan Glover, Program Manager - is originally from Chicago, Illinois and played the tuba up until high school, where he decided to pursue sports. Ryan graduated from the University of North Texas at Denton with a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology and a minor in Psychology. While in college, Ryan played collegiate golf at Oklahoma Wesleyan, as well as Rugby with UNT. While Ryan still enjoys playing sports and is a Rugby player for the Dallas Reds Rugby Team, he also is currently serving as a board member of Kingdom Men. He also has experience serving as a Program Manager during his time working with The First Tee of Greater Dallas. Ryan is excited to join Junior Players as his personal goal is to give opportunity to everyone that seeks growth within their self.

 Abby Stigler, Communications Manager - Abby Stigler is a graduate from Trinity University in San Antonio, where she received a BA in Communication with concentrations in Communication Management and Theater. While at Trinity, Abby held multiple leadership positions in her sorority including Vice          President, Formal Recruitment Chair, Orientation Chair, and Publicity Chair. Abby also worked at her school’s Tiger TV news room and assisted in the    promotion of the productions. Since college, Abby has served as the Marketing and Communications Board Chair for YNPN, has participated in the National Arts Marketing Project Conference, and has received a certification in both Twitter’s Flight School Program and Agile Methodologies (CSM). Abby's love for theater has grown from a young age and she has eagerly participated in a little bit of everything. Abby has been involved with Junior Players since 2016 when she served as their Marketing and Development intern through the ExxonMobil program. Abby is excited and extremely grateful to be working for such an important cause.