NEW for the 2023-2024 season! We are offering a 90 minute weekly workshop class that incorporates vocal training, acting coaching, and dance instruction. Students will learn approaches for characterization and how to break down a script. The class will also teach vocal technique and how to maintain vocal health. Students will also learn dance vocabulary and style typical to musical theatre. Students in the class will rehearse and prepare audition material for use in future auditions.

Acting Coach: Abbey Maxwell is excited to join the teaching faculty at Wake Forest Academy of Fine Arts to pilot their new Musical Theatre class. Abbey has a BA in Theatre from Meredith College. She has been teaching for 13 years and her experience ranges from students in kindergarten through high school. She currently teaches full-time at Ravenscroft School in North Raleigh. A native of Wake Forest, Abbey served on the board of the Forest Moon Theatre (housed in Wake Forest's Renaissance Center) from 2012-2014. Abbey's specialties in theatre are directing, stage management, and actor coaching. She enjoys sharing her love of theatre with young people and fostering their skills and creativity. Abbey lives in Wake Forest with her husband, Dave, and their very sweet baby boy, Peter.

Vocal Coach: Carin Duncan

Carin Duncan received her Bachelor of Arts in Music Education from Eastern Mennonite University in Virginia. She is a certified music teacher with a license in K-12 Choral and Instrumental Music. She has 20 years of experience in teaching music in public and charter schools and has taught in every grade level from kindergarten through 12th grade. Mrs. Duncan has 15 years of experience as a music director for high school musical theater productions. She also directed an award-winning high school choir who received Superior ratings at NC Music Performance Adjudication and other competitions. Her students participated in the North Carolina Honors Choirs, NC All-State Choirs, the 9-10 All-Carolina Honor Choir at Wingate University, the Mars Hill Honor Choir at Mars Hill University, and the National ACDA Honors Choirs. She has also taught high school piano classes. In addition, Mrs. Duncan founded and coordinated the NC Charter School Choral Festival for five years. She has coordinated high school fine arts trips to New York City. She also helped lead student groups in international travel to Spain, England, Scotland, France, Italy, and Greece.

Mrs. Duncan is currently finishing her Master’s in School Counseling from Liberty University. She is a School Counselor at Louisburg Magnet High School in Louisburg, NC. She is married and has three children, has a very spoiled dog and cat, and loves to travel and do creative craft projects in her spare time.