Meet our Officers

John Cross, President

Hi! I'm John Cross, a senior at DSA and President for the 2023-2024 school year. In my time with DSA Theatre, I've been a part of 8 productions, one of which being a play I directed for our One-Act Festival. Theatre has always been an integral part of my life and it has been a privilege to be able to produce amazing shows with our troupe. DSA Theatre has so many talented students and my goal as an officer, and peer, is to help others realize their goals and abilities as thespians. In my free time I love to read and write—mainly poems and plays. I'm so excited to work with such an awesome officer board this year and make this the best year DSA Theatre has seen!

Evan Byers, Vice President

Hi! My name is Evan Byers and I will be serving as your Vice President for the 2023-2024 school year! I joined Troupe 5765 in my sophomore year and immediately fell in love with the family atmosphere. While I have acted in both Urinetown and Chicago, my main focus is light design. I have served on the light crews for A Wrinkle in Time and Pride and Prejudice in 2022 and then served as the light designer for Chicago, And Then There Were None, and Metamorphoses. I am so excited to serve the troupe for my final year as Vice President and work with my peers to make it the best year ever!

Kendall Babb, Secretary

Maya Martinez-Wayman

Treasurer

Hi All! My name is Maya Martinez-Wayman and I will be serving as this year's troupe Treasurer. Coming into my fourth year at DSA now, I've been able to immerse myself deeply into every aspect of theatre. I try to connect with everyone in the troupe, from being on props crews backstage and acting in amazing casts to stage managing one of last year's one acts. I love theatre not just for the joy it brings me, but for the community and the people I am lucky enough to call my family. The black box is truly a home away from home and I can't wait for another great year serving the community I love!

Zara Riffer, Historian

Hi! My name is Zara Riffer, and I'll be your troupe historian for the 2023-24 school year. I became involved with DSA theatre my freshman year, and I've loved every minute of it. I've sound designed for Pride and Prejudice, Chicago!: Teen Edition, And Then There Were None, and Metamorphoses, done props for Metamorphoses, and I acted in Bad Auditions... On Camera my freshman year! My favorite thing about DSA theatre is the amazing friendships you make, and being so involved with the troupe for the past three years has really allowed me to form a community of people I care about. I absolutely cannot wait to get to hang out with all of our new (and old) thespians, and I am so excited to be your historian!

Ella Adams, JR. REP

My name is Ella Adams, and I'm your Jr Representative for the 23-24 school year! Theatre has been an interest since I was young, and that interest completely expanded when coming to DSA. Since my freshman year, I have been involved in many productions, both acting and tech. I've been in A Wrinkle in Time, Chicago, and The Layover. My technical experiences are from Urinetown, And Then There Were None, Chicago, and Metamorphoses, and those include lighting, props, set/run, and my favorite, Stage Management. I also have participated in the One Act Festivals, and the International Thespian Festival this past year. Every opportunity I've had through DSA Theatre has been incredible. The community I've had is like no other, and as an officer, I want to make sure that everyone gets the chance to feel that too. I hope to help create a safe space where everyone feels confident that they can be real and vulnerable and share this beautiful form of art with others. I'm so excited to be your JR Rep for this school year!