Our Staff

Kelly Haas was born and raised in southern California and recently moved to the Asheville area. She studied Sociology in college at UCSD and then earned her Masters degree in Film at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts. While in California, one of her four children became very interested in musical theater and joined a junior theater company, which she absolutely adored. She began to land lead roles at the age of six and spread her wings into community theater as well, but then everything came to a grinding halt when covid shut down musical theater across the globe. As a mother of a gifted actor without a stage to perform, she decided ENOUGH was enough and set out to create an amazing musical theater program for those who have been excluded over the past two years. She hopes that the program will morph over time into an unparalleled performing arts space, with informative classes and extraordinary summer camps run by experts in various fields. As Kelly often does, she also threw herself head-first into making the Broadway-inspired costumes/props and sets for shows such as Seussical Jr., Aladdin Jr., Willy Wonka Jr., Frozen Jr., Matilda the Musical (twice) and will bring her experience to good use at AJT!

Erin Roberts has dedicated her life to uplifting children. She has worked in educational and community theater since childhood and remains passionate about the arts. She has worked on many productions, including Oliver, Fiddler on the Roof, Bye Bye Birdie, Jesus Christ Superstar, Damn Yankees, Godspell, Once on This Island, Sound of Music and others. She spent many years in the world of competitive dance, winning countless 1st and 2nd place awards at the national level. As a high schooler, she won the Triple Threat award from the esteemed Syracuse Stage Summer High School for the Performing Arts program. The friendships and learning experiences gained throughout all of this have stuck with Erin for life. She is excited to create a space for today’s children to feel this same sense of joy, belonging, and creative expression.

Melena began playing piano at the age of 8. She served as an accompanist for her school’s choirs in middle school and began studying voice at age 13. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre and Piano Performance from Mars Hill University, and her Master Degree from The Ohio State University in Community and Educational Leadership. She has spent the last 20 years as a lessons instructor and professional musician. Some of her favorite musical theater highlights include playing The Witch in Into The Woods, Ruth in The Pirates of Penzance, and Michaela in Carmen. However, after having the pleasure of being hired as the Musical Director for a high school production of Pippin, she discovered her true passion is helping the next generation of young artists come into their own and discover the magical world of musical theater.

Grayson has been highly involved in the theater since she was eleven. Now as a college student at Warren Wilson College, Grayson spends most of her free time inside the theater, whether as a stage manager, costume designer, or even an actor! She has a thorough understanding of all aspects of production, and is thrilled to bring this experience and passion to AJT! Grayson began stage-managing as a high schooler, working on productions like The Government Inspector, Pippin, Peer Gynt, Xanadu, and Appropriate. In addition to her theatrical experience, Grayson is also passionate about working with children; she is currently minoring in Early Childhood/Elementary Education at Warren Wilson, as well as regularly volunteering with local schools and childcare centers. Grayson is ecstatic to join the team at Asheville Junior Theater and help other kids develop a love for theater like she has!

Carla Delangre has loved theatre and dance her whole life. From the age of four through fourteen, she studied ballet and jazz at the Palm Beach Ballet Company. In 2001 while in high school, Carla’s theater group won the state competition for best short play and went to nationals. She studied theater in college (Palm Beach Atlantic University) and then subsequently performed with local Asheville theater companies. Her favorite performances were in Jesus Christ Superstar and The Wizard of Oz. Currently, Carla works full time at her family’s business, Selina Naturally, most known for the Celtic Sea Salt brand. But when she is not working, she is the mother of two girls and manages the Marketing department for AJT. She feels passionately children and the arts and is so excited to have the opportunity to introduce the Mini Company to acting, singing and dancing. At Asheville Junior Theater, Carla strives to foster a supportive and safe space so that children can explore their creativity through theatrical play. 

Meagan has played an integral role in Asheville Junior Theater as the Set Designer for “Peter Pan, Jr”, “Finding Nemo, Jr” and now, “The Wizard of Oz.” Meagan is a local artist who has called Asheville home for over 20 years. Her experience spans across many mediums from puppetry, to fashion, clothing and accessory design, as well as photography, set design and more. Meagan values the experiences and connections created within the AJT community and is grateful for the opportunity to co-create in this way.

Geoff Roberts is excited and pleased to serve as Stage Crew Coordinator for Asheville Junior Theater. His professional life is dedicated to education; he has served his communities as a teacher for 1-12th grades for the last 19 years. He has high expectations for his students and loves that the culture at AJT holds children to similar standards and encourages them to strive for excellence. He was thrust into the world of musical theater by his wife, Erin, and all of his children who have been part of AJT since its inception… Now he can’t imagine life any other way! He feels proud of every production and loves being part of the ‘behind the scenes’ scene.