Lisa Ellis // Executive Director
lisa@fireandlightproductions.com
Lisa holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Corporate Communications from Butler University in Indianapolis. She has acted on various Fort Wayne stages since she was 12. She formed Fire & Light in the fall of 2010 at the request of several families who knew she had a heart for kids and a love of theatre. Favorite shows to direct have included, Seussical Jr., 42nd Street, and Korczak’s Children. In addition to productions such as Emma, Turtle Soup and Radium Girls, Lisa also performed at First Presbyterian Theater and the Youtheater. Kids are her passion, she and her husband, Terry, have five of their own.
Sara Scantlin // Director & Communication Liaison
Sara and her children have been actively involved with Fire & Light since its inception in 2010. Sara has a strong background in music, youth and women’s ministries. Over the years, she has lead ensembles, served in the tech booth and provided administrative assistance for our growing organization. Sara is also an associate with Keystone Realty.
Audrey McCann // Director & Choreographer
Audrey has been acting and dancing since she was five, however she’s been around the arts her whole life. She earned an outstanding performer award and ranked first for a theater scholarship to what is now Purdue Fort Wayne. Audrey taught dance for many years as well as instructing dance, acting, and sign language for a special needs theater company named Jesters. She has performed at local shows and helped direct 9 productions for her alma mater before coming to Fire & Light. When she’s not at theater, she’s spending time with her husband, or doing therapy for children on the autism spectrum and in foster care.
Erica Hambleton // Facilities Director
Erica became involved with Fire & Light because she wanted her children to grow up appreciating the arts and learning different forms of expression. As a child, her favorite musical was Annie; she can still remember it word for word! With a professional background in Early Childhood Education, many opportunities in leadership blossomed with various homeschool organizations. Erica is currently an event coordinator for a virtual school, a 4-H leader, and a board member of her local township. She looks forward to growing and serving the Fire & Light community.
Kris Botas // Technical Director, Arts United Liaison
Kris is passionate about the performing arts! A graduate from Ball State University in Music Education K-12, she has held professional education positions since 1993. Her love for music and theatre go hand in hand. She has Directed Matilda and The Sound of Music with Fire & Light and directed musical orchestras for FWCS such as West Side Story and Carousel. She loves to educate and inspire students to achieve musical excellence in violin, voice, theatre, and music theory. Kris enjoys empowering the next generation to make a positive difference in our community as well as present God-honoring performances.
Colossians 3:17 “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”
Laura Maxwell // Assistant Director & Choreography
Laura has been involved in the arts since she was seven years old. Her love of performing came from her involvement with local dance group Fort Wayne Tänzer, where she has been a member for 12 years. She has been with Fire & Light since 2016 and has enjoyed many roles both on and off the stage. She has been part of 25 shows with Fire & Light, some of her favorites being Tuck Everlasting, Newsies, Around the World in 80 Days, and Clue. Her involvement with Fire & Light over the years has helped spark her love for dancing and choreography, specifically in partner work and tap. She has been a local stage manager for the past two years and cannot wait to work on this upcoming season.
Allison Mooibroek // Assistant Director
Allison has a bachelor's degree in Music Education and taught music in the public schools prior to staying home full-time to raise and homeschool her daughters. As someone who's always been drawn to the arts, she loved performing in musicals and plays in high school, as well as playing in many pit orchestras and ensembles both large and small through the years on french horn. Watching students gain skills and confidence as they enjoy the beautiful gift of the performing arts is one of her very favorite things, so she feels so blessed to be part of the Fire & Light team.
Randy Beery // Assistant Director
Randy graduated with a Business Administration degree from Indiana University, Fort Wayne. After a long career in logistics, he recently retired and was introduced to Fire & Light when looking for volunteer opportunities to tap into his creative side. He jumped in assisting in various capacities on the Elf Jr and Finding Nemo productions. Randy is a member of Emmanuel Community Church where he has served as an Elder, a long-time vocalist in the church’s Worship Ministry, and a member of the Emmanuel Theater Company. He also sang for nine years as a member of A Few Good Men, an octet of male vocalists performing contemporary Christian music. He is honored to be participating in Fire & Light Productions, a first-class organization. It is a joy for him to watch the kids blossom and shine on stage!
Jeff Salisbury // Assistant Director
Jeff is thrilled to be working with Fire & Light. He has a BA degree in Theatre from Bethel University and worked professionally in theatre for about 15 years before settling down in Fort Wayne. Since then, he has performed all over this city and worked in all capacities of the theatre world - actor, director, lighting designer, technical director, set designer, and director of operations! His favorite roles have been Shrek in Shrek the Musical, Gaston in Beauty and the Beast, Snoopy in You're A Good Man Charlie Brown, Mr. Knightly in Emma, and C.S. Lewis in Freud's Last Session. His favorite directing roles include A Wrinkle In Time, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Around the World In 80 Days, and Fiddler on The Roof. He loves teaching students how to explore what's inside themselves and who God made them to be through the lens of the characters they are portraying and world's they are helping create.
Melissa Ferguson // Lead Costumer, Assistant Director
Melissa has had a passion for the arts, music, and theater (especially musicals), for as long as she can remember. She minored in Art in college, and has always encouraged artistic creativity in her own children, including through free play and dress-up - so getting involved with costuming has been fun. Now she considers herself quite blessed to be a part of Fire & Light with her children, and enjoys building relationships with and encouraging the other students as well. So many beautiful souls doing amazing things together.
Sam Hood // Co-Director of Foundations
Sam has been an active member of many local organizations. In August of 2021, Sam joined Fire & Light as a student. His biggest roles were Clopin in The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Charlie Darlrymple in Brigadoon, and Willy Wonka in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory Jr. In May of 2022, he joined Fort Wayne Tänzer and learned German folk dancing. In August of 2023, he joined Fire & Light as an assistant for the Foundations class. Now starting in 2024, Sam is Co-Director of Foundations with Lyn Fox, and Sam is excited as ever for every new adventure!
Lyn Fox // Co-Director of Foundations
Bio in progress!
Greg Otis // Vocal Director
Greg’s experience runs the gamut; from a private vocal coach, to participating and coaching barbershop quartets, to serving in music ministry as the Director of Worship Arts for Trinity United Methodist Church in Huntington. He has served as vocal director for such productions as The Sound of Music, Carousel, My Fair Lady, Fiddler on the Roof, and Annie. Greg has also been active with the Huntington Theater Guild, conducting performances for The Sound of Music, working as Music Director for Li’l Abner, and electronically creating the orchestral accompaniment for Cinderella. These days he seeks to fill his free time by traveling, often to attend theatre, musical theatre, and concerts.
Doug Reynolds // Vocal Director
Doug has been the Director of Parish Ministry at Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Ft. Wayne since January, 2021. Prior to that he was Family Life and Music Director for 21 years at Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church, Ft. Wayne. He also currently has a VERY part-time job as a Shipping Specialist at Sweetwater, and accompanies the A Capella Choir at Concordia Lutheran High (CLHS). He has played the piano in several high musicals at CLHS, his favorites being Fiddler on the Roof and Newsies. Doug got involved with Fire & Light as Vocal Director with the High Schoolers in Matilda, and with the Elementary show Beauty and the Beast, Jr.
Jeanette Hendrix // Lead Costumer
Jeanette earned her bachelor's at Purdue University in Apparel Design and Technology with a Minor in Art and Design - theatre has always been a special calling. The creativity, compassion, prayer, insight, servant nature, growth, and experience in this group (from the young to the not quite as young) is a joy to behold. For a long time Jeanette has felt loved and humbled as she remembers the verse in Ephesians that says, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10 KJV
Holly Hemsoth // Set Design
Holly has been crafting and creating since she was little - so helping with sets and set design has been a seamless fit. All four of her children are involved in the Fire & Light Academy, so while they are learning to tell the story, Holly is right there beside them working with the Directors to bring the stories to life through incredibly meaningful sets. There is no design too large or detail too small that Holly can’t take on!
Lisa Pontecorvo // Costume Rentals Coordinator
Lisa has an A.S. Degree in Fashion Merchandising from Vincennes University. She has been sewing since 6th grade and has a passion to create things from clothes to quilts to houses. Even though theatre is not her background, she has been able to use her creativity and sewing experience in making costumes for shows like The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Finding Nemo, Jr. Lisa considers it a great joy working with and getting to know the kids at Fire & Light. She also loves hanging out, laughing and sewing with her friends at theatre.
Niki Henderson // Volunteer Coordinator
Our family is now in our 4th season with Fire & Light. Being a long time homeschool mom, I enjoy seeing the students learn & grow in skills of working together, being confident in speaking with others, being inspired to learn new things, and be with a group of kids that are friendly & hard working paired with parents who love these kids! Volunteer coordinator is new for me but I’m thankful to guide parents in joining in this Fire & Light family. It is a joy to see the exceptional performances as we share the love of Jesus to the community in this form of art.
Gwen Hyde // Administrative Assistant
Lifelong theater-enthusiast, Gwen is grateful to have a handful of her five children involved in various ways with Fire & Light. If the word "organization" is involved, Gwen is probably not far behind. Graduate of Miami University (OH) with a degree in Organizational Communication, she can be found compiling rosters and calendars, coordinating and connecting with volunteers, or crashing the costumers backstage during tech weeks.
Linda Mullenhour // Tap Teacher
Linda has been a tap dancer from the age of five. She started teaching dance when she was a sophomore in high school and has taught Middle Eastern, Disco, Jazz, Acrobatics, Aerobics, and Water Aerobics. She started dancing with the Alley Kats sixteen years ago, and now directs the program. Linda also worked as a full time job beautician for 44 years. She loves dancing and socializing with all types of individuals.
Stacy Munsie // Consulting Director
Actress, singer, visual artist and director, Stacy Munsie is a seasoned veteran of the stage, landing dozens of leads in around 40 productions. She began writing, directing, singing, producing and performing small scale traveling music/comedy reviews professionally at the age of 23. Her voice talent extends to voice-over, jingles, radio work, film and TV for the last 20 years. Stacy has worn several hats at Fire & Light, forming the Summer Camp Program and later our Community Theatre. She has directed favorites such as Disney’s Mulan, Thorton Wilder’s Our Town, and 2019’s, The Music Man.
Special Thanks to our Loyal Board Members:
Peter Kujak, President of the Board
Terry Ellis, Vice President, Fire & Light Productions
Jeanne Nolan, Treasurer, Self-Employed Bookkeeper
Kris Botas, Secretary, Fire & Light Productions
Lisa Ellis, Executive Director, Fire & Light Productions
Active Members: Robert Bruchner, Travis Hemsoth, Kenneth Loechner, Bill Munsie, and Sara Scantlin
Fire & Light is always in need of volunteers! As a nonprofit organization here in Fort Wayne, we’re actively seeking vocal directors, set builders, choreographers, and technicians who have a passion for God, for youth, and the mission of Fire & Light. If you or someone you know can help, please get in touch here.