Sweet Tea Shakespeare, a Fayetteville-based theater company known for its innovative and community-driven productions, has announced a transition of leadership by welcoming a new CEO & Artistic Director.

Jessie Wise is stepping into the role of Executive Director/CEO and Traycie Kuhn-Zapata is moving up as Artistic Director.

Both Jessie and Traycie are long-standing STS company members and have served in various roles both on stage and behind the scenes. By promoting those who have been engrained with the company nearly since its inception, the values of Inclusive Community-Building, Exploration of Artistic Expression & Co-Creation and Memorable Audience Experiences of Delight and Fun will continue to be at the forefront of Sweet Tea Shakespeare’s ethos.

Sweet Tea Shakespeare Founder and most recent CEO Jeremy Fiebig moves to the role of Director of Mission, stepping away from day-to-day operations and focusing on furthering the organization's core values and broader impact while also tackling other passion projects.

In the role of CEO, Jessie Wise brings not only her stage experience, but also a background in theater education, Shakespearean history and event planning, plus a passion for building authentic relationships that support the mental health benefits of being part of a creative and inclusive community.

Under Jessie’s leadership, Sweet Tea Shakespeare is committed to an increased focus on igniting a sense of community in the theater and beyond. “We love when audiences love our performances,” Jessie shared in a press release. “But even more, we truly hope they will find themselves welcomed, encouraged and uplifted in ways that go far beyond entertainment. We hope they will feel like family – and find ways to plug into the STS community. Whether it is volunteering, giving financially, inviting friends, performing or in any other way, each person is a part of shaping the Sweet Tea Shakespeare story.”

As Artistic Director, Traycie is set to steer Sweet Tea Shakespeare towards new heights of artistic achievement and community involvement.

Traycie stated in a press release, “I am incredibly grateful and honored to become Artistic Director of Sweet Tea Shakespeare. If my 10 years with the company has imprinted anything on me, it is that love is the strongest choice. Our performances are an expression of how our company feels about each other and our community. I am excited, then, to move these ideals even further by incorporating innovative and unique ideas for both upcoming productions and our company as a whole.”