Melanie has been active with ARTI for almost two decades as an actor, director, board member, and behind the scenes in a support position. Her smallest role was as a dead body on a food cart in Southern Fried Murder. Some of her favorite roles were in Beauty Queen of Leenane, Five Women Wearing the Same Dress, Sordid Lives, Sealed for Freshness, The Laramie Project, Plaza Suite, and The Vagina Monologues. Her best directing experience has been The Laramie Project and Sylvia (both times).

When not involved with ARTI, she is an antiques dealer with her husband, Eric, at the Country Store Boutique. Melanie has a great family which centers around her three grandkids, Chance, Carlie and Camren. She loves acting with her sister, Becky Wray, and being cheered on by brother, Bill.

Her cats have surprisingly (to her) become a major hobby and chore. At her house you'll find Yappy, Buddy, Dusty, George W. Bush Pooter Appalachia Kitty (fondly called Pooter), Sweetie Pie, Tiger, & Frankie.

Favorite ARTI moments include the summer we bought the building and had six weeks to get it turned into a theatre after years as El King Kong Bar. Surviving a fall from a ladder as she was pulling down ceiling was very exciting. Best of all was meeting Beci Beck, who became her confidant, mentor, and best friend.

Melanie looks forward to many more years at ARTI, seeing the completion of our dream theatre, and watching her own grandchildren grow and perform on our stage as adults.