About Me
Jennifer was raised in southeastern Wisconsin and graduated from Saint Mary's College in Notre Dame, Indiana. While in college, in addition to writing, directing, and performing in theatre and improv shows, Jennifer received a grant to study Shakespeare's Roman plays and co-presented at the 2015 Ohio Valley Shakespeare Conference. She also co-presented a playwriting workshop at "The 'S' Word" international Stanislavski symposium at Rose Bruford College, London.
Though new to Chicago, Jennifer's acting credits already include Writers Theatre (Once) and Irish Theatre of Chicago (Molly Sweeney). Regionally, she has performed with American Players Theatre, Utah Shakespeare Festival, Forward Theater Company, Third Avenue PlayWorks, Lyric Repertory Company, Children's Theater of Madison, Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival, and Flagstaff Shakespeare Festival. In Milwaukee, she's acted with Next Act Theatre, In Tandem Theatre, Acacia Theatre Company, Voices Found Repertory, and several independent Wisconsin filmmakers. She has played the viola since she was nine and received several years of dance training.
Jennifer made her post-collegiate directing debut in 2018 with an original adaptation of Medea at Voices Found Repertory, which was named one of Wisconsin Theater Spotlight's Top 5 Dramas of the year and nominated in five categories at the 2019 Footlights People's Choice Awards. She has since directed with Flagstaff Shakespeare Festival, Forward Theater Company, Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, Auricle podcast, and Project: Panic, a 24-hour radio play festival.
She has taught with First Stage Children's Theater, the Utah Shakespeare Festival educational tour, and American Players Theatre's A.C.T. Camp. She also co-taught the pilot program of APT's "The Words Between Us," a literature and racial fluency residency for rural Wisconsin high schools. In addition, Jennifer has tutored students of various ages and abilities in writing and language arts.
Her writing - including fiction, feature articles, poetry, and book reviews - has appeared in National Catholic Reporter; U.S. Catholic; America: The Jesuit Review; Wealth of Geeks; Milwaukee Independent; Slippery Elm Literary Journal; Indiana's Best Emerging Poets; America's Emerging Poets: Illinois, Minnesota, and Wisconsin; Bridge: The Bluffton Literary Journal; Grab the Lapels; The Baker Street Babes; Wanderher; and The Observer of Notre Dame and Saint Mary's. Learn more here!
Though new to Chicago, Jennifer's acting credits already include Writers Theatre (Once) and Irish Theatre of Chicago (Molly Sweeney). Regionally, she has performed with American Players Theatre, Utah Shakespeare Festival, Forward Theater Company, Third Avenue PlayWorks, Lyric Repertory Company, Children's Theater of Madison, Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival, and Flagstaff Shakespeare Festival. In Milwaukee, she's acted with Next Act Theatre, In Tandem Theatre, Acacia Theatre Company, Voices Found Repertory, and several independent Wisconsin filmmakers. She has played the viola since she was nine and received several years of dance training.
Jennifer made her post-collegiate directing debut in 2018 with an original adaptation of Medea at Voices Found Repertory, which was named one of Wisconsin Theater Spotlight's Top 5 Dramas of the year and nominated in five categories at the 2019 Footlights People's Choice Awards. She has since directed with Flagstaff Shakespeare Festival, Forward Theater Company, Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, Auricle podcast, and Project: Panic, a 24-hour radio play festival.
She has taught with First Stage Children's Theater, the Utah Shakespeare Festival educational tour, and American Players Theatre's A.C.T. Camp. She also co-taught the pilot program of APT's "The Words Between Us," a literature and racial fluency residency for rural Wisconsin high schools. In addition, Jennifer has tutored students of various ages and abilities in writing and language arts.
Her writing - including fiction, feature articles, poetry, and book reviews - has appeared in National Catholic Reporter; U.S. Catholic; America: The Jesuit Review; Wealth of Geeks; Milwaukee Independent; Slippery Elm Literary Journal; Indiana's Best Emerging Poets; America's Emerging Poets: Illinois, Minnesota, and Wisconsin; Bridge: The Bluffton Literary Journal; Grab the Lapels; The Baker Street Babes; Wanderher; and The Observer of Notre Dame and Saint Mary's. Learn more here!
Fast Facts
Current Home Base: Chicago
Representation: DDO Artists Agency
Union Status: EMC
Music: Viola (20+ years), violin/fiddle, singing, rhythm
Dance: Intermediate tap, jazz, basic ballet
Combat: Unarmed (SAFD-certified); basic dagger, broadsword, shortsword, foil
Improv: 2 years with the Humor Artists; workshops with The Second City and others
Languages: Italian proficiency, Latin (six years)
Miscellaneous: Good with accents/dialects, whistling, speed rapping, valid driver's license, valid passport
Awards/Honors:
2023 Equity Joseph Jefferson Awards
-Nominee, Best Ensemble (Once)
2021 Best of Milwaukee Readers' Choice Contest
-Finalist, Best Stage Actress
2019 Footlights People's Choice Awards
-Finalist, Outstanding Play (Medea)
-Finalist, Outstanding Direction (Medea)
2018 Wisconsin Theater Spotlight Awards
-Top 5 Drama of 2018 (Medea)
2017 Footlights People's Choice Awards
-Finalist, Best Supporting Female in a Play (Coriolanus)
-Semifinalist, Best Lead Female in a Play (Richard III)
Representation: DDO Artists Agency
Union Status: EMC
Music: Viola (20+ years), violin/fiddle, singing, rhythm
Dance: Intermediate tap, jazz, basic ballet
Combat: Unarmed (SAFD-certified); basic dagger, broadsword, shortsword, foil
Improv: 2 years with the Humor Artists; workshops with The Second City and others
Languages: Italian proficiency, Latin (six years)
Miscellaneous: Good with accents/dialects, whistling, speed rapping, valid driver's license, valid passport
Awards/Honors:
2023 Equity Joseph Jefferson Awards
-Nominee, Best Ensemble (Once)
2021 Best of Milwaukee Readers' Choice Contest
-Finalist, Best Stage Actress
2019 Footlights People's Choice Awards
-Finalist, Outstanding Play (Medea)
-Finalist, Outstanding Direction (Medea)
2018 Wisconsin Theater Spotlight Awards
-Top 5 Drama of 2018 (Medea)
2017 Footlights People's Choice Awards
-Finalist, Best Supporting Female in a Play (Coriolanus)
-Semifinalist, Best Lead Female in a Play (Richard III)
photo by Jeff Kurysz