About Jenna
Jenna Benzinger (they/them) is a queer disabled director-choreographer who looks to create fearless, funky, thoughtful work that is mindful of the intersectionalities of the human experience. They are a passionate collaborator and are always looking to spark conversation and connection in their dreams, playwriting, music/songs, dance works, and arts education. Jenna’s work looks to queer traditional theater norms through a feminist lens and create explosive sensorial experiences to convey their vision.
Jenna received their BA in Theatre and Performing Arts from Brown University in 2022.
As a leader, Jenna understands the importance of using their positionality to advocate for inclusive art practices. Jenna has trained in intimacy coordination best practices and uses those skills throughout their art making. They love to make art that prioritizes inclusivity and accessibility by creating art with and for historically marginalized artists and audiences. Jenna is passionate about doing the work to help organizations create art that reflects the whole spectrum of humanity. They strive to create safe spaces for collaboration and open communication.
Arts Education
Jenna teaches fundamentals of acting, devising, tech theatre design, playwriting, and dance & movement techniques. They are passionate about creating with young artists and have taught classes from after school programs to summer camps.
Teaching credits:
- Teaching Artists with Trinity Repertory Company 2023-Present
- Education apprentice at Trinity Repertory Company 2022-2023
- Head of the drama department at Camp Alleghany Summer 2021-2022
- Program director of visual and performing arts and instructor at
Expressions Enrichments 2020-2021
- Instructor at Camp Wekeela Summer 2020
Recent Work
Theater Education Directing Credits:
Trinity Repertory Company: Plants Don't Count As Friends(student playwriting festival), Conopoly, Washington Street, Camp Alleghany: The Velveteen Rabbit, The Backyardigans: Search for The Golden Fleece, Adventures of Frog and Toad, The Lorax, Horton Hears a Who, Actors Showcase; Spelling Bee (Camp Wekeela).
Theater Directing Credits:
Providence Fringe Festival: Vibrations(Director/Choreographer/Producer), Brown University: Vibrations (playwright/director/choreographer), Ragtime (Director), Fefu and Her Friends (Asst. director and choreographer), The Pardon (Asst. Director); Shrek (Asst. director, Berkshire Theater Group)
Featured Performance Art:
Bubbleyum Princess (Performance art video series) (selected/featured with the Brown Arts Initiative)
Latest Projects
Trinity Repertory Company Teaching Artist - Currently - I am happy to return for another year as a Trinity Repertory Company teaching artist. I teach acting, playwriting, and devised theater to k-12 and adult classes.
Conn College Theater Department - Fall 2024 - I am excited to return to Conn College to intimacy coordinate for their production of Dance Nation by Clare Barron.
Palindrome - Providence Fringe Festival 2024 - Jenna directed and produced Sydney Dubitsky's dance theater piece Palindrome. Jenna first worked on the piece in 2023 during their fellowship at the National Theater Institute. The piece is a palindrome play; meaning that the movement and speech will be the same forward and backwards, though the intention/quality of movement will change. We follow the merging of two lovers who are both always wrong and both always right. They are strangers to familiars to strangers. Palindrome studies the curves and crevices of the different relationships that come and go in our lives.
