Originally from Montreal, Jen is Artistic Director of the award-winning Theatre Asylum in Toronto, and last season directed Lullaby (Dora Nomination for Outstanding Production), and The Monument in Rwanda. Asylum's productions such as BéBé, The Trials, and My Mother's Courage have been developed and toured Canada in co-production with Theatre Passe Muraille, The Theatre Centre, the National Arts Centre, Saydie Bronfman, and the Banff Centre.
Jen has been a Guest Director and Lecturer at Acadia University, University of Victoria, and York University. Since 2005 she has travelled and worked in East Africa, exploring the role culture can play in healing society. She was 2nd Script Supervisor on the Canadian feature, Shake Hands with the Devil, and her experience working alongside Rwandese prompted her to accept an invitation to give workshops for the Rwanda Cinema Centre. This led to theatre work for the National University of Rwanda, UNICEF, Kivu Writers, and Mashirika Arts.
Jen has been nominated for the Hirsch and McGibbon Directing Awards, been a fellow at Schloss Solitude, and an invited director at the Lincoln Centre's Director's Lab, New York. She completed performance studies at BAADA in London England, and trained as a director in Germany at Landestheater Tübingen and the Volksbühne, Berlin. She was Associate Dramaturg at Factory Theatre for two years.