Jennifer Vellenga
Education
MFA in Directing, Ohio University, Athens, OH
BFA in Acting, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL
Biography
Jennifer’s research and professional work centers on directing and developing new plays with living playwrights, most notably directing Chantal Bilodeau’s plays on climate change as part of The Arctic Cycle. A decade of collaboration has led to development and publication of Bilodeau’s plays Forward and No More Harveys with research conducted at Soria Laboratoria, Oslo, Norway; Hålogaland Teater, Tromsø, Norway; Women of the Arctic conference, Helsinki, Finland; The Brick Theatre, Brooklyn; and Akavit Theatre, Chicago.
Collaborations with playwright and Fulbright scholar Lachlan Philpott led to research and development of his play Bustown at American Conservatory Theatre, San Francisco and at Hothouse Theatre, Albury-Wodonga, Australia. She directed the American premiere at Kansas State University.
An associate director to Mark Lamos, Jennifer worked at Lincoln Center (Shakespeare’s Cymbeline), Guthrie Theater (Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra), Old Globe Theatre (Compleat Female Stage Beauty by Jeffrey Hatcher), and she transferred the co-production of The Blonde, the Brunette and the Vengeful Redhead by Robert Hewett from Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park to Dallas Theatre Center.
Previous academic positions include Professor and Associate Director of the School of Music Theatre, and Dance at Kansas State University and Assistant Professor of Acting/Directing at the University of Miami.
As the co-founder of Voice First World, a communication and coaching company, Jen served as the CEO from 2021-2025. She coached executives on storytelling and acting techniques to build their leadership and public speaking confidence.
She is a member of Actors Equity Association (as Jennifer Guindon) and an associate member of Stage Directors and Choreographers Society.