Theater Film Television Voice Over
Canada Minnesota London New York City
"thought-provoking discovery, presented by a first-rate troupe"
Dena is an actor and creator passionate about building empathy, community, and communication through story telling. Growing up in Minnesota, Dena and her sister put on plays in a family barn; she has loved every facet of performing and creating since. She spent much of her school years performing and touring with the local community theater. Since then, Dena has worked on stage and film in New York City, regionally, and internationally.
After graduating from American University with a B.A. in theater, Dena was excited to return to Minnesota and spend time performing in the Twin Cities near her family. She paired these skills with her intertest in criminal justice reform, training law enforcement in verbal de-escalation techniques throughout Minnesota. Dena was then accepted into a Masters program at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London and welcomed the ability to combine her loves of theater and travel. While in London, she was honored to perform in the Barbican's Mademoiselle Julie, starring Juliette Binoche.
After completing her M.A. in Text and Performance, she spend time traveling before being drawn to New York City. Outside of performing, she continues her work as a teaching artist, running the teaching gamut from West Point Cadets learning Shakespeare to devising new work with students to improv & theater skills to youth who have been incarcerated.
Dena is an avid reader, currently in a book club created after the close of a play by a group of artists unable to let the show family end. An eternal student, she has recently returned to singing and is excited to follow that new path.
Dena is committed to her ongoing growth as an anti-racist and the pursuit of equity in the arts world and beyond.
"Almost entirely euphoric: a shot of pure, adrenal excitement, a once-in-a-lifetime chance"
Standardized Patient
Weill Cornell, New York University & Columbia University
Trained to accurately portray, in a consistent, standardized manner, a patient in a medical situation. These trainings can cover medical students at all levels.
Dena is thrilled to work with these amazing organizations that are committed to spreading the foundations of theater in exciting and innovative ways.
Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival
Teaching Artist
The Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival engages the widest possible audience in a fresh conversation about what is essential in Shakespeare’s plays. Our theater lives in the here and now, at the intersection between the virtuosity of the actor, the imagination of the audience, and the inspiration of the text.
