Brenna Jones began her theatre career in high school and fell in love with the collaborative nature of the art. In 2018, she was approached by the Showboat Theatre Board in her hometown of Hermann, and asked to start a program for the local students to experience theatre. Along with her dear friend and business partner, Brenna created the Half Act Theatre Company, which now is a troupe of over 100 students ages 4-18. 

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     Through Half Act, Brenna found a passion for teaching and directing -- particularly for helping her students grow as people. She found a startling lack of self-control and empathy in the students of public school systems in both rural and urban areas, regardless of their age. However, through the work of theatre, she discovered a way to increase self-awareness and empathy for others, and each year, her students get kinder, more focused, and excited about the work. She is trained in the Gister Method, which, when translated to youth theatre, puts emphasis on the other rather than the self. 

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     Brenna has focused much of her career on directing and producing theatre in rural communities. While urban areas often have access to artistic opportunities, she found rural areas to be much more limited in terms of programs and perspectives. This inspired her to help kickstart the Riverside Theatre Project, which is a cross-community collaboration designed to open up dialogue between rural and urban artists. Each of their casts is comprised of professional St. Louis artists and amateur Hermann artists, allowing the two groups to engage in a safe, creative space and break down cultural barriers. 

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     Her favorite piece she's directed so far has been Ellen McLaughlin's Iphigenia in Tauris, a retelling of the Greek Oresteia which focuses on Iphigenia at the temple of Artemis. This piece allowed her to explore the way bodies can move together and pull poetic text into physical space. Her goal with blocking is to blur the line between what is considered "dance" and what is considered "movement."

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     Moving forward, Brenna plans to continue her work in youth theatre education to inspire a new generation of empathetic, driven artists. She also strives to create thoughtful work for thoughtful audiences that highlights underrepresented voices and challenges the presiding narrative. Who are we? Where are we going? And what is the point if not to uplift one another?