About Jenna: Playwright
Jenna Jane is an internationally-produced playwright. She subverts genre expectations in her comedies and sci-fi for the stage. Jenna’s writing puts authenticity front and center, blows up gender expectations, and explores the relationship between the body and the self.
Jenna started writing plays in 2020 out of frustration over the roles available to her as an actor. Many of the female characters she saw on casting notices were surface-level love interests who only existed as decoration or to further a man’s storyline. No thanks.
Since then, Jenna’s plays have been performed by dozens of theatre companies from Tampa, Florida to Kyiv, Ukraine.
Formerly a national award-winning investigative journalist, she graduated summa cum laude from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. She’s now a full-time artist, focusing on voiceover, playwriting, and acting.
Tampa Bay Arts Passport: Jenna Jane on Storytelling, Art, and Finding Her Voice
Upcoming Productions
Full-Length Plays
Photo: The Beach Theatre, Tyrese Pope, 2025
Bionic
GENRE: Sci-fi drama
SUMMARY:
This full-length sci-fi drama explores what it means to be human in an increasingly bionic world. In a future where everyone is swapping out their body parts with the latest tech, 81-year-old Donna Goldman is an anomaly. While everyone else is getting solar panel fingernails, 3-D printed vocal cords, and bionic wombs, Donna has chosen to remain 100 percent organic. But now, there’s a problem: She’s dying. And a bionic body part is the only cure. Will cyborg Dr. Flores persuade Donna to abandon her sense of self to survive? In a world of humanoid A.I. holograms and corporations that hack your dreams with ads, Donna and Dr. Flores must confront whether these “upgrades” bring people closer to their authentic selves or push them farther away.
PERFORMANCE DETAILS:
Run Time: 90 min
Cast Size: 6-10
Sets: 5
DEVELOPMENT HISTORY:
WORKSHOPS:
• Hippodrome Theatre – Gainesville FL, March 2025
STAGED READINGS:
• Sarasota Players – Sarasota FL, Aug. 2025
• Outcast Theatre Collective – Tampa FL, July 2024
Reviews
“With a focus on authentic connection and ambiguity, Bionic challenges audiences to consider what makes us truly human and invites discussion long after the curtain falls.”
— BroadwayWorld Tampa’s Deborah Bostock-Kelley
“The world building and specificity of point of view was so strong in Bionic by Jenna Jane, that it quickly became apparent that this play met the mission of The Hippodrome Theatre’s New Works Festival to support innovative and emerging Floridian talent. The excited audience reaction to the staged reading that culminated the development week is a clear indicator that this play deserves a wider audience.”
— Michelle Bellaver, New Works Festival Producer, The Hippodrome Theatre
“I have no doubt that at some point this is going to be a play that will be viewed by people across the nation and across the world. It really, truly was one of the best experiences that I’ve had at the theatre in my entire lifetime.”
— Trey Smith, Trey’s Table Podcast
10-Minute Plays
Photo: The Garfield Center for the Arts, 2022
Why Did You Bother Killing the Sea Witch?
GENRE: Comedy/Spoof
SUMMARY:
The little mermaid and her prince realize they’re not going to sail off into the sunset together, after all.
PERFORMANCE DETAILS:
Run Time: 10 min
Cast Size: 2
Sets: 1
DEVELOPMENT HISTORY:
FULL PRODUCTIONS:
• Vidalia Theatre Company – Atlanta GA, June 2024
• Gather by the Ghost Light – Augusta GA, April 2024
• MadLab – Columbus OH, Nov.-Dec. 2023
• Winding Road Theater Ensemble – Tucson AZ, May 2023
• Open Hydrant Theater Company – Bronx NY, Oct. 2022
• Garfield Center for the Arts – Chestertown MD, June-July 2022
VIRTUAL PRODUCTIONS:
• Rainy Day Artistic Collective – San Francisco CA, Dec. 2021
Reviews
“Hans Christian Andersen and Disney need to change their Little Mermaid endings. Jenna Jane nails it. It’s perfect, laugh out loud truths, and now that it’s been fully realized in this play – the only possible ending.”
— Claudia Haas, National New Play Network New Play Exchange
“With great brilliance and laugh out loud one-liners, Jenna Jane explores what happens when princes and mermaids stop being polite, and start getting real. I want her to deconstruct every Disney prince/princess pairing, right now.”
— Samara Siskind, National New Play Network New Play Exchange
Photo: Powerstories Theatre, 2025
Villain
GENRE: Comedy/One-woman play
SUMMARY:
The Evil Queen tells her side of the story for the first time. Good guys and bad guys are all guys; for women, it’s never that simple.
PERFORMANCE DETAILS:
Run Time: 10 min
Cast Size: 1
Sets: 1
DEVELOPMENT HISTORY:
FULL PRODUCTIONS:
• Powerstories Theatre – Tampa FL, March 2025
• LAB Theater Project – Tampa FL, Jan. 2021
• The 5 & Dime – Jacksonville FL, Jan. 2021
AWARDS:
• The Empower Her Award – Powerstories Theatre – Tampa FL, April 2025
Reviews
“I fell in love with Villain when it was part of my short plays assigned in the festival’s artistic committee readings. I loved the humor and the truth the play reveals. Despite its brevity, it delivers a powerful punch. During the feedback session with the committee on Zoom, it was one of two short plays I highlighted to be selected for the festival. Watching it transform from script to stage was nothing short of magical. Jenna’s masterful delivery—her costume choice, prop, inflections, pauses, movements, and fun expressions—brought the story vividly to life. As a theatre reviewer for Broadway World, Tampa, reviewing my theatre’s festival was a conflict of interest; however, I would have reviewed Villain with all the above and that “this was a play performance that was superb from beginning to end.”
— Deb Kelley, Marketing Director, Powerstories Theatre
“I saw a production of this short play in Powerstories Voices of Women Festival. It’s punchy, funny, and provocative. It would make a great addition to any lineup of short plays.”
— Erin Lekovic, National New Play Network New Play Exchange
Photo: Richey Suncoast Theatre, 2025
The Fairy Queen’s Campaign
GENRE: Comedy
SUMMARY:
After hundreds of years on her throne, Fairy Queen Gwennyth’s subjects have become disenchanted with her monarchy. The creatures who inhabit her thicket are demanding a democracy. For the first time, she must run for election to stay in power. But Gwennyth takes issue with the suggested changes to her image that her political consultant has come up with. Will her most trusted advisor help her figure out how to appeal to voters without changing who she really is? This two-woman 10-minute comedy is ideal for a stage, virtual, or audio production.
PERFORMANCE DETAILS:
Run Time: 10 min
Cast Size: 2
Sets: 1
DEVELOPMENT HISTORY:
STAGED READINGS:
• Sam Bass Theatre – Round Rock TX, May 2025
• Richey Suncoast Theatre – New Port Richey FL, March 2025
Reviews
“This delightful political farce plays with ideas of identity in politics and power dynamics in a democratic society. I loved how funny this play was, but I also love the way it provokes thought. It truly makes you consider how much manipulation, obfuscation, and deception is involved in the winning of power in a democratic electoral system.”
— Angela Sarabia, President of the Board of Directors, Richey Suncoast Theatre
“A political comedy fairy tale? Now that’s magic! I love the talk of democracy and how to win votes amongst elves, merfolk and…unipigs! The last line is so perfect!”
— Jacquelyn Floyd-Priskorn, National New Play Network New Play Exchange
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Pumpkin Spice MILFs
GENRE: Comedy/Theatre of the Absurd
SUMMARY:
This play shows us how we can all embrace our inner Pumpkin Spice MILF – undaunted by gender expectations, the commercialization of nostalgia, or the Pumpkin Spice Industrial Complex.
PERFORMANCE DETAILS:
Run Time: 10 min
Cast Size: 9+
Sets: 1
One-Act Plays
Photo: The Ivoryton Playhouse, Oct. 2023
Organic
GENRE: Sci-fi drama
SUMMARY:
In a future where everyone is enhancing their bodies with the latest tech, 81-year-old Donna Goldman is an anomaly – she’s 100 percent organic. But now, there’s a problem: She’s dying. And a bionic body part is the only cure. Will non-binary cyborg Dr. Flores persuade her to abandon her sense of self to survive? This 20-minute sci-fi drama for two actors explores the relationship between the body and the self.
PERFORMANCE DETAILS:
Run Time: 20 min
Cast size: 2
Sets: 1
DEVELOPMENT HISTORY:
FULL PRODUCTIONS:
• Playwrights’ Round Table – Orlando FL, Jan. 2024
• Curtis Theatre – Brea CA, Aug. 2022
• New Rep Theatre – Watertown MA, May 2022
WORKSHOPS:
• The Ivoryton Playhouse – Ivoryton CT, Oct. 2023
STAGED READINGS:
• American Stage – St. Petersburg FL, April 2023
AUDIO PRODUCTIONS:
• Broken Arts Entertainment’s The Future Audio Fiction Podcast – Nov. 2024
VIRTUAL PRODUCTIONS:
• National Women’s Theatre Festival – Feb. 2022
Reviews
“I just listened to this on Broken Arts Entertainment’s The Future anthology of plays and what a thought-provoking play! As we enter a future of implants and enhancements (they ARE coming, don’t kid yourself) this play questions whether we will retain what makes us who we are vs. the ability to be something closer to what we want. There are some real ethical issues being discussed here and Jenna Jane lays it on the table in a powerful and relevant way. Definitely worth your time!”
— John Busser, National New Play Network New Play Exchange
“I appreciate the way that this play offers two contrasting points of view. It would have been so easy to choose one and argue for it, but nothing about this play is easy. Both sides of this debate are valid, leading to a moving, humanistic conclusion about an individual’s right to decide who they are and how they express it. It felt like an allegory for so many of the issues individuals with marginalized identities are facing today, making the sci-fi premise feel contemporary. Engaging work!”
— Aly Kantor, National New Play Network New Play Exchange
“Wow! Powerful! Jenna Jane puts the world on notice about authenticity in this futuristic short story. Giving compelling reasons to both sides of the coin and then hitting you with a twist that you just don’t see coming. Powerful. Scary that this could be our future soon. Amazing that Jenna showed us both sides of equation and still lets the audience decide without consequence. It’s a must see.”
— Joe Swenson, National New Play Network New Play Exchange
“A beautiful sci-fi piece that examines how the future affects our day-to-day lives, not just the way we choose to live, but the relationships we choose to keep. Brilliant work by Jenna Jane.”
— Cole Hunter Dzubak, National New Play Network New Play Exchange
Photo: Pittsburgh New Works Festival, 2025
Lizard Brain
GENRE: Sci-fi Drama
SUMMARY:
Chloe’s therapy session takes an alarming turn when she realizes her psychiatrist is not who they appear to be. They’re an AI program reporting data back to the corporation she works for. This play explores the impact of suddenly having a physical disability, what it means to be authentically human in a time of bionic body-modification, the corporatization of artificial intelligence, and the uncomfortable tug-of-war between privacy and safety.
PERFORMANCE DETAILS:
Run Time: 30 min
Cast Size: 3
Sets: 1
DEVELOPMENT HISTORY:
FULL PRODUCTIONS:
• Pittsburgh New Works Festival – Pittsburgh PA, Aug. 2025
STAGED READINGS:
• Outcast Theatre Collective – Tampa FL, July 2024
Reviews
“Very weird, but with deep significance and power. The story line is clear and intriguing, the characters are odd, but Chloe is very well drawn, and the dialogue is perfect. All the issues and themes come together in a sci-fi soup that will be exciting on stage… Brava!.”
— James Binz, National New Play Network New Play Exchange
Photo: Duluth Playhouse, 2025
LIFE CORP
GENRE: Sci-fi Drama
SUMMARY:
After years of struggling with infertility, Monica Duncan was able to conceive with a bionic womb. But now she can’t pay her debt on the device. The corporation that manufactures the bionic womb has come to collect, claiming full custody of Monica’s daughter. This play explores the implications of body modification, what it means to be a parent, and the inevitable trap of sacrificing the self to a corporation.
PERFORMANCE DETAILS:
Run Time: 20 min
Cast Size: 4
Sets: 1
DEVELOPMENT HISTORY:
FULL PRODUCTIONS:
• Duluth Playhouse – Duluth MN, June 2025
STAGED READINGS:
• Sarasota Players – Sarasota FL, July 2024
Reviews
“It addresses themes that are highly relevant to today’s society, making it feel less like traditional science fiction and more like a warning about potential future developments. The play explores topics such as bodily autonomy, infertility, and motherhood, challenges the notion that “corporations are people,” and raises thought-provoking questions about the extent to which a government or corporation should intrude into our lives. All of this is presented in a compelling manner that feels natural and not heavy-handed. Additionally, we appreciated that all the characters are women, showcasing how each has become complicit in a corrupt system.”
— Anika Thompson, Women in Theatre New Play Festival Coordinator, Duluth Playhouse
“LIFE CORP is a gripping, thought-provoking sci-fi courtroom drama that challenges the boundaries of body autonomy and parenthood. Jenna Jane expertly blends tension with moral questions, making you question the price of progress in a world where corporations hold the ultimate power.”
— Danielle Wirsansky, National New Play Network New Play Exchange
Photo: Lab Theatre Project, 2024
Full Frontal Transparency
GENRE: Romantic Comedy
SUMMARY:
Sick of wasting time and effort on bad dates that go nowhere, JAIME and SAM are taking a different approach: They’re going to ask all the questions you’re not supposed to ask on a first date. There are only three rules: No more than 10 minutes. No ordering food or drinks. And no lying. OK… maybe one lie.
A note from the playwright: All roles can be performed by actors of any gender expression, any ethnicity, and any age (18+). This is a lightning fast-paced 15-minute romantic comedy with zero jokes based on gender stereotypes, sexual orientation, race, or age.
PERFORMANCE DETAILS:
Run Time: 15 minutes
Cast Size: 3
Sets: 1
DEVELOPMENT HISTORY:
FULL PRODUCTIONS:
• Wesley Chapel Theater Group – Odessa, FL, July 2025
• Stage West Playhouse – Spring Hill FL, Aug. 2024
• LAB Theater Project – Tampa FL, July 2024
Reviews
“Oh my god is this play a riot! From the vividly theatrical set-up to the revelation of the final deal-breaker, this piece is tartly funny and thoroughly engaging.”
— Paul Donnelly, National New Play Network New Play Exchange
Photo: Iowa State University, 2022
Cuckoo Clock
GENRE: Comedy/Farce
SUMMARY:
“Cuckoo Clock” is a one-act farce about a first date that goes horribly wrong, set inside a German restaurant. Hotshot college senior Grant, hellbent on getting his future in order, already has his whole life with Jill planned. Will Jill succumb to the fantasy and her people-pleaser tendencies? Will their waitress Wilma eliminate Jill as competition and finally attract Grant’s attention? And what’s up with that guy sitting in the corner? A cautionary tale for anyone who believes a relationship will save them, “Cuckoo Clock” explores what happens when people feel like they’re running out of time.
PERFORMANCE DETAILS:
Run Time: 25 minutes
Cast Size: 5
Sets: 1
DEVELOPMENT HISTORY:
FULL PRODUCTIONS:
• Iowa State University – March 2022
Reviews
“If you’re looking for something with loads of comedy, very entertaining characters, a bunch of innuendos, and tons of fun movement and action, this play is what you are looking for.”
— Kathryn Ripley, Iowa State University Department of Music and Theatre
Photo: Theatre Jacksonville, 2021
A Socially Distanced Farce in One Act
GENRE: Comedy/Farce
SUMMARY:
This farce holds up a mirror – or, well, webcam – to the work-from-home struggles of the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s April 2020 and this Zoom meeting could be the difference between a company going under or adapting to the changing consumer needs of the pandemic. Can these employees at an office-wear fashion company convince people to wear pants with buttons again? Was adopting a puppy a mistake? Why are the kids watching Frozen instead of doing virtual school? These coworkers will have to learn to handle family drama on-camera, bridge generational gaps with each other and, for the love of all that is holy, learn when to mute. This 15-minute comedy can be produced virtually or onstage.
PERFORMANCE DETAILS:
Run Time: 15 minutes
Cast Size: 3-8
Sets: 1 or Virtual
DEVELOPMENT HISTORY:
STAGED READINGS:
• Valley Players – Napa CA, June 2023
VIRTUAL PRODUCTIONS:
• Theatre Jacksonville – May 2021
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A High Stakes Proposal
GENRE: Comedy
SUMMARY:
He’s a sweet Midwesterner. She’s a vampire who has roamed the earth for hundreds of years. They’re in love. But can Nora trust Steve enough to show him her authentic self?
PERFORMANCE DETAILS:
Run Time: 15 min
Cast Size: 2
Sets: 1