Jan is a professional actress (SAG/AFTRA) who has worked with all ages in various types of theatre education for several decades.  She has been  a teaching artist in Philadelphia with the Philadelphia Theatre Company and Philadelphia Young Playwrights.  She facilitates hands-on interactive theatre,  playwriting, and life writing workshops with senior citizens and

students 4 - 12th grade throughout the greater Philadelphia area.

 

Since 2005 Jan has facilitated  a weekly Living History Storytelling Project at the Kennett Area Senior Center. This project has been supported by the Philadelphia Cultural Alliance for several years. She also started an intergenerational project called Hands Across the Ages where seniors from the Kennett Area Senior Center and teenagers from the Kennett High School  came together to share stories and build community.

 

Jan was the director of the Philadelphia Senior Center’s drama group 2008 - 2009.  She wrote and directed three plays with the group that was performed at their theatre on Broad Street and was highlighted in the Spring 2009 Milestones Magazine for Arts and Aging.  

 

In 2012 Jan brought the Hands Across the Ages project to Philadelphia Senior Center.  Seniors from the Philadelphia Senior Center and students from the World Communications Charter School afterschool drama group came together to share stories and create original theatre pieces based on an issue the group wanted to give voice to for Philly Reality for  the Philadelphia Theatre Company.  In 2013 the seniors and teenagers performed together a piece they collaboratively wrote, "I Am Living" which tackled the issues of school bullying and the impact of arts education to make a difference.

 

May 2010 Jan served on a guest panel for the Creative Arts and Aging Network  forum titled "Arts for All Ages" in Philadelphia. She is a founding member of Yes And... Playback Theatre which is an improvisational company which explores social action and building community. She was  the 2009 Adele Magner Memorial Award recipient from Philadelphia Young Playwrights as part of an exemplary playwriting team. Jan graduated Magna cum Laude from both the State University of New York in New Paltz with  a BA in theatre and a Masters of Education from Widener University where she received student teacher of the year in 2000.