Jenny Wanasek (B.F.A. – UW-Milwaukee) is co-founder of the Center for Applied Theatre. Her training includes workshops in TO with Augusto Boal, Beyond Racism and Ally Building with Healing Our Nation, and facilitator certification with The Virtues Project, in addition to her BFA in acting. Her applied theatre work includes interactive projects, new play development, community building, and communication technique and problem-solving workshops for groups as varied as PEARLS for Teen Girls, Milwaukee High School of the Arts, HIRE, UW-Milwaukee, DePaul Universities, and various NGOs and other service organizations. She has conducted TO training workshops all over the US and in England and Austria, has distinguished herself as both a director and actor in the professional theatre, receiving the Outstanding Actress in a Leading Role 2017 Footlights Performing Arts Award. She taught Acting, Directing, and Theatre for Social Change using TO techniques at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee for twenty years. She has worked with groups on creative projects focused on many issues including anti-racism, immigration, running away, dropping out of school, social reintegration after incarceration, alcohol consumption and sexual harassment, oppressive pedagogy, coming out, workplace discrimination, intervention strategies, and community building. She and Mark conducted over 100 workshops and residences as teaching artists in Milwaukee Public Schools. Jenny is a co-founder of a project begun in 2021 serving children of Congolese refugees under the auspices of the Milwaukee Baha’i Community.