Jennifer Theby-Quinn is a professional actor, vocalist, educator, and campus minister. Jen believes in the power of story-telling to shift perspectives and explore questions. She currently serves as a Campus Minister focusing on the Graduate Student/Young Adult Community and Women’s Community at The Catholic Student Center at Washington University in Saint Louis, Missouri. Jen also heads Upper Room, an undergraduate spiritual and theological formation program she had a hand in creating.  Based in Saint Louis, Missouri, Jen performs regionally in everything from contemporary drama to musical theatre to long form improv. Jen lives with her Beloved husband and two snuggly pups.

Jen completed her undergraduate education in Theology and Theatre Performance at Saint Louis University, and promptly spent eight months as a mainstage and touring actor for the Shakespeare Festival - Saint Louis. After growing tired of living out of a tour van, Jen followed the Holy Spirit to a position as Director of Campus Ministry at Visitation Academy, an all-girls prep school, where she served for six years, focusing on developing student-led, relationship-focused ministry. She also taught middle school theology at the Academy of the Sacred Heart. She thought she’d hate it. (Hint: she didn’t. Middle Schoolers are amazing.)

Jen completed a Masters in Theology and Certificate in Biblical Study (New Testament) at Aquinas Institute of Theology, where she researched narrative parallels and character development to piece together composites of women in scripture.

Jen’s experiences of young women in (and out) of the Church and her parallel career in the professional theatre world continue to shape her mode of interpreting and preaching scripture.

Jen is a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association, has been nominated for six Saint Louis Theatre Circle Awards, won two of them, and is a Kevin Kline Award Nominee.