Born in Washington, D.C., Rena attended area high schools, Montgomery College, and The University of Maryland. The daughter of a violist with the National Symphony Orchestra, Rena found her niche in all aspects of the arts. She began writing her first novel at six years old and playing the violin at seven. She entered college as a Fine Arts Major, studied acting, and was accepted into the honor's writing program at Montgomery College. Her first acting role was Antigone in Sophocles' "Antigone". She earned her B.A. at Maryland University in 1971.

She married that same year and spent the next five years in Manassas, Virginia, where she began acting in community theatre and doing voice-overs, commercials and industrial films. She lived in The Cotswolds in England for two years, where she acted in her first Shakespearean play, "The Merchant of Venice" with The Banbury Players, in which she portrayed Bassanio, a male role done as a britches role.

Her writing took the form of stories she wrote and shared with her two young sons, Sam and Jake.

Following her divorce, her acting career includes thirty years in Northern Virginia, where she was awarded several distinguished acting awards.

She began acting in professional theatre in Washington, D.C. in 1993.

Her acting career, detailed in her resume, includes five Helen Hayes nominations, winning Outstanding Supporting Actress for her role as Claire in American Century's "A Delicate Balance", and Outstanding Lead Actress for her role as Vivian Bearing in Bay Theatre Company's "Wit".

Rena helped local playwright Margaret Barton Driggs develop the one-woman play, "Alice At Dawn", which Rena will perform upon demand. Alice is the story of personal discovery and life-altering awareness of Dame Alice More, the widow Sir Thomas More, 14 days following Thomas' execution.