​Over the past 15 years, Cienda has worked with some of Queensland's renowned and emerging theatre companies both on stage and off.

AS AN ACTOR
Cienda has been seen on stage in Queensland Shakespeare Ensemble's production of Richard III. In 2008-09, Cienda was a resident artist with Grin and Tonic, performing in schools all over Queensland with its highly acclaimed in-schools program. In addition to the tour, Cienda performed in A Midsummer Night's Dream and had subsequent roles in A Winter's Tale, Timon of Athens, Pericles Prince of Tyre and Romeo and Juliet, for which she won a Del ArtË award for Best Supporting Actress. She also performed in The Merchant of Venice and A Midsummer Night's Dream for Bastidian Productions. Her other acting credits include Minefields and Miniskirts, Assassins, Anything Goes, Children of Eden and Antigone. She is a founding member of Brisbane cabaret group The Duvets and recently produced her one-woman cabaret, Nobody Does It Like Me, which had  a return season at the Brisbane Cabaret Festival in November 2012 .

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AS A DIRECTOR
In 2003, Cienda's directing career began to flourish, gaining both experience and esteem within the Brisbane arts community. Her credits include Undies: The Cabaret and The Hum Series: featuring Megan Shorey (Joymas Creative), Private Lives and A Doll's House (Starlight Theatre), Gimme, Gimme Tales of An Eternal Optimist and The Fool's Journey at the Judith Wright Centre, This Way Up (Brisbane Powerhouse), Historia (Shesaid Productions) and Parade (Warehaus Theatre Company) at QPAC's Cremorne Theatre.  Cienda has a particular interest in William Shakespeare and has directed Food of Love: A Shakespearean Cabaret for the Queensland Shakespeare Ensemble as well as Shakespeare Bits for Carpe Diem Productions at Fame Theatre Bowen Hills. For Grin and Tonic Troupe she directed a production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Mendelssohn’s Manor. Cienda also worked as an Assistant Director with Jon Halpin on Betrayal and Heroes for Queensland Theatre Company.

BACKGROUND

Born and raised in Brisbane, Cienda studied Theatre Arts at the University of Southern Queensland (USQ) where she performed in a number of in-class workshop productions including Hiawatha. In 1999, Cienda began a Bachelor of Arts - Drama and History at the University of Queensland (UQ) . Whilst at UQ, Cienda performed in Ian Irvine's Deadly Species and The Beggar's Opera before going on to direct a number of plays at the Cement Box Theatre including Tablecloths, Lovepuke, The Return, Scissors, Paper Rock and Over Coffee, for which she won a Best Director award. In 2002 she held the position of Artistic Development Manager with Underground Productions and curated the third annual Brisbane Underground playwriting festival (BUGFest) for which she earned recognition for creating the popular musical event CaBUGaret.

Richard III

In Rehearsal for Queensland Shakespeare Ensemble's Production 

Parade

Director for Warehaus Theatre Company's Production- 

First professional Australian Production

Private Lives

Director for Starlight Theatre Company's Production