Rena Owen (Ngati Hine, Nga Puhi) was born in Moerewa. Involved in theatre from an early age, she trained as a paediatrics nurse before leaving for England. There she became involverd with Clean Break, a London-based Theatre Company for ex-prisoners, who produced her first play 'Te Awa i Tahuti' which toured London. Since returning to New Zealand in 1988, Rena has performed extensively in theatre and television, directed and continued to write.