At 14, Tess Burgler started her Shakespeare career as the Third-Musician-from-the-Left in a production by the Ohio Shakespeare Festival (OSF), among whom she was a founding member. Sixteen years later, Tess finds herself acting, directing, and writing as an OSF Associate Producer.

Burgler strongly believes in theater’s role in both “[celebrating and protecting] the human story.” Good theater may not always be uplifting, she says, but it constantly strives to inspire the community to be and do its best.

One of Burgler’s favorite OSF projects is the Fall Family Collections, a series that offers familiar stories retold through the voices of the group’s all Ohio-based cast and artists.

You can see their next production, The Winter’s Tale, July 28 – August 13 at Stan Hywett.

Check out her artist profile to see which other projects Burgler and OSF are doing—and don’t forget to make your own while you’re at it! Also: take a look at the video below for a schedule of upcoming Ohio Shakespeare Festival productions.