Hello! My name is Tess Lancaster. I am an actress and writer living in New York City.

My theater and on camera training come from The Barrow Group, while my improv and sketch background were built with The Upright Citizens Brigade, The Peoples Improv Theater, and The Brooklyn Comedy Collective. You may have caught me performing at different clubs like The Tiny Cupboard, 3 Dollar Bill, and most recently at The Cowgate in Edinburgh, Scotland, where I starred in a play I co-wrote for the 2025 Fringe Festival. The play debuted to much success, with The Scotsman giving the “hoot and a half” show a 4 Star review.

I have been a working actress for 7 years now and am experienced in all styles of entertainment from documentaries for Discovery+ to critically acclaimed shorts to hosting the popular TikTok channel “Thisisthetake” to one fashion runway (all my friends came, it was very exciting). In my teens, I was consistently a nationally ranked public speaker, performing pieces such as my 10 minute spoken word version of “Cats”, which if you are nice to me you will never have to hear.

I am a delight, clinically. Many have trusted me to take care of their children. I have written and directed countless musicals at schools around the city, as well as taught improv, debate, and dance classes. A 5 year old girl named June said I was her “best friend and favorite teacher” and “good at doing my hair badly”. 

Additionally, as a Magna Cum Laude graduate of New York University’s Global Public Health program and as someone who suffers from Tourettic OCD, I am acutely aware of the disability community and the vast discrepancies between accessible and inaccessible media. I received my ADA Coordinator training in the Fall of 2024 and am passionate about increasing visibility and access. Currently, I am developing an animated children’s show that uses experimental audio description with my company ToonieRoonie Productions LLC.