Tess Marshall Discusses 'The Addams Family' & How Believing in Yourself Is a Necessity!

I would like you to meet Tess Marshall. Tess will be starring as Morticia Addams in The Addams Family at The Columbus Immersive Theater. I first met Tess when we performed in a production of Annie Get Your Gun together at The Great Plains Theatre. Tess has also performed at The Mason Street Warehouse, Shenandoah Summer Music Theatre, Bristol Valley Theatre, and Montgomery Theatre among many others. She also appeared in Ragtime on Ellis Island!

Tess is a beautiful person inside and out, and that truly shows when she is on stage. She always delivers a performance that leaves you completely satisfied and is truly worth the price of admission. I am so happy to have the chance to feature this very talented artist!

How old were you when you knew you wanted to be a performer? 

I played Annie in my fifth-grade musical, curly red wig and all, and caught the performing bug right away. I continued doing my school's musicals and then went on to study at The Uptown Music Collective, a school of music much like School of Rock (yes, really) where I studied music theory, guitar, voice, and directing. Despite my obvious love of music and performance, throughout high school, I thought I might go on to study law in college. It wasn’t until my junior year that I realized anyone actually went to school for musical theater or performance. I came from a relatively small area and not many people before me had followed that path.

Are there any teachers or mentors in your life who truly helped you become the wonderful performer you are today?

There have been so many people along my journey who have encouraged and supported me, and I am so grateful to them. I was so fortunate to find my passions at a young age and have the opportunities to explore them. While I was studying at the Uptown Music-Collective, Dave Brumbaugh helped me foster my work ethic and taught me how to push my own limits which has been instrumental to my growth in life both as a performer and person. Jacquie Engel gave me confidence through her belief in me, and my family has given me the unconditional support necessary for me to believe in myself.

Congratulations on The Addams Family at Columbus Immersive Theater playing such an amazing role in Morticia! How does it feel to be performing again, and what are you most excited for? 

Performing again after having not for almost 14 months due to the pandemic has been surreal, and I am surrounded by a group of people who are just as excited as I am to be back to work. The rehearsal process looks different, of course, and there are challenges that arise while rehearsing in masks and maintaining distance, but there’s nothing like a rehearsal process! I’m so grateful to have the opportunity to be performing again. Morticia is so much fun. This show is the perfect one to jump back in with because it’s so playful. The cast is amazing, and we are all having so much fun.

Are there any roles, shows, or moments in your career that stick out and will always be near and dear to your heart?

I could go through a list of roles that mean a lot to me and have helped shape me, but honestly, I think the roles I have moving forward will be the ones that stick with me because of the dark year we all have had. I think we have all realized how incredibly important theater is, and I won’t ever forget that. I’ll be going straight to another gig in Michigan after The Addams Family, and it already feels so special to me. My mom and dad helped me tape the audition while I was living in my childhood bedroom a few months ago. They were my hair team, makeup artists, readers, and coaches and were just as invested as I was. We all got the news together and jumped for joy. Now, I get to go do that job. It’s just different from any other audition experience I’ve had, and it feels next-level special. 

What advice would you give any young aspiring artists who want a career in the performing arts?

My advice to anyone wanting to make performance a career: 1.) Surround yourself with people you trust. A good community is not to be understated. 2.) Work ethic is paramount and, at times, more important than talent. 3.) Networking. Networking. Networking. 4). You must believe in yourself.  5.) It’s a hard business, and there will be hard times, but it is the most rewarding job in the world!

To learn more about Tess please visit her official website at https://www.tessoliviamarshall.com, and to learn more about her production of The Addams Family please visit - https://columbusimmersive.com