MFA, MS - Tess is the Producing Artistic Director for Placer Rep. Previously, the artistic director for two San Francisco theater companies, and founder/board president of an economic & workforce development nonprofit organization for Santa Cruz County, her performing arts background includes international tours as an actor/singer/dancer and produced and published director / playwright for national and international touring productions with renowned performing artists, such as Brenda Wong Aoki, and companies like Dell’Arte Players. She has instructed and directed at numerous educational institutions, including UC Davis, University of San Francisco and University of Minnesota. Projects on which Forsyth worked performed at venues such as the Kennedy Center, the Smithsonian, Dallas Theatre Center, San Diego Repertory Theater and famous venues in Europe, Asia and South America, and received Dramalogue Awards, Critics Circle Awards, and an Indy Award: Best Spoken Word Album. While with Placer Rep, her projects have won Broadway World Awards, the Gloria Burt Fellowship and Gold Country Media awards. Her prior works have won numerous grants from the NEA, CAC and corporations. She has taught or created curriculum for numerous universities and is a member of professional organizations: The Dramatists Guild (DGA), Stage Directors & Choreographers union (SDC), and The Association for Theatre in Higher Education (ATHE).

Gina has certificates in Technical Theater and Animation, a make-up license from VIZIO Make-up Academy of Beverly Hills, and attended Orange Coast College to study TV/FILM. She has worked as a camera operator and camera graphics person for Garden Grove TV, where she produced and directed local commercials, but particularly loves her experiences in the theater from Props Master, Sound and Lighting to Make-up and Hair to Wardrobe Assistance and Stage Management. Currently, Gina is employed as a technician for Harris Center events and Folsom College productions, as well as employed by Broadway Sacramento, and by Placer Rep as the Programs Specialist & Education Facilitator for VAPA Discovery ELO program.

Bio coming soon.