Tess L. James (she/hers) is a Theatrical Designer and Producer based in Hopewell, New Jersey. Her recent work as a lighting designer includes Felon at the Perlman Theater in New York, Legacy of Light at McCarter Theatre, Hay Fever at the Walnut Street Theatre in Philadelphia, and The Running Show with Monica Bill Barnes & Company in Singapore. On Broadway, she has served as an associate designer for productions including Appropriate, Macbeth, True West, and King Lear.
Tess is the Associate Director of the Program in Theater and Music Theater at Princeton University, where she also leads the Princeton Production Workforce Training program. Her work bridges professional theatrical design and workforce development, fostering new talent and expanding access to careers in the performing arts.