Last year, we spoke with Tess Degenstein about her roles in The Two Gentlemen of Verona and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) [revised] [again]. If you missed that Bard Blog, make sure to read it here!
This summer, Tess is back at Bard in Stephen Drover’s Macbeth, which reimagines Shakespeare’s bloodiest tragedy in the aftermath of a world-ending event. In this dystopian landscape, Lady Macbeth keeps her home of Dunsinane a sterile haven—at least until the Macbeths’ bloodshed starts to contaminate the sanctity of their home as well. Tess steps into this role with complexity and fearlessness in a performance that audience members are calling “outstanding” and “incredible to watch.”
Recently, we had the chance to catch up with Tess and chat about her return to the BMO Mainstage, finding the dynamic between the Macbeths, and her recent short film, “How Brief,” which premiered at Sundance earlier this year!
This is now your third Season at Bard! For those of us who don’t know you already, can you introduce yourself?
My name is Tess—I’m an actor, writer, and improviser originally from Regina, Saskatchewan, though I’ve lived all over the place. I feel very grateful to call Vancouver my home now.
You get to dive into a very storied role in Macbeth this summer. What was it like to take on a character like Lady Macbeth?
It’s been a total trip and an honour. It’s been a wildly valuable experience as an artist collaborating not only with the director and the material but also with a kind of nebulous third thing, which is the archetype around the character. People have their own expectations around her—which it’s been interesting to think about meeting or subverting—or they don’t! In which case, this may be the first time they encounter her, and I’m so honoured to make that introduction. She’s so wild and complicated and insane, and it’s been rewarding to find where she lives inside me.
Tess Degenstein as Lady Macbeth in Macbeth (2026) | Photo by Emily Cooper
There’s such a push and pull of power in the relationship between the Macbeths, particularly in this production. How did you work with Munish Sharma and Stephen Drover to discover the dynamic between these two characters?
In terms of the scenes with the Macbeths, it was pretty organic, with Munish and I doing our preparation separately and then meeting in the scenes and working out with Drove [director Stephen Drover] what he was seeing from those meetings and what he’d like to see more or less of. Munish is such a generous and kind performer, so it’s thrilling to see him take on this mammoth, tortured role. He’s been so egoless and tireless in his pursuit of the character. And Drove is so SMART; his big brain was always driving at the essence of the play.
Tess Degenstein as Lady Macbeth and Munish Sharma as Macbeth in Macbeth (2026) | Photo by Emily Cooper
In terms of my wordless scenes without Macbeth, those were a lot of trial and error, exploring one image or theory, and then throwing it out to explore another. These plays are so wild. They’re a mystery you’re passed for a time to consider, and then pass along to the next production, actor, and director taking it on. Drove and Munish were excellent archeologists to excavate alongside. The design team and cast rocks too.
Do you have any rituals to help you prepare for each show, and what do you do to take care of yourself during a run like this?
I definitely need a shower after the show to deal with any remaining blood—I found this out the hard way by going right to sleep after the show one night and ruining a sheet set at home! Otherwise I like to bike to and from the show—it’s an excellent warm-up and cool down.
Do you have a favourite memory from this summer or from other Seasons at Bard?
It was so fun and wild to share a role with my partner Nathan Kay in The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) [revised] [again] last year. We love collaborating, and that experience of creating the same role together really took collaboration to a new level. I loved working so hard together at something so profoundly silly. And then to get to flip genres entirely and play Lady Macbeth this year… I just feel very, very lucky every day.
In addition to your work in theatre, you also have a short film, “How Brief,” which made its Sundance debut earlier this year. Can you tell us a bit about that project and how you got into filmmaking?
I’ve always really loved the medium of film—I tend to think in images over dialogue, which I’ve been told makes me more suited to writing for film over theatre. “How Brief” began as a writing prompt from a dear friend and teacher, Peggy Redmond, who has since passed away. She encouraged me to write based off of a seed for 30 minutes a day; two days later I had a film inspired by the music of Connie Converse, a singer/songwriter who engineered her own disappearance. Visionary actor/director Kelly McCormack agreed to direct, and the whole thing came to fruition thanks to the tireless work of Vancouver producers Lucy McNulty and Ariel Bond.
Gray Powell, Tess Degenstein, and Tatiana Maslany in “How Brief”
Who are the artists (e.g. performers, writers, musicians, filmmakers, etc.) that have influenced and/or inspired you in your own practice?
My best friend Tatiana Maslany, my partner Nathan Kay, and my group chat with Laura Dawe and Monica Heisey. My close relationship with my mom, who writes her own poetry. The plants I try and sometimes fail to keep alive. Our dog Midge.
When you’re not under the tents at Bard, how do you like to spend your time?
Biking and writing and trying to avoid my phone, and instead being out in the world.
Tess and Nathan’s dog, Midge!
Thanks for sharing your insights with us, Tess!
See Tess onstage this summer in Macbeth and on select Fridays in August with Bard After Dark! Macbeth runs until September 18 on our BMO Mainstage—tickets start at $30!