Tessa has performed at South Coast Repertory, Shakespeare Theatre of Washington D.C., Utah Shakes, Yale Rep, Westport Playhouse, Wilma Theatre, Kirk Douglas Theatre, and several Off-Broadway. A member of Antaeus Company and an arts educator, her TV work includes recurring on Monster(s), How I Met Your Father, The Affair, as well as Lucifer, Modern Family, Shameless, On the Verge, I’m Dying Up Here, Law and Order, Law & Order SVU, ER, Numbers, Boston Legal, Hot in Cleveland, feature films Birth and I’m Not Rappaport.

Awards include the 2020 Ovation Award for Best Lead Actress in a play, a 2018 Lunt-Fontanne Award, Best Female Guest Star for a TV Voiced Performance 2018 (nomination), the Oliver Thorndike award for excellence in acting from Yale Drama.