My name is Tessio Iniguez and I graduated from Appleton West HS in 2015. I’m not really sure how or why I ended up in theater, but I’m super glad I did. I learned a lot taking Mr Peckham’s Acting class and that’s where I discovered that maybe I had a knack for it. I did 3 plays and 2 musicals while at West, with my favorite definitely being Little Shop of Horrors. After graduating, I continued to pursue theater locally and performed in some community plays. I loved being on stage, and I was beginning to develop an idea of being an actor as a career. 
                Obviously, that’s easier said than done. After doing some extra work on a short film that was filmed at West, I dove into doing some acting for Films/TV/Commercials. I would drive to Milwaukee or Madison at least once a month to audition for some student films. I remember the excitement each time I would get into my car for that mini-roadtrip. Eventually, I decided I needed to move out of state if I wanted to try and find bigger opportunities and roles. I was debating Los Angeles, when I remembered one of my friends lived in Seattle. 
Seattle isn’t really known for Film or Theater, but it’s got a lively community of both. After moving, I got straight to work and auditioned for all sorts of things. I ended up signing up for an Agency (Tiffany Talent Agency) and took more classes with them. I met all sorts of amazing, hard-working people that dedicated their lives to their work and I think they saw my potential as well. I did a lot of extra work for some indie films and finally started earning money for my work. I also had some larger roles in a couple of locally-written shows that reminded me how much I loved the stage.
It was hard, but I had decided I wanted to focus on stage acting as opposed to camera. There’s just something about the raw performance in front of an audience that thrills me. I had another opportunity to move, this time to New York City. I made a lot of connections in Seattle, and those connections had connections in New York. I knew that if I applied myself, even it took a while, I could find success there too. I packed my bags, and dove right into it.
                Now unfortunately, I moved at the worst possible time. The pandemic started sweeping the nation and New York became the epicenter. Most, if not all, local theaters shut down, and I couldn’t find a job for the life of me. After four months of unemployment, and my roommate finally getting laid-off, I moved back to Appleton so I could save some money, be with family, and prepare to try again once this is all over. I’m more determined than ever to become a professional actor.