Anna Bridgforth

is an Actress, Writer, and Emcee that creates charged, intimate encounters between performer and audience.

also known as

Boo Bess…

a bawdy nightlife creature
who says the quiet part out loud

She’s a multidisciplinary storyteller who
explores the space between
persona and truth
with honesty and cutting wit.

Think Catherine O’Hara meets Bette Midler meets Shirley Maclaine

“An actor of enormous intelligence, warmth and intensity”

“Vocally and physically titanic”

Theater Scene

On Stage Blog

“Charming and charismatic”

NY Theater Now

Anna Bridgforth has called New York City home since 2004.

Her early work includes independent film and theater including Bite, We Call Her Benny,
Measure for Measure and An Ideal Husband as well as a bunch of horror films we don’t talk about — IMDB.

In 2015, Anna premiered the one-woman show The Good Adoptee at the United Solo Theater Festival, where she won the Best Actress award.
She performed Bite and The Good Adoptee at the Orlando International Fringe and London International Fringe festivals, respectively.

In 2008, Anna began performing burlesque as Boo Bess. Boo has performed at venues across the U.S. and world, including The Slipper Room, House of Yes, City Winery, Soho House, and Nasty Boys Saloon in Treviso, Italy. She has been the resident emcee at Bathtub Gin NYC‍ ‍since 2013. In 2017, Anna wrote and directed a trailer for a series concept titled By Night, exploring duality as a nightlife performer. She has continued her work as a writer and creator in series development with MadGene Media and Sontag Pictures. In 2018, she received the Most Innovative award at the Burlesque Hall of Fame for her duet with Jenny C’est Quoi.

As an emcee, Boo guest hosts Mavericks at The Plaza Hotel and Casino in downtown Las Vegas and currently serves as the host of The Miss Behave Show‍ ‍for Virgin Voyages. She is currently workshopping her original solo show, Skin Hungry, a darkly comedic exploration of identity and intimacy set against the glittering backdrop of burlesque. Anna is making her Edinburgh Fringe debut in August 2026 with
Circle, an award winning sexy comedy by Suzanne Bachner that the New York Times calls “Ingenious”.

a film

a play

CIRCLE

coming soon