Jean Burgess is a writer, editor, playwright, and workshop presenter. As a former professional stage actor and director, many of her written works relate to the performing arts, including her debut novel, That Summer She Found Her Voice: A Retro Novel. Her nonfiction, entitled Collaborative Stage Directing: A Guide to Creating and Managing a Positive Theatre Environment, was published by Routledge/Taylor & Francis in 2019. Before diving into a writing career, Jean taught theatre and speech communications on both the secondary and college levels for twenty-three years. She holds an M.A. in Theatre from Northwestern University and a Ph.D. in Educational Theatre from New York University. She lives in Maryland with her husband, Don, and cat, Roxie.