tara beagan

“In Miss Julie: Sheh’mah, playwright Tara Beagan has crafted a remarkable adaptation of August Strindberg’s lust-filled, 1888 ground-breaking naturalistic play.”… “Don’t miss this stunning and provocative reworking of Strindberg’s harrowing play”   – Classical 96.3 FM, Paula Citron

Tara Beagan is a proud halfbreed of Ntlaka’pamux and Irish Canadian heritage. She served as Artistic Director of Native Earth Performing Arts (NEPA), for three years, concluding in December of 2013. She has been playwright-in-residence at Cahoots Theatre Projects, NEPA, and the National Arts Centre.

Tara’s debut play, Thy Neighbour’s Wife (UnSpun Theatre) garnered three Dora Award nominations in ’05, winning for Outstanding New Play. Ensuing plays include Dreary and Izzy (NEPA at Factory Theatre, now in print by Playwrights Canada Press), Here, Boy! (halfbreed productions at Buddies in Bad Times Rhubarb! festival), and head writer/co-director for the Crate Productions collective, The Fort at York in 2007. Quilchena, (halfbreed productions at SummerWorks) which Beagan also directed, debuted in 2007. Beagan’s Miss Julie: Sheh’mah  (KICK Theatre, in print through PCP) premiered in 2008, earning five Dora nominations. Tara was one of four playwrights on the ambitious Theatrefront serial project, The Mill, (in print, PCP.)

Foundlings (writer/director) is a mixed-medium, interactive piece which began at SummerWorks and went on to be featured at the imagineNATIVE film and media arts festival in 2010. Other short works include BLUEBEARD’S WI7E (Caravan Farm, 2008), TransCanada, (NEPA at Harbourfront, 2005), My Pleasure (the Red Machine, The Room, SummerWorks 2009) and the topical Anatomy of an Indian, at the 8th Wrecking Ball. Other premieres include Jesus Chrysler (Praxis Theatre at Theatre Passe Muraille, 2011), Beside Herself (mysterious entity at Market Hall, Peterborough, 2012) and free as injuns (NEPA at BIBTT, 2012).

Beagan directed Waawaate Fobister’s Medicine Boy at SummerWorks 2012, and is directing her own Dreary and Izzy at WCT/Gateway/Persephone/SNTC in the 2013/14 season, as well as a full touring production of In Spirit for NEPA. She is the text contributor for the upcoming Signal Theatre/NAC/DanceWorks  premiere A Soldier’s Tale helmed by Michael Greyeyes.

Tara is honoured to have worked as a workshop facilitator for youth, and a mentor to emerging artists. She is a Dora and Betty nominated actor.

One of NOW Magazine’s TOP TEN THEATRE ARTISTS OF 2007
 
“There’s a flood of human warmth and compassion in anything Tara Beagan creates.” -NOW Magazine

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