With a collection of
credits from Canada’s top regional Theatres, Tara Hughes is
rapidly living up to her reputation as “a fantastic actress,
one of the best in Canada” (Kent Staines). Since graduating
from the UofA’s BFA Acting Program, Tara has built a solid
foundation in the Classics, especially the works of William Shakespeare.
This focus on the Bard culminated in her recent inclusion in the
Stratford Conservatory & subsequent 50th Anniversary Season.
Tara has also become an avid participant in the creation of new
work, accumulating an enviable list of workshop & performance
credits on some of the most daring new plays in Canada. One would
think that these achievements would allow Tara to rest on her laurels,
but the Alberta-born actress says she still has far to go to reach
her dreams.
“I have so many ideas, & there is never
enough time to create them.” says Hughes, cracking one of
her signature grins, “I’ll never know when I get to
the top – I’ll be too busy making things to notice!”
The adventuring spirit she brings to her work was instilled by her
unusual upbringing in rural Alberta – she spent her formative
years connected to the prairie, learning to ride at an early age
and working in the daily operation of the family’s large ranch.
Despite their isolated location, her parents made certain her artistic
bent was encouraged – Tara studied ballet from the age of
4-18, and was a voracious reader, devouring any books she could
find. “Tara didn’t learn to read,” explains her
mother Cheryl, “she just picked up a book, and read.”
Tara left the farm to attend the University of
Alberta, intending to pursue a career in English Literature. She
soon found, however, that her Minor in Theatre was more often a
major focus of her time. Tara began studying acting in earnest,
from the Oxford School of Drama to the BFA Program, and soon after
graduation began to accumulate professional credits. “I have
been very fortunate to do what I love,” she says.
The response to Tara’s work has been just
as loving. She has been praised for her sense of humour, for characters
possessing a fierce bravery, a spark of temper, or the bent of fragile
vulnerability. Recommended for her endless creativity, Tara is known
to bring a high level of emotional commitment to every project.
She brings a quirky edge to rehearsal hall, displaying a plucky
devotion to risk-taking in the work. She finds moments of personal
dignity for even the most despicable characters, moments which leave
a lasting impression upon both her audiences and her peers –
for instance, her portrayal of the sweetly addled psycho-killer
‘Scout’ in Popcorn (The Citadel Theatre) was recognized
with an Elizabeth Sterling Haynes Award for Best Performance by
an Actress in Leading Role.
Her relentless drive to seek out new experience
seems to engender a wide range of creative outlets for Tara, from
writing to design, from fitness training to African Drumming. She
has begun to amass her first collection of poetry, entitled "The
Night B4 the Morning After", and is currently working on her
first novel – “more like a novella!” Her online
writer’s journal – The
Notched Wing – contains more of her writing, including
book reviews, weekly adventures in Culture, and an ongoing social
commentary. With her endless drive to create, and her boundless
sense of possibility, it seems like this young actress will be too
busy to notice her growing reputation as one of the bright young
lights in Canadian Theatre.
|
