PuSh Profiles – Tara Travis

December 15, 2012

PuSh Profiles is a series where you can get to know the names and faces of the people that make this festival so great. 

Tara and her puppet Fluffy

* Tell us what you do for PuSh in one or two sentences – or a haiku.

I love a good haiku challenge…
Groups of ten or more

May PuSh it for a sweet deal

Talk to me and save

* How long have you been involved with the PuSh Festival?

On and off, in various capacities, since its inaugural year. I had been an 
intern at Rumble Productions back in the day, then worked a few small 
contracts with them here and there. These days, PuSh is the ONE
 administrative contract that I keep outside of my work with Monster
 Theatre. I always try to squeeze in some sort of role with PuSh no matter
how busy my year is, because it’s such an important festival in this city, and it’s run by some of the greatest people I’ve ever had the pleasure of
 working with. It’s always a delight to return.

* What is one of your favourite memory of PuSh?

So hard to choose!! Last year, there were some pretty killer nights on the
 Club PuSh dance floor. Also, trying to manage lineups in a sold out show at
 the Milton Wong—I was super stressed out and overwhelmed…then I just 
had this wave of joy wash over me. What an amazing problem to have. SO many
 people want to see the theatre that PuSh has brought to Vancouver that 
we’re squished like Sardines. It became a performance of its own.

* Which PuSh shows/ experiences have stayed with you?

Marie Brassard’s Jimmy was a huge reminder to me of the transformative 
powers of theatre artists, even using the simplest of tools. Eight years 
later, some of the images still resonate with me.

* What are you looking forward to at this year’s festival?


This may seem like a cop out, but it’s true: Everything!
 Okay, okay, King Lear, I, Malvolio, and The Strange Undoing of Prudencia 
Hart are standouts for me. I also can’t wait to check someone out at the
Human Library!

* Outside of PuSh what do you (like to) do with your time?


I am a Theatre artist (actor, writer, puppeteer) and the Artistic Producer 
of Monster Theatre (and Monster Theatre For Kids). I spend most of my year 
creating and performing original works of theatre all across Canada.

* What does ‘crossing the line’ mean to you?


Stepping outside the circle of expectations in the most thrilling possible
way.