Hilltown Bard

A native daughter of Rensselaerville, New York, and 10th generation hilltowner, Tara McCormick-Hostash is the founder and Artistic Director of R'ville Stage Creations, a community theatre serving rural Albany county. A proud storyteller and bard, Tara has been a natural performer since she began whistling at the tender age of two. After studying vocal performance at Schenectady County Community College and getting an incredible education at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy's (AMDA) musical theatre conservatory program in New York City, she returned to her hometown to build her life and help grow the local theatre community.

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In 1995 Tara appereared in her first community theatre comedy at Conkling Hall in Rensselaerville, NY and was instantly fell in love with storytelling to her neighbors in an intimate space. Since then, Tara has performed in over 30 amatuer and professional theatre productions in the Capital District of Albany, NY and surrounding areas. Most recently playing Trixie, the Usherette, in her visionary Rocky Horror productions of 2021 & 2022, in which she took the audience for a wild ride through Frankenfurter's side show of oddities. She has also enjoyed gracing the stage as Morticia in The Addams Family, Asaka in Once on This Island and Marton Mama Morton in Chicago with various local theatres.

Tara is called and honored to hold space for any person looking to hone their craft. Working with various local school districts and community theatres, she has been the creative vision behind 29 main stage productions, including Little Shop of Horrors, Suessical x 2, Annie x 2, The Rocky Horror Show x 2, Footloose, Once on This Island, Five Women Wearing the Same Dress, Cinderella, The Underpants, Alice in Wonderland, starring her gorgeous daughter, Aurora, and 3 originally written cabarets. Tara currently sits on the board of directors at Conkling Hall. In her passion for storytelling in a safe space, Tara has hosted numerous workshops, camps, private lessons and improv classes over the past 10 years.

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Following in the bardic traditions of humans past, Taradwyn's storytelling takes on a magikal feel. Following the spiritual path of druidry, she is a working bard and transition celebrant. After finishing her studies in the bardic grade the summer of '24, Tara recently added dwyn to her given name to create her magik name. She is currently working in the ovate grade in the Order of Bards, Ovates, and Druids, UK and a member and ritualist of the Ancient Order of Druids in America. Taradwyn sits on the council of ECG (East Coast Gathering, formerly DOOR) as head ritualist and at the 2022 Dragon Oak OBOD Retreat, she presented her workshop "Musical Theatre and Awen" to a room full of intimidating pagans and survived. Taradwyn continually cultivates her spiritual and professional path by attending classes, writing & performing rituals and weaving together every aspect of life into one beautiful existence.

Ever grateful to live in the same valley and drink of the same source for over 40 years, Taradwyn continues to reside in Rensselaerville, NY. One of the Helderberg Hilltowns, the northwest foothills to the Catskill Mountains, nestled on the edges of the Mahican and Haudenasaunee territory, formerly called Ga-no-no-o. She is eternally surrounded by breeze, family, friends, dog, woods, music on the hilltown air, and the local Goddess, Myosotis.