Hilltown Bard

A native daughter of Rensselaerville, New York, Tara McCormick-Hostash is the founder and Contract Artistic Director of R'ville Stage Creations. 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 musical theatre at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy's conservatory program in New York City, she returned to her hometown to build a family 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 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 23 main stage productions, including 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, and 3 originally written cabarets. 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, Tara's storytelling takes on a magikal feel. She is a practicing druid, transition celebrant and a proud bard in the Order of Bards, Ovates, and Druids, UK and a member of Ancient Order of Druids in America. At the 2022 Dragon Oak OBOD Retreat, Tara presented her workshop "Musical Theatre and Awen" to a room full of intimidating pagans and survived. She continually grows her professional path by taking 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, Tara continues to reside in Rensselaerville, NY surrounded by family, friends, dog, woods, music on the fresh air, and the Goddess.