Tara graduated from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London under Hugh Cruttwell, receiving an honours distinction and winning 5 prizes and awards: the Kendal Prize, the Bryan Moseley prize for Stage Combat, the William Poel Memorial, the Sir Emile Littler Award, and the Carole Brahms Award.

"I was offered a place at RADA and travelled from Texas to begin my training. I wanted to make the most of the life changing opportunity I was given. We worked on many productions with different directors. I played great roles that I knew I'd be lucky to get once I entered the profession. Hugh Cruttwell was our principal and an inspiration to every student who passed through RADA during his tenure. Hugh was passionate about the art of acting and cared deeply for his students. He didn't hold back in critiquing our work. But we respected his insight and took to heart whatever he said. When we started working professionally, he always found time to come see our work. I trusted and valued his opinion more than anyone. He became a close friend, and I cherished my time with him up until his death." Tara Hugo

After returning to the US, Tara studied acting with Uta Hagen in New York and began her career at the prestigious Tyrone Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis, playing Juliet, Ophelia, Saint Joan and other major roles during the three seasons that she was a resident actor. More highlights included Solveig at the Hartford Stage with Richard Thomas in the Tony nominated production of Peer Gynt, Regan in King Lear at the Actors Theatre of Louisville, Antigone at the Denver Centre for the Performing Arts, Hero in Much Ado About Nothing at the Folger Shakespeare Theatre in Washington DC as well as new plays at the Kennedy Center. She starred in several off Broadway shows in New York. Before moving to London, Tara was on Broadway in Macbeth, directed by Nicol Williamson, playing a witch and understudying Sigourney Weaver. She was contracted to take over from Weaver -- but the production closed early after several mishaps.

In London she wrote her first one woman show that involved acting and singing. The late Alan Rickman directed the show, and she performed it at notable venues in London. She was in On Borrowed Time directed by Imelda Staunton at the Southwark Playhouse. As Jenny in The Threepenny Opera directed by Phyllida Lloyd at Sam Mendes' Donmar Warehouse, she sang the famed Mac the Knife song, the Tango Ballad and The Socrates Song, and was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award after receiving stand out reviews from the London press. A cast recording followed. Tara went on to star in more Brecht/Weill shows including Happy End (American Express Award Nomination for Best Musical), Banares at Bettina Jonic's Royal Albert Hall Salon and a one woman show Bilbao for Adam Pollock and Allan Watkins in Batignano, Italy for the Kurt Weill Centenary.

She played Nirvana, in Road To Nirvana by Arthur Kopit for the EU premiere in Edinburgh, and returned to the Edinburgh Festival with her husband in a short lived drama called Ego. She was nominated for a Best Actress 'Offie' (off west end) for Stephanie in Legacy Falls at the Charing Cross Theatre in London. Terry Johnson cast her as Jacqueline in his original production of La Cage Aux Faux at The Chocolate Factory. Tara was Madame Raquin in Therese Raquin at the Finborough Theatre and the Park Theatre and is responsible for organizing the recording of the show for TER records. Tara introduced Pulitzer Prize winner Robert Schenkkan and his play Building the Wall to the Park Theatre in 2019. She brought together the Glass creative team with the Coronet Theatre team, resulting in the recent production of Infinity.

The late Sir Richard Attenborough cast Tara in her first film, a featured role in In Love and War with Sandra Bullock. Other feature films in which she appears include Kingsmen: The Golden Circle, United 93, Submerged and Hellboy. She stars in several independent films. Tara continued her association with Lord Attenborough as an Associate of The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. Her pro bono work for the academy continues to date: As founder of The American Supporters of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (ASRADA), she serves as a "buddy" to young RADA grads and looks for ways to help new graduates. Other work as an actress includes UK television roles in: Silent Witness, Big Women, The Poetry of Passion, Murder City, Midsomer Murders and more. A full CV is linked below;.

Tara started singing in Amarillo, Texas with her father, Hugo Loewenstern, an accomplished musician who played professionally for many years with major artists in Hollywood where Tara was born. They eventually moved back to Amarillo, the hometown of her parents where Tara grew up. She recorded a CD Music for Art, with her father, that includes an inset of the artwork of her mother, Mary Lou Loewenstern. Tara sings everything from Jazz, Country, Blues, Contemporary, her own compositions and the music of Philip Glass, a composer she'd admired since her student days.

PHILIP GLASS WORK:
Tara is a long-time singer and actor of Philip Glass' theatre and poetry pieces. The most recent production was the EU premiere of Infinity at the Coronet Theatre London in July 2023. The piece by Glass with libretto by Arturo Bejar was scored for Tara, as the one singer/narrator, accompanied by 5 musicians. She first auditioned for Philip Glass and his company in 2007 and was cast as a principal singer in Book of Longing (Glass's collaboration with Leonard Cohen) The show toured internationally for two years: 4 principal singers, 7 musicians, and Glass at the piano. It was conducted by Michael Riesman and staged by Susan Marshall. Other Glass work over the years includes The Bacchae, directed by JoAnne Akalaitis starring Jonathan Groff at the New York Shakespeare Festival's Delacorte Theatre in Central Park, Philip Glass and Friends at the Issue Project Room Brooklyn with Laurie Anderson, a performance at the Garrison Institute, singing the songs from album she made with the composer, Tara Hugo Sings Philip Glass. She joined Glass for a concert at City Winery NY. At Glassfest Bristol UK she performed the album song cycle accompanied by Michael Riesman. And again in 2015 accompanied by Trevor Gureckis at the RADA Festival London. Tara was the mezzo in a concert version of Monsters of Grace, in celebration of the composer's 80th birthday. More Glass includes playing Edward Snowden in Whistleblower by Jerry Quickley in New York, California and Amsterdam. For the Glass' Days and Nights Festival in 2013 she performed Tara Hugo Sings Philip Glass and returned to the festival in 2017 with Whistleblower and Infinity. And in Amsterdam, she appeared in Philip Glass and Friends. After US performances were cancelled due to the pandemic, Infinity was filmed in 2021. Solo work for Philip Glass also includes an acapella recording for the Broadway production of Ivo Van Hove's The Crucible. The album Tara Hugo Sings Philip Glass was a collaboration between Tara, Philip, Kurt Munkacsi and Trevor Gureckis. There are 12 tracks on the album including four Glass instrumentals that were made into vocals with lyrics by Tara. The album is available on several digital sources, including Amazon. Recordings available: Tara Hugo Sings Philip Glass (OMM), Book of Longing (OMM) Threepenny Opera (TER), Anything Goes (TER) Therese Raquin (TER). There are all of the many tracks Tara has recorded over the years, in all genres, that can be found on Soundcloud.

See Tara's resume/CV
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