About Playwright Power
Tara Blau Smollen
Tara Blau Smollen
Tara Blau Smollen
Tara Blau Smollen is an award-winning actor, director, playwright and theater professor. She holds an MFA in acting from the National Theater Conservatory in Denver and has worked extensively both Off-Broadway and in regional theaters across the U.S. During her tenure as the Artistic Director at Porchlight Theater Company her children’s
Tara Blau Smollen is an award-winning actor, director, playwright and theater professor. She holds an MFA in acting from the National Theater Conservatory in Denver and has worked extensively both Off-Broadway and in regional theaters across the U.S. During her tenure as the Artistic Director at Porchlight Theater Company her children’s plays reached over 10,000 students in schools in the SF Bay Area. As a playwright she was excited to be named a finalist in Lifeline Theater Company’s 3rd Annual BIPOC Adaptation and Showcase for her play “Sisters” an African American reimagining of Chekhov’s ‘Three Sisters’. She recently finished directing Jen Silverman’s The Moors which was named by the SF Chronicle as one of the best plays in the Bay Area in 2024. She is excited to be working with David Zak bringing new voices to the American stage during these interesting times.
David Zak
Tara Blau Smollen
Tara Blau Smollen
David Zak is the driving force behind Open Space Arts. With over 40 years of experience as an award-winning theater director, Zak’s diverse body of work spans from the thought-provoking musical Animal Farm to the audacious Jerry Springer - The Opera and the beloved The Christmas Schooner. Recently, he directed The Kramer Project at the C
David Zak is the driving force behind Open Space Arts. With over 40 years of experience as an award-winning theater director, Zak’s diverse body of work spans from the thought-provoking musical Animal Farm to the audacious Jerry Springer - The Opera and the beloved The Christmas Schooner. Recently, he directed The Kramer Project at the Center on Halsted, along with Sunsets and Massage Therapy for Open Space Arts.
A six-time Joseph Jefferson Award winner for his outstanding contributions as both a writer and director, Zak’s legacy extends beyond the stage—he was inducted into the City of Chicago's Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame. Additionally, Zak has ventured into film production, producing Dan Pal’s award-winning short film Counting.