Tamara Bernier Evans

Last updated

Tamara Bernier Evans
Born
Tamara Michele Bernier

(1974-06-06) June 6, 1974 (age 50)
Occupations
  • Actress
  • musician
  • producer
  • director
Spouse Richard Evans (m. 2003)
Children2

Tamara Bernier Evans (born Tamara Michele Bernier; June 6, 1974) is a Canadian actress, musician, producer and director.

Contents

Early life

She was raised in North Bay, Ontario, [1] by teachers Joanne Scott and Raymond Bernier. Her sister, Trista Bernier Grant, was a professional athlete who won a bronze medal for pole-vaulting at The Commonwealth Games in 1998. She obtained a BFA in acting at York University in Toronto, Ontario. [1]

Career

Evans began her career by earning a coveted spot in The Stratford Shakespeare Festival's Young Company [1] where she spent four years playing such roles as Celia and Audrey in As You Like It , [2] Sylvia in The Two Gentlemen of Verona , [3] and Dunyasha in The Cherry Orchard . [4]

In Toronto, she worked with the Necessary Angel, [5] Canadian Stage Company, Tarragon Theatre and Nightwood Theatre [6] companies developing and premiering new plays including Seven Lears by Howard Barker, [7] It's All True by Jason Sherman, [8] Outrageous! by Brad Fraser [9] and Anything That Moves by Ann-Marie MacDonald. [10] In Ottawa, she performed at The National Arts Centre in the world premiere of Allen Cole's jazz opera The Wrong Son. [11]

In 2000 she won the role of Tanya [12] in the Toronto stage production of Mamma Mia! . [13] After performing the role for two years at The Royal Alexandra Theatre, she was asked to join the Broadway company [14] at the Winter Garden Theatre in New York City. [15] She also performed the same role at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.

She played the role of Rose Narracott in Mirvish's 2012 Toronto Production of War Horse . [16]

Television and film

Her television credits include Republic of Doyle (CBC), [1] Flashpoint (CTV), [1] The Border (CBC), [1] Kung Fu The Legend Continues (Warner Bros) [17] as well as many recurring voice roles on animated series including Mystique on Wolverine and the X-Men , [1] Helen Spitz on Braceface [1] and Lady Illusion on Ace Lightning . [1]

She has worked on the feature films The Break-Up , [1] The Invasion , [1] Catch and Release [1] and St. Roz, [18] among others.

Tamara is a co-founder and co-owner of Awen Entertainment, a TV and film production company she started with Gregory Sheppard, set up to nurture Canadian television writers and their projects in order to attract international co-production.

Writing and directing

As a playwright, her musical Beholden was produced at Theatre Calgary's Fuse series in 2009. [19]

Evans became the Assistant Artistic Director at Tarragon Theatre in Toronto in August 2015. [20]

She directed 'Midsummer, a play with songs', at Tarragon in April, 2017.

Music

Evans produced her first album of original music entitled Brand New Remedy in 2000. [21]

Personal life

Tamara married composer and pianist Richard Evans in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They have two children, Meredith and Owen.

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 "Spotlight on Alumni: Tamara Bernier Evans : Theatre". theatre.ampd.yorku.ca. Retrieved February 7, 2017.
  2. "We Like It". Stage Door Review. Stage Door. Retrieved August 9, 2011.
  3. "Study Guide" (PDF). The Two Gentlemen of Verona Study Guide. Stratford Shakespeare Festival. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 9, 2012.
  4. Friedlander, Mira (September 13, 1998). "Cherry Orchard Review". Variety Magazine.
  5. "Home". necessaryangel.com.
  6. "Home". nightwoodtheatre.net.
  7. "Necessary Angel Website". Necessary Angel Websire. Necessary Angel Theatre Company. Archived from the original on February 21, 2014. Retrieved August 9, 2011.
  8. "It's All True". Necessary Angel website. Necessary Angel Theatre Company. Archived from the original on February 22, 2014.
  9. "Outrageous". Xtra! Magazine. Archived from the original on September 28, 2011.
  10. "Anything That Moves review". Canoe Online. Toronto Sun/Canoe Online. Archived from the original on July 13, 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  11. "Study Guide" (PDF). The Wrong Son. National Arts Centre. Retrieved August 9, 2011.
  12. "Mamma Mia!". The Unofficial Toronto Fan Site. Angelfire.
  13. "More Mamma". NOW Magazine. October 5, 2000. Retrieved August 9, 2011.
  14. "Mamma Mia!". Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved August 9, 2011.
  15. "Mamma Mia! Divas Wave Goodbye". Broadway.com.
  16. Ouzounian, Richard (August 9, 2011). "All-Canadian team saddles up for War Horse". The Toronto Star. Retrieved August 9, 2011.
  17. "Kung Fu The Legend Continues". Internet Movie Database. IMDB. Retrieved August 9, 2011.
  18. "St. Roz". Internet Movie Database. IMDB.
  19. "FUSE poster" (PDF). Theatre Calgary website. Theatre Calgary.[ permanent dead link ]
  20. "Tamara Bernier Evans | Tarragon Theatre". www.tarragontheatre.com. Retrieved February 7, 2017.
  21. "Pop work". Mark Shannon Website. Mark Shannon.