Tara A. Houston is an educator, scenic designer, and scenic artist currently teaching at Stephen F Austin State University in East Texas. In addition to designing for her university, Tara teaches Scenic Design, Principles of Design, Scenic Art, and Stagecraft classes; and mentors student designers, scenic artists, and props artisans. A graduate of the University of Arizona (BFA) and University of Illinois (MFA), Tara has designed for a number of companies including the Alabama Shakespeare Festival (where her sets for Twelfth Night and Romeo and Juliet toured through surrounding states as a part of the National Endowment for the Arts Shakespeare in Schools grant), Austin Shakespeare, Music Theatre of Wichita, Alabama Dance Theatre, the Celebration Company at the Station Theatre, and Armory Free Theatre. Her scenic art has been featured by the Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Music Theatre of Wichita, Clarence Brown Theatre, Arizona Theatre Company, and many others. She lives in Nacogdoches, Texas with her fiancee and muttly dog, Obi (short for Oberon).