Tan Tarn How

Tan Tarn How is a Singaporean playwright and senior research fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies (Singapore). He has written six plays, which have been staged in Singapore and Hongkong. His plays have won numerous awards.

Education and Career

Tan Tarn How graduated from Peterhouse, Cambridge in 1982 with Bachelor of Arts Honours, Natural Sciences Tripos. He then obtained a Diploma in Education from the Institute of Education, Singapore in 1984. Tan was also a recipient of a three-month Fulbright Scholarship to Boston University in 1993.

Tan Tarn How is currently working for Institute of Policy Studies, Singapore. Prior to this, he worked at "The Straits Times", Singapore's main local newspaper, from 1987-1996 and 1999 to 2005. Posts he held at "The Straits Times" include Science and Technology editor, Sunday Review editor, Life! deputy editor, senior political correspondent and also a foreign correspondent based in Beijing and Hongkong.

From 1997 to 1999, Tan was Head Scriptwriter for Drama, Productions Five at the Singapore Television Corporation (now known as Mediacorp.

Tan Tarn How has also been a teacher and television scriptwriter. He is also the part-time Associate Artistic Director of the drama company Theatreworks, where he has been leading workshops for budding playwrights.

Others

* 1987 Attended the Shenandoah International Playwrights Retreat in Virginia, sponsored by the Singapore National Arts Council and Shenanarts
* 1989-93 Member of the Theatreworks Writers' Laboratory
* 1989 and 1990 Dramaturge to young playwrights of the Gifted Programme Arts Enrichment Programme

Works

Plays

In Praise of the Dentist (1993)

This short play was staged by ST*RS.

The Lady of Soul and Her Ultimate 'S' Machine (1993)

Staged by Theatreworks.

Home (1993)

Staged by Nanyang Technological University Playhouse. It was originally staged by Theatreworks in 1990.

Undercover (1994)

Tan Tarn How was joint winner of the National Book Development Council Drama Award in 1996 for this play.

ix of the Best (1996)

Staged by Theatreworks.

The First Emperor's Last Days (1998)

This play was staged for the Singapore Arts Festival by TheatreWorks. Later, it was staged for the Asian Performing Arts Festival in Hongkong by Chung Ying Theatre. The play won the Hong Kong Best Ten Productions of The Year Award.

Machine(2002)

This play was staged in Singapore at The Black Box, Fort Canning by Theatreworks. Tan won Best Script in Singapore’s premier theatre award, The 3rd DBS Life! Theatre Awards, for Machine in 2003.

Confessions of 300 Unmarried Men (2006)

Publications

The Lady of Soul and Her Ultimate 'S' Machine

Personality + Power = Changes UnlikelyTan Tarn How, in Arun Mahizhnan, ed., Singapore Perspectives 2004: At the Dawn of a New Era, Marshall Cavendish Academic for IPS, 2004

Articles

Some articles Tan Tarn How wrote for "The Straits Times":
* July 28, 2002 Kampung Boys Across Causeway All Grown Up http://straitstimes.asiaone.com/analysis/story/0,1870,134334,00.html
* July 25, 2002 Competition Spurs Malaysia And Singapore http://straitstimes.asiaone.com/singapore/story/0,1870,133935,00.html
* July 22, 2002 Government Cuts Apron Strings With Home-Loan Policy Shift http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/singapore/story/0,1870,133286,00.html
* July 8, 2002 12 Bills Passed, But So Many Missed Chances
* July 6, 2002 Probe Into Web Articles Spooks Net Community http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/singapore/story/0,1870,130265,00.html
* July 6, 2002 Public Money, But Who Does Public TV Serve? http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/singapore/story/0,1870,130219,00.html

External links

* http://tantarnhow.blogspot.com/
* http://tantarnhow.wordpress.com/
* http://inkpot.com/theatre/02reviews/02revmach.html (Flying Inkpot review of 'Machine')

ources

*Seet, K. K "Performance Review: Six of the Best"
*Theatre Journal - Volume 49, Number 2, May 1997, pp. 214-216
*The Johns Hopkins University Press