Vocal Opera Drama Studies

Dr Tanya Dean

Lecturer

Tel: +353 (01) 2205413

Dr Tanya Dean is a Lecturer and Programme Coordinator of the B.A. (Hons) in Drama (Performance).

Dr Dean is a dramaturg, theatre scholar, and educator with a deep commitment to fostering critical engagement with theatre and performance. She holds a Doctor of Fine Arts (2016) and a Master of Fine Arts in Dramaturgy and Dramatic Criticism (2011) from Yale School of Drama (now the David Geffen School of Drama at Yale). Currently serving as a Script Associate at the Abbey Theatre, Ireland’s national theatre, Tanya works at the intersection of academic research and professional practice, bringing a unique perspective to actor training, theatre studies, and dramaturgy.

Her expertise in contemporary and modern Irish theatre, playwriting, and performance practice has shaped her career, with a strong emphasis on advocating for equity and dignity in the performing arts workplace. Tanya has collaborated with leading Irish and international theatre companies, including the Abbey Theatre (the national theatre of Ireland), Borgarleikhúsið Reykjavík City Theatre (Iceland), Long Wharf Theatre (Connecticut, USA), and Then This Theatre Company (Ireland) to name but a few. As a researcher, she has contributed to critical discourse through academic publications and reports, including the influential Gender Counts report, which analysed gender representation in Irish theatre. She has also been recognised for her contributions to teaching and scholarship, receiving the Teaching Hero Award in 2021 and multiple new scholars’ prizes for her research.

Research/Performance Interests and Expertise

Tanya’s work explores dramaturgy, playwriting, and performance practice, with a particular focus on contemporary and modern Irish theatre. She is interested in the adaptation and staging of fairy tales, the role of dramaturgy in theatrical creation, and critical and creative approaches to practice-as-research. Her research and professional practice inform one another, allowing her to integrate theoretical insights with practical dramaturgical work.

Professional Affiliations / External Engagements

Script Associate, Abbey Theatre (2021–Present)

Board Member, Rough Magic Theatre Company (2016–Present)

Judge, Irish Times Irish Theatre Awards (2020–2021)

Core Committee Member, Waking the Feminists (2015–2017)

Masterclasses and Panel Chair: Borgarleikhúsið Reykjavík City Theatre, ClassicsNow, Dublin Theatre Festival, Irish Theatre Institute, Rough Magic Theatre Company, thisispopbaby, Landmark Productions, Abbey Theatre, Syracuse University (New York), Saint Mary’s University (Halifax), Mount Holyoke College (Massachusetts) among many others.

Publications / Awards / Upcoming Research Outputs / Performances

Selected Publications

Condron, C.; Power, M.; Mathew, M.; Lucey, S.; Henn, P.; Dean, T.; Kirrane-Scott, M.; Eppich, W.; Lucey, S. "Gender Equality Training for Students in Higher Education: A Scoping Review" in JMIR Medical Education. (Forthcoming)

"Ireland", in The Routledge Companion to Contemporary European Theatre and Performance (2023).

"Perspectives on Practice: Building a Better Environment for All – An Interview with Jane Daly and Siobhán Bourke", Irish Journal of Arts Management and Cultural Policy (2023).

Donohue, B.; O'Dowd, C.; Dean, T.; Murphy, C.; Cawley, K.; Harris, K. (2017) Gender Counts: An Analysis of Gender in Irish Theatre 2006–2015.

Selected Theatre Work (Dramaturgy)

Abbey Theatre: Ironbound (2023—Peacock Theatre, Dublin Theatre Festival), Tartuffe (2023—Abbey main stage and national tour).

Then This Theatre Company: Spotless (2018), Collected Stories (2017), The Yellow Wallpaper (2011, 2012).

Long Wharf Theater, New Haven, CT: The Glass Menagerie (2009), A Doll’s House (2010).

Selected Prizes

Teaching Hero Award, National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education / Union of Students in Ireland (2021)

Society for Theatre Research New Scholar’s Prize (2017)

Irish Society for Theatre Research New Scholars’ Prize (2013)