Bio

Tanuja is an Indo-Caribbean playwright and dramaturg who believes in the necessity of creation during times of destruction. In 2016, she shifted career paths from Traditional East Asian Medicine to theatre in hopes of practicing four frameworks for collective liberation and wellness: self/community care, harm reduction, trauma-informed practice, and body positivity. 

When she's not writing, Tanuja can be found co-organizing mutual aid projects, supporting transformative justice processes, and working for the Little Village Environmental Justice Organization (LVEJO) as their Operations and Just Culture Manager.

Tanuja is currently honored to be devising a musical adaptation of FAUST Olivia Lilley (Director), Vero Maynez (Assistant Director), Sofia Fey (Dramaturg), Alec Phan (Composer), and a wickedly talented ensemble.

Tanuja was honored to have her play, HOW TO PICK A LOCK, presented at RhinoFest 2019 in Chicago. Her play, FIRST DATA GOLD, was presented as part of Our Perspective: Asian American Play Readings at Steppenwolf Theatre. Her short play, BATTLEGROUND, was recently part of Revolutionary Acts, the 6th National Asian American Theater Conference & Festival, and her short play, SKIN, was recently part of the Our Perspective: Asian American Play Readings at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago. It has been workshopped and produced by The Pulp Stage in Portland, OR.

Dramaturgy credits include LITTLE WOMEN, adapted by Heather Chrisler; Olivia Lilley's DIARY OF AN EROTIC LIFE, an adaptation of the Frank Wedekind LULU plays; Kristin Idaszak's STRANGE HEART BEATING; Olivia Lilley's NEVERLAND; Pegasus Theatre's production of ECLIPSED, Sideshow’s Freshness Initiative workshop and staged reading of PRO-AM by Brynne Frauenhoffer, Stage Left's production of Robert Schenkkan's BUILDING THE WALL, Pegasus Theatre's production of THE GREEN BOOK by Calvin A. Ramsey, and Cloudgate Theatre's production of ANOTHER JUNGLE by Kristin Idaszak.