Tammy Ostrander’s interest in directing theater productions began in high school. “We had a really active theater,” says Ostrander of her high school. "We had this little weekend where we did An Evening of Drama." As a junior and senior, Ostrander directed for this event.
These days, Ostrander directs primarily at the College of St. Scholastica. "I think I do my best intellectual and creative work when I'm directing," says Ostrander who got into a regular habit of directing upon arriving at CSS. Noting that the lone person in the theater department was directing three shows a year, Ostrander offered to lend her services. "One year I directed one play and it just kept going."
When selecting a play to direct, Ostrander has a process. The play has to speak to her as a director, and not as a performer. "If I read a script and I start seeing images and I start hearing some sounds that I think will associate with it, then I know I can direct it."
Currently, Ostrander is directing Nell Gwynn by Jessica Swale. The play opens at the CSS Theater later this month.