Meet Tyler Tafolla | Musical Theatre Writer, Director, Performer and Producer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Tyler Tafolla and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Tyler, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
My life is drastically different now from when I started out in the business. I am now a husband and father of an eight year old daughter and they are my whole world. My time with them is very important to me so having a good work life balance has been my biggest priority. It’s a very interesting thing when you’re a creator and then have a family because your passions and dreams you had before don’t go away necessarily, but there are new dreams and goals you want to have now with your family. You want to make sure you are giving the right amount of time for each! Writing and creating new work in general requires a lot of scheduling, planning ahead, commitment and years of dedication and love. So in a way, I felt excited to step into the role of parenting and being married because I felt like I was preparing for it all this time in a very different way! It’s been such a joy and honor that I’m thankful everyday!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am a musical theatre composer and playwright. I have written three full musicals (Scott Robbins and the Traveling Show, Seasons, DanceLand) as well as a one-man concert series (Catching Up!). I enjoy writing honest, vulnerable characters who wear their hearts on their sleeves, feel those big feelings and express them only in a way musicals can. The world my shows live in are maximal, fantastic, high energy worlds with characters who are relatable, larger than life and full of heart. It was by far from an easy path to get here. What’s kept me going has been endurance, consistency and community. I have tried (and have managed) to produce at least one (sometimes more) productions of my original work every year. I have managed to create and cultivate a repertoire or actors, musicians and collaboratives who I’ve had the honor of working with on all of my shows. The endurance part has definitely been the hardest part, because this is a very hard road to walk and not the easiest business to break into. But the journey has been incredibly fulfilling and the stories and friends that have been made along the way have been so incredible.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Anywhere where there is live music or there’s a lot of laughter coming from it. Gravitate towards those places. You’ll have the best times.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There are so many people who I would not be where I am in my career if not for them. When I was in college, I had a teacher and mentor named Joel Bishoff who was the director of the original Broadway production of “I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change.” He was by far and away one of the smartest people I knew when it came to storytelling, showing character onstage and how to best create an evening of theatre. He was the first person I came to when I wrote my first musical, “Scott Robbins and the Traveling Show” and he treated me like a real writer. With pages of notes and a lot of feedback. It was the first time someone really asked questions about my work and broke down why certain characters were making certain decisions and why certain scenes and songs were in the piece. The first draft of the script was drastically different from what it eventually became but he treated my work professionally and treated it like it actually could become something great. And sometimes that’s all a new playwright needs. Someone in their corner who knows a their potential, is there to support and help the piece become the best it can be. I’m so grateful to Joel for all he taught me!

Website: https://tylertafolla.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tatafolla/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TylerATafolla

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@tylertafolla8319

Image Credits
Tyler Tafolla