Today we’d like to introduce you to Adria Dawn and David Tarleton.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
We are a husband and wife creative team who run a boutique multi-media production company, Tarleton/Dawn Productions, since 2004. We met in Los Angeles, where we both lived for over a decade. Adria got her start in L.A. after getting her BFA in Acting at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and David had just received his MFA at the University of Southern California in film.
We met at a party and that’s where our story began. Adria’s acting career flourished in LA, most notably for working with TV mogul, Ryan Murphy. She appeared in his first series, Popular, for 18 episodes, and then also went on to work with him on Nip/Tuck for 3 episodes. She has been in many films and television episodes and works in indie film as well.
She is also an on-camera acting instructor at Acting Studio Chicago and coaches clients privately. David is a producer, director, and editor, who edited the Webby-Award-winning Muppets series, Statler and Waldorf From The Balcony, for Disney. He was producer and director of the 3D science fiction television series, Dark Secrets, for cable channel 3Net, and recently produced and directed the feature film, Hunter.
We moved back to Chicago when David was hired as a tenured Associate Professor at Columbia College Chicago, teaching directing and editing. We both wear a lot of hats in what we do. Being in the entertainment industry for a while now, we find it energizing to be multi-hyphenates. We are not only an actor and a director, but we have evolved into producers, writers, showrunners, casting directors, etc.
This appeals to us because it keeps us on our toes. We started out producing theatre in Los Angeles, with Adria starring and David directing. We moved on to executive produce the award-winning improv comedy web series, Dorkumentary, with Adria starring and David directing. This past November, we made the series into a live play, Dorkumentary Live!, which played to sold-out crowds at Stage 773.
One of the branches of Tarleton/Dawn Productions that brings us a lot of joy is our partnership with The Performers School. We created Revealing Media Group, which produces a five-week-long filmmaking course where we work with middle school kids and make a film about social change. We are ramping up to do our sixth film with them. These films deal with topics such as cyberbullying, social exclusion, peer pressure, etc.
We are happy that these films are educationally distributed and play at film festivals. Last summer, our film “Pressure” screened at The Grauman’s Chinese Theatre complex with The Dances With Films festival. Helping kids explore these tougher topics and put a voice to their stories inspires us.
An upcoming project that we are wrapping up soon is The Saturday Series, which is a series of 8 short films written by Adria and directed by David, all cast with Chicago based talent. The Saturday Series topics are near and dear to our hearts, focusing on themes such as competition in the industry, romantic blunders, and backstage drama.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Adria lucked out to get cast in a number of roles on television and films right after moving to Los Angeles, including being cast on Popular only 4 months after moving there, which would continue for a two-year stint. One of the challenges Adria faced was when things slowed down for her. The fact that some of the early roles came so easily, created a naive expectation that it would continue to be that way.
But the idea that work would just always be there soon faded. The highs and lows of being on primetime and then cleaning friends’ houses to make ends meet were very humbling. Creating our own work in itself demands us to maintain a clear vision and an even keel on many levels. Locations fall through, actors bail, wondering if anyone will come to support our live shows. These are all struggles we face.
On a daily basis, we struggle with juggling everything gracefully. We adore our nine-year-old son and try to make him our first priority. We believe that “teamwork makes the dream work.” We are so grateful for the longtime collaborators that help us with our vision including our composer Andrew Edwards, editor Jason Madeja and sound designer, Diego Trejo.
Tarleton/Dawn Productions – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Check us out and let us know what you think:
-Our website is tarletondawn.com.
-The kids’ movies can be found at revealingmediagroup.com. As stated earlier, this brings us a lot of joy.
-Adria’s website is adriadawn.com.
-David’s website is davidtarleton.com.
As an actor, Adria was happy that she was nominated as “Gutsiest Woman On Television” by Jane Magazine for her work as for April Tuna on Popular. This can be found on the “honors” page of her website.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
When we think about when we feel the proudest, it’s not necessarily in regards to a certain project gaining attention or being at a certain festival. It’s when we feel a sense of giving back. When our students come back to us and tell us that they’ve learned a lot, or sent either of us a handwritten card, these are the moments that truly fill us with great joy.
We have an invited screening for the Filmmaking for Social Change films. We give out awards and have a red carpet we bring for the kids to walk on. When we see the kids and parents reactions to the final project, this too is an awesome feeling for us.
Contact Info:
- Website: tarletondawn.com
- Facebook: facebook.com/adriadawnfans
- Twitter: @adria_dawn, @david_tarleton
- Other: davidtarleton.com, adriadawn.com
Image Credit:
Kevin Banna
Getting in touch: VoyageChicago is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
