Mark Tjarks

Mark Tjarks is a Professor of English and Chair of the Department of English and Applied Linguistics at Hawai'i Pacific University, within the College of Liberal Arts. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Hawai'i and is actively engaged in teaching scriptwriting, film, and literature.

His research and creative interests center on playwriting, documentary theatre, and creative writing. He has made significant contributions to dramatic arts through numerous productions and staged readings, exploring themes of identity, social issues, and human experience through documentary-style narratives. His work bridges academic scholarship with theatrical performance, particularly in the realm of documentary musicals and new play development.

Throughout his career, Mark Tjarks has received multiple prestigious awards recognizing excellence in playwriting and theatrical production. These include the Po’okela Award for Best Overall Play, the Kumu Kahua Theatre Resident Award, and top honors at national playwriting competitions.

• Recipient of the Po’okela Award for Best Overall Play (2014)
• Winner of the William Faulkner Literary Competition Best Play Contest
• Two-time winner of Women in Theatre Best Comedy Awards
• Aloha Theatre Opie Award for Best Play
• Best Play Awards (Judges and Audience) at PlayBuilders 2015 Festival
• Kumu Kahua Theatre Playwriting Competition Resident Award

Mark Tjarks is currently the Resident Playwright at PlayBuilders and has had 32 productions and staged readings of 15 original plays since 2004. His notable works include Houseless in Paradise, Family Googling, The Unsalable Thing, and Playing for Change, a documentary musical based on subway musicians. His plays have been performed at Off-Broadway venues such as Theatre at St. Clement and Theater for the New City in New York, as well as regional theaters like the Tallahatchie River Players. He collaborates with theater festivals and new play development programs, contributing to the growth of contemporary American theater.