Hello! Nice to meet you!

I’m Isabel, a director/devisor/theatre artist based in Brooklyn, New York. I was born in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, and grew up in a suburb of Boston, Massachusetts. 

Growing up you could have found me climbing trees, making my sister learn my choreographed “Beauty and the Beast” dance in our foyer, or baking appeltaart with my Oma. 

I was raised by a unique combination of the two contrasting tempos of my Dutch culture and American home that shaped me into the person and artist I am today. While time at my Oma and Opa’s house was literally dictated by the calls of different New England birds (a wall clock I now have in my Brooklyn apartment), my parents’ house was underscored by loud 80’s disco and four outspoken children. I am fascinated by the ambiguities and inconsistancies of life, especially by how they manifest in breath and tempo.

I’ve always admired my mom’s ambition and determination and my dad’s ability to truly listen to others. How I work is influenced by these qualities: I aim to listen carefully and be deeply present enough to notice the “unheard music” of a piece, and be ambitious and determined in sharing messages I know are important.

I recently graduated from Pace University, where I double-majored in Theatre Directing with the International Performance Ensemble, and Peace and Justice Studies. I am dedicated to pursuing the intersection of these two disciplines to explore theatre’s potential for social change. I aim to create theatrical work that is brave, honest, and hopeful. I believe our greatest power is human connection, and theatre is a unique ritual for community collective experience. 

My professional training has been largely in ensemble/devised theatre, which has shaped my process as a director into one of collaboration, experimentation, and has cultivated a deep interest in new works. 

My academic side strives to incorporate critical theory and peacebuilding tactics into my work. These two disciplines are inherently interconnected, and recognizing this gives power to the ancient collective meaning-making ritual.

Reach out, I’d love to get to know you too :)