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.

As a graduate of Pace University with dual BAs in Directing and Peace and Justice Studies, my practice lives at the intersection of art and civic life. I believe theatre can influence political and social imagination not by prescribing answers or providing catharsis but by cultivating dialogue, empathy, and critical awareness. My artistic vision is to create brave, honest, hopeful work that brings people into communion with one another – both in the rehearsal room and in performance.   

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. I am drawn to devised and collaborative creation for its ability to challenge cultural ideals of individualism and instead foster collective meaning-making.

Audience engagement is central to my artistic vision. I am particularly invested in immersive and participatory structures that expand the boundaries of audience spectatorship and foster critical awareness. As a theatremaker, I build collaborative environments that reflect the world I hope we may design together: curious, rigorous, and rooted in community care. I make theatre to create spaces where strangers gather and practice transformation together.

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