Daniel Irizarry

“The balance of power is ever-shifting in Daniel Irizarry’s thrillingly kaleidoscopic, boldly physical world”--The New York Times

'Rabelaisian director Daniel Irizarry, a capering theatrical creature with a goat’s appetite for heights”--The New Yorker



Daniel Irizarry is a Puerto Rican born International Experimental Theatre director, performer and educator based in NYC. His work embraces highly stylized and visceral acting, pataphysics, a profound celebration of GERMS, and communion with the audience through consent. He is the Artistic Director of One-Eighth Theater and Lecturer at MIT Music & Theatre Arts. In his most recent work, he directed and conceptualized ‘Retratos’ with local Chilean and Argentinian actors at Temporales Internacionales de Teatro and Universidad de Los Lagos in Puerto Montt, Chile. This Spring he will direct and perform in the world premiere of “classdismissed.edu” at La MaMa’s Ellen Stewart Theatre (April, ‘25). Next summer his experimental musical project “My Onliness” will perform in the prestigious Sibiu International Theatre Festival in Romania (June, ‘25). He is also a Practical Advisor for artist Dominykas Vaitiekūnas’ PhD Thesis at The Doctoral Department at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre.

Other notable credits; Directed and devised “Plum Box—Strange—Ideal and more than…” 10 poems of South Korean artist Yi Sang, created at MIT Music and Theatre Arts in collaboration with Harvard and Berklee College, composed by Professor Woody Pak. Directed & performed in “Ultra Left Violence” written by Robert Lyons, as the final project for the historic closing of 30 years at the New Ohio Theatre. “The Maids” by acclaimed playwright Jose Rivera (New York Times Critics pick); “UBU” by Adam Symkowicz (Time Out NY Critics pick). Directed the world premiere of “Busu” by Mishima at Provincetown Tennessee Williams Theatre Festival. Directed and performed “YOVO” written by Robert Lyons and produced in NYC, Poland, Cuba and South Korea. Directed and performed “My Onliness” by Robert Lyons at New Ohio Theatre in NYC & selected as one of the best performances Off-Broadway in 2022 by Theatermania. Directed the world premiere of Witkacy’s “The Madman and the Nun” in Ankara, Turkey which toured to Gardzienice International festival in Poland, produced at Pregones Theatre and Bohemian National Hall in NYC.

Over his career he has directed, performed and taught workshops in India, Germany, Japan, Lithuania, Italy, Romania, UK, Colombia, among others. As an educator he has most notably taught as a Guest Professor at Folkwang University (Essen, Germany), Visiting Assistant Professor at Bilkent University Performing Arts (Ankara, Turkey) and Assistant Professor in the Acting Department at Seoul Institute of the Arts (Ansan, South Korea). He holds an MFA in Acting from Columbia University and a BA in Drama at The Universidad de Puerto Rico.