About
Isabel Beatriz Tongson is a Filipina-American playwright, actor, director, and other things when the occasion arises based in New York City. She is most passionate about authentic storytelling, and her career is focused on creating substantial and genuine narratives for historically marginalized artists that span a wide range of genres and forms. She is excited by the idea of decolonizing theatre as a means of hacking a mainstream narrative.
Playwright
Isabel is an international award-winning playwright. Her work often explores themes of the Asian-American and generational immigrant experience, gender and sexuality, gun violence, and what it is to be a young person in the 21st century. She was invited to join the Dramatists Guild of America at age seventeen. Isabel is licensed and published by Concord Theatricals. She is currently a Miranda Family Fund Fellow. Her work can be read on New Play Exchange.
Actor
Having started in middle school with a production of Oliver Twist (the play, not the musical), Isabel has loved performing on stage. She is fascinated by the extreme integration of movement into storytelling, and she takes being a strong mover very seriously. A lover of comedy, drama, and everything in between, Isabel is most excited by roles that are authentic to her experiences as a first-generation Asian-American.
Director
As a director, Isabel loves reimagining classic texts to explore marginalized narratives. She likes to integrate movement into her work, as well as turn comedies into tragedies. She loves working with plays that stray from conventional formatting and traditional voice. She occasionally directs her own writing.
Much More!
Isabel has extensive experience in both production and administrative roles. She has previously worked on the Obie-Award Winning production of Grief Hotel by Liza Birkenmier, directed by Tara Ahmedinejad with Clubbed Thumb, produced and administered for Mabou Mines, and served as DEI Coordinator on the executive board of the King's Crown Shakespeare Troupe. She is currently a production assistant and scenic carpenter for the Barnard Theatre Department, as well as the Head of Social Media for the Barnard Theatre Department.