“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 and Boston. 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. Most recently directed and performed Prof. Watson: A Pataphysical Lecture at Down to Earth Festival and Prelude Festival in NYC initiated by the Martin E. Segal Theatre Center at the CUNY Graduate Center. This summer, thanks to MIT's Fay Chandler and The Dean's Grant, he directed and performed My Onliness at Sibiu International Theatre Festival in Romania. This fall he has been invited as guest artist/Professor to give an intensive Theatre LAB/Seminar at Vilniaus Kolejiga, Lithuania focusing in creating original etudes driven from Lorca's classic Blood Wedding. He is also one of the curators for the 2026 PhysFestNYC that will take place at Stellar Adler Center for the Arts in NYC.
Other notable credits: Directed and performed 'Class Dismissed' at La MaMa Ellen Stewart Theatre, NYC. 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 and conceptualized ‘Retratos’ with local Chilean and Argentinian actors at Temporales Internacionales de Teatro and Universidad de Los Lagos in Puerto Montt, Chile. 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. Directed and performed “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 in the US of “Busu” by Mishima at Provincetown Tennessee Williams Theatre Festival. Directed and performed “YOVO” presented 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 Professor at LMTA (Vilnius, Lithuania), Visiting Assistant Professor at Bilkent University Performing Arts (Ankara, Turkey), Assistant Professor in the Acting Department at Seoul Institute of the Arts (Ansan, South Korea) and Guest Artist/Professor at Folkwang University (Essen, Germany). He holds an MFA in Acting from Columbia University and a BA in Drama at The Universidad de Puerto Rico.