About Me: Bio

About Me

Writer // Theatre Artist // Musician

hiiiiii! nice to meet you.

Daniella Ignacio is a Fil-Am arts journalist, actor, music director, dramaturg, and teaching artist based between DC and NYC. She loves lyrical new works, reimagined classics from Shakespeare to Golden Age, TYA, social justice stories, and living within her hyphens. She is an associate editor with American Theatre Magazine and was a 2026 National Critics Institute fellow. Bylines include Washington City Paper, Washingtonian, DC Theater Arts, The 51st, and 3Views on Theater. As an artist, she’s worked with Eugene O’Neill Theater Center (NMTC & NPC), Devil’s Isle Shakespeare Co., Puppet Co., Rorschach Theatre, Glass Canon Theatre, Nu Sass, Adventure Theatre, and more. As a teaching artist, she has taught music and devised original works with students at Imagination Stage, Educational Theater Company, and Arena Stage. Her work in AAPI advocacy in theatre includes communications lead for the DMV’s AAPI theatre coalition HEART and secretary for Jaemi Theatre. Education: BA MT/Journalism, American University.

Hit her up at daniellaignacio34@gmail.com for any musical theatre and other freelance inquiries you may have! For American Theatre -specific pitches and business, please reach out to dignacio@tcg.org.

artistic statement: making change with curiosity and creativity

I create innovative musical theatre and journalism that champions social justice. I bring my love for words, language, human interest, and emotional truth into all my storytelling work. I’m a questioner who analyzes why things are the way they are and offers useful context and critiques, a dreamer who likes to imagine better worlds and reflect poetically, and a do-gooder who empowers the next generation through teaching, thoughtfully amplifies unheard voices, and reports for historical record with heart and hope. I love a good adventure that requires bravery, tenacity, vulnerability, and authenticity. From actor-musicianship, to songwriting, to movement-based theatre, to puppetry, I am a dynamic artist able to learn new skills quickly. I love to explore the world through storytelling. It helps me process and understand life, and maybe my stories can help you process and understand yours too—or at least bring some light to your day. I am soft and strong, and I’d like to think you can be, too.

don't just take my word for it

Music directors have called me a “chameleon” in my vocal and instrumental skills; I often jump around to whatever harmony they need to hear the most because I’m reliable. Directors have told me my presence is “sparkly.” Folks in the industry have described my writing as “thoughtful and intelligent.” And other critics (crazy!) have called my performances “a stunning call to resistance and a jolt to the system” and “wonderful.”

fun facts

aries sun, virgo moon, cancer rising
has SPD, and is specifically a sensory seeker
INFP sentimentalist
type 4w3 on the enneagram
ravenclaw
daughter of apollo (pjo series)
fave music genres: powerful singer-songwriters, particularly in acoustic/indie pop and folk.
fave musicians: joni mitchell, sara bareilles, dodie clark, maggie rogers, lizzy mcalpine, olivia rodrigo
instruments she has a hold of: keys (w/ MIDI), guitar, ukulele, violin, egg shaker, kazoo, recorder, tom drum