Daniel Irizarry, a Puerto Rico born international director, actor/performer, and educator based in NYC, is one of the greatest advocates of Polish theater. In 2021 we collaborated to produce The Madman and the Nun directed by Daniel Irizarry for the Rehearsal for Truth 2021 festival. To celebrate successful years of collaboration, as part of the new ‘Why Poland?’ series, the Polish Cultural Institute New York asked Daniel few questions about his interests, inspirations, and thought-provoking art.

Why Poland?
My appreciation and love for Polish history came to me through theater books. I immediately felt a profound connection with the Polish theater as I was reading and absorbing, both with a personal & historical empathy as my Island Puerto Rico is still a colonized territory and has experienced invasion and oppression since 1492. The theatre created in Poland had so much sweat and imagination and it became an inspiring place that I wanted to visit and experience. When I moved to NYC for my MFA in acting at Columbia University I received a grant to study with the Gardzienice company summer program in 2002. It was a two weeks training experience. The collaboration with the company actors and international students left a deep mark in my theatre formation. I knew after this cultural exchange what I wanted to do in theatre. To travel, to create and to share around the world. I’ve visited Poland a few times after this experience. I first came as a student and after that I have had the honor and opportunity to share my work as professor, director and actor. 

“Witkacy was born so far away from my birthplace,
we have completely different languages and traditions
but I felt he was speaking a theatre language
that felt so close, visceral and provoking for me.”

Why Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz (Witkacy)?
I first read Witkacy in 2008 when my theater mentor told me to read The Madman and the Nun (produced by the Polish Cultural Institute New York for the Rehearsal for Truth Festival 2021). After I read the play I was like “Who is this crazy mind?!!”. Witkacy was born so far away from my birthplace, we have completely different languages and traditions but I felt he was speaking a theatre language that felt so close, visceral and provoking for me. I felt so connected to his work and approach to art and theatre and would have loved taking Witkacy around Puerto Rico and showing him my island. And his ‘Pure form’ idea is always present in my work nowadays. All arts in one. 

I shared this admiration to Witkacy’s work to playwright and good friend Robert Lyons and learned he was very passionate about his work as well. From that artistic dialogue ‘My Onliness‘ [see excerpt below] was born. ‘My Onliness’ written by Robert Lyons, and music composed by Kamala Sankaram, is a new experimental musical play inspired by the work of Witkacy performed in English and ASL. This project was a lot of fun, with tons of sweat and Pataphysics. We got rave reviews all around and the audience feedback was breathtaking. 

Opening night of The Madman and The Nun. Photos by Madeline Windland.

What inspires you about Polish playwrights?
At the moment I don’t know a lot about other Polish playwrights so I will only speak about Witkacy’s work for now: his poetic imagery and language is raw, submerssive and gives me an invitation to be boldly creative! His violence and dada approach is like mofongo to my ears!

How do you ensure integrity with the original thought?
Decolonization. That is the key. To bring myself and my background to every process and to be open and listen in more than one direction. Respecting the original thought of the writer or movement and then see how that echos within me. Listening with respect but understanding that sometimes to honor a work you must disrespect. Those opposites have to be part of the equation. To listen with all the senses. Never imposing. No one on a pedestal. Again, decolonization is the key. 

How do you come up with all the incredible level of creativity you have in you to make the topic fresh and interesting to a contemporary audience?
When I read a text I let the images come to me. I enjoy seeing and imagining what is not in the text, between the lines of what we don’t see yet. Colors, smells, images, music, tempo, architecture etcetera… they all start coming together. After, organizing and cleaning the mess is the fun part. I like to start the creative process alone. Once I am ready then I start sharing the theatre score with actors and creative team. 

“When I read a text I let the images come to me.
I enjoy seeing and imagining what is not in the text,
between the lines of what we don’t see yet.”

It is very important for me to trust my instincts, years of sweat and bruises, and must importantly surrounding myself with talented and hopefully good and fun artists/human beings. I feel why my approach will always connect to any contemporary audience is because there is a lack of the fourth wall which creates a direct connection with the audience. This experience deeply humane and the non-linear choices mirrors nature and our humanness much more than a theater of structured reality. In my work I celebrate mistakes and GERMS! Without germs there is no evolution. To play play play. To come together and share as human beings. I believe theater will be that last space where we will be able to remember and feel humans. 

My Onliness workshop photos from August 2021.

Daniel Irizarry is a Puerto Rico born international director, actor/performer, and educator based in NYC. He is the Artistic Director of One-Eighth Theater, best known for his productions of The Maids (New York Times Critic’s pick) and UBU (Time Out NY Critics pick), as well as his work at Pregones Theatre and INTAR Theatre. He directed the world premiere Busu by Mishima at Provincetown Tennessee Williams Theatre Festival. He has directed and performed Yovo (written by Robert Lyons) in NYC, Poland, Cuba and South Korea. He has directed and taught workshops in India, Turkey, Germany, South Korea, Poland, Japan, Lithuania, UK, Cuba and his beloved Puerto Rico. He holds an MFA in Acting from Columbia University and is currently an Assistant Professor at Seoul Institute of the Arts in Ansan, South Korea.