About Me
Writer | Theatre Artist | Musician
meet daniella
Daniella Ignacio (she/her) is a Filipina American writer, theatre artist and musician, born and raised in northern New Jersey and now based in Washington, D.C. She holds B.A.s in Journalism and Musical Theatre from American University.
Daniella aims to tell stories that embrace diversity, reveal a shared humanity and teach empathy, understanding and love. She's a multi-hyphenate artist who brings her structured writer’s brain to innovative musical theatre and journalism that champions goodness in a harsh world. For her, it’s all about intersections and making the world better through deeply honest and authentic work.
publicist | arts journalist | copywriter + editor
Daniella is the Communications Manager at Ford's Theatre, serving as an institutional writer and editor and managing press relations, publications and copywriting for Ford's emails, website and blog. She previously worked with the Asian American Journalists Association as programs and communications coordinator, uplifting AAPIs in journalism through social media, design, copywriting and programs administration. When not working full-time in communications, she freelances as an arts journalist, dedicated to covering social justice conversations in the performing arts.
Recent Bylines (aka the professional journalism bio): Daniella's bylines include American Theatre Magazine, D.C. Theater Arts and AAJA Defined. She previously wrote for D.C. Theatre Scene, as a Day Eight D.C. Arts Writing Fellow, and for The Eagle at AU, where she served as Online Managing Editor. For more information and to view her portfolio, click here.
actor | singer | music director + pianist
As a theatre artist, Daniella is passionate about new works, inspired twists on classical texts and stories about the power of young people, community and uplifting the global majority. Daniella grew up a musician first, playing piano and studying classical voice, and has since become a vocal chameleon, self-taught guitarist/ukulele player and budding songwriter. Since graduating, her artistic work in musical theatre has been in teaching artistry, performing and making music in the DMV area. For more on what sparks her artistic interests, explore her portfolio here.
Recent Credits (aka the professional MT bio): Daniella has worked with companies across the DMV area in various capacities, including Ford's Theatre, Imagination Stage, Keegan Theatre, Rorschach Theatre, Asian Pasifika Arts Collective, Strand Theater Company, D.C. Capital Fringe Festival, Kennedy Center Page to Stage Festival, Theatre Lab/Washington Stage Guild and Wildwood Summer Theatre.
the storytelling spiel
stories that interest me across disciplines
Stories of great challenges, adventure and innovation.
Stories that share radical joy and childlike sense of play.
Diverse stories uplifting people of the Global Majority, that resonate due to their specificity.
Stories about the power of young people.
Stories that make me feel seen as a Filipina American woman with sensory processing challenges.
Topics related to musical theatre, education and community-building.
Comfort stories that meet me where I'm at.
Specific types of theatre I love:
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Daring new work, especially with lyrical, evocative, imagery-filled language (“plays that use poetic license”) and new musicals that push boundaries
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Inspired twists on classical texts and Golden Age works
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Musical theatre with musical complexity, including Stephen Sondheim, Jeanine Tesori, Jason Robert Brown, Lynn Ahrens/Stephen Flaherty
fun facts
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aries sun, virgo moon, cancer rising
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has SPD, and is specifically a sensory seeker
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infp with some j leanings
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type 4w3 on the enneagram
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ravenclaw
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daughter of apollo (pjo series)
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music: powerful singer-songwriters, particularly in acoustic/indie pop and folk. faves: joni mitchell, sara bareilles, dodie clark, maggie rogers, lizzy mcalpine, olivia rodrigo
