I’m Issac Lopez (he/they), and I’m a theater and performance artist as well as a beloved personality based in New York City. I’m originally from Fresno, CA, and I journeyed to NYC to pursue a BFA in Drama from NYU Tisch School of the Arts. I pride myself in creating and performing in works, particularly new works, centered around queerness, trauma, movement, legacy, and the empowerment of underrepresented voices. Some notable credits include: Shifty in Lottie and the Deep Blue Sea (Ars Nova), Son in The Shape of a Child (Scholes Street Studio), Hyacinth in Hyacinth and Apollo (Dixon Place), and The Lion in The Wizard of Oz (Playwrights Downtown).

During my time at NYU, I began my studies at Playwrights Horizons Theater School (PHTS) and finished my schooling at the Experimental Theater Wing (ETW). I was blessed to work with many wonderful teaching artists through my undergraduate career. At PHTS, I collaborated with Shakina Nayfack, Sarah DeLappe, César Alvarez, Jennifer Morris, and Jedadiah Schultz. The training there, rooted in collaborative ideals and an all-rounded approach, provided me with a large base of skills that spring-boarded my varied artistic pursuits. From acting to design to writing to production, I gained experience in every area of the theatre. I found a passion for collaborating on new works created by my incredibly talented colleagues, which continues to be a central mission within my career. At ETW, I worked with Rosemary Quinn, Andy Arden Reese, Ani Taj, and Bradley Teal Ellis. The training there, rooted in physicality and the Grotowski method, reignited my lifelong passion for movement and the incredible capabilities of the human body. I found myself enraptured by choreography and dance theater, which continues to be a central facet of my artistic pursuits.

Alongside theatre, I’m an avid connoisseur of film, television, and video games. The use of visual artistry to enhance storytelling has always piqued my interest. When the pandemic halted theatrical pursuits due to its in-person nature, I looked to what I loved within these artistic forms and dedicated myself to a new art form that tied together everything I loved: drag.

You’ll now often encounter my alter ego, Tella Novela (she/they), romping around the city. With her assistance, I plan to use the natural bond of theatre and drag to revitalize the downtown theatre scene. More queerness. More spectacle. More justice. More joy.