Breaking barriers, the 1st playwright with the rare genetic condition PKU showed her work at The Tank theater for the premier NYC production of their new play, Primordial. She’s also my daughter.

New York’s The Tank theater premiered it’s co-production of my daughter playwright Lillian Isabella’s verbatim documentary play, “Primordial” February 1, 2024. I’m proud to join 50+ birth parents in sharing my story for their play.

One of the 1st Documentary Theater Plays about Pregnancy & Childbirth

Assembled from an array of Lily’s interviews with birthing people across the country, the play spans a diverse range of race, gender and age groups. Primordial is one of only a small handful of productions entirely focused on pregnancy and childbirth to be staged in New York City. The story weaves the narratives of many birthing people’s experiences into overlapping stories that amplify one another. She’s included my own experiences as a single mother without health insurance into the work.

The play deals directly with pregnancy, childbirth, patient advocacy, birth without violence, and birth equity. 

My Daughter, The Playwright

Lillian is a Cuban-American playwright and actor, and the first known playwright who has phenylketonuria (PKU). PKU is a rare genetic metabolic condition, diagnosed within the first few days after birth, that affects 1 in 10,000 to 15,000 children in the USA – including both of mine. It can lead to irreversible brain damage if not treated and requires life-long management. Yet, Lillian has a BFA in Theatre from NYU, Tisch School of the Arts.

Lillian’s prior plays have been produced and developed in NYC at The Tank, Cherry Lane Theatre, Metropolitan Playhouse, NYC Fringe Fest, Nuyorican Poets Cafe, and the United Nations. They include THAT’S HOW ANGELS ARRANGED, HOW WE LOVE/F*CK (Finalist, Screencraft Film Fund) and CONVO-GENEOLOGY. Lillian is a member of the Dramatists Guild, acted in numerous independent films and NYC Theatre productions, and is a proud member of the acting unions: SAG-AFTRA and AEA.

Find more about her body of work at lillianisabella.com

I grew up in a single parent household and this play is a love letter to my mom and all birthing people without whom all of us would literally not exist.

– Lillian Isabella, Playwright

She talks about pregnancy and birth as the most magical thing the human body is capable of doing. A line from one of the birthing heroes in the play captures it perfectly, “How the f*ck are we not talking about this all of the time?” 

This play hits on a deep physical level. As someone who has given birth twice, it evoked visceral memories of the experience for me. The production gets at the rarely heard stories, that we only see in passing headlines, but virtually never see on stage.

– Meghan Finn, Artistic Director, The Tank