Fabiola Arias (she/her) is a Panamanian, New York based theatre director, producer, painter and artist. Growing up in Panamá, her first exposure to theater was dance. She grew up watching her dance teachers fearlessly lead rooms, change the way theatre was received and create worlds from scratch every year. This, combined with her love for books, painting and any form of art has fed her own desire to create, change and explore the worlds that theatre provides and has given her the ability to put all her interests and passions into one place.

As a director, she is always finding ways to challenge herself and others while creating new and exciting worlds. She is inspired by Maria Irene Fornes, Frida Kahlo, Cecily Brown, Henri Matisse, Pina Bausch, Ruben Blades, Gabriel García Márquez, Joan Didion, Louisa May Alcott and more. She has a deep rooted love for magical realism, bilingualism in theatre, and stories that make us feel seen and showcase live’s flaws, strengths, ups and downs. She is passionate about working with underrepresented communities and longs to direct works that center on culture, diversity, bring untold stories to the forefront of the theater. She loves working with artists from every background and being able to mix all their wonderful talents into one big ball of magic. She works in English and in Spanish and like in some of her favorite projects, in both at the same time.