EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

Heart, Rhythm, and Rage: Darwin Del Fabro’s Transcontinental Truth She Creates Because She Must

Conducted by Guillaume Jean Lefebvre

1. For those discovering you for the first time, could you introduce yourself in a few words?

I’m Darwin Del Fabro — a Brazilian-born actress, singer, and writer based in New York. I tell stories that live at the intersection of identity, transformation, and truth. Whether on stage or screen, in music or text, my work is an offering of who I am and who I’ve become.

2. LILI/DARWIN is described as a blend of personal narrative and historical record. What moved or transformed you the most while revisiting Lili Elbe’s story through your own lens?

Reading Lili Elbe’s diaries as a teenager was the first time I saw a reflection of something I didn’t yet have words for. Revisiting her story now, after my own transition, I realize how much courage it takes simply to exist — then and now. What moved me most was the sense of continuity, like she handed me a thread and said: Go on, finish the line.

3. After your transition, you describe this piece as a rebirth rather than a reinvention. What does that mean to you, both as an artist and as a woman?

Reinvention implies creating something new — but I didn’t invent myself. I unearthed myself. This piece is not about becoming someone else; it’s about returning to someone I’ve always been. As a woman and an artist, that reclamation is a quiet revolution.

4. Your voice has often been described as magnetic and soothing. How does music play a role in this piece, and what do you hope the audience will feel through it?

Music is memory, vibration, and emotion all at once. In LILI/DARWIN, I use music the way I’ve always used it — to say what words can’t. I hope the audience doesn’t just hear it, but feels it — in their chest, in their skin. That kind of resonance can heal.

Brazilian-born actress, singer, and writer Darwin Del Fabro has built a career at the intersection of identity, transformation, and truth. From her early days in Brazil’s musical theater and television to her acclaimed work in New York, Darwin has continually pushed artistic boundaries with sincerity and fearlessness. Her latest work, LILI/DARWIN, is both a personal and historical journey — a story of reclamation, visibility, and healing. Beyond the stage, she champions creative communities through Madalena Productions and the soon-to-open Cahoots, a space dedicated to fostering connection and amplifying marginalized voices.

INTERVIEW

5. LILI/DARWIN is not just a play, but also an act of visibility and healing. What emotions do you hope to awaken in those who come to see it?

I hope people walk away feeling both seen and shaken. I want them to feel tenderness where they thought they had walls, to leave more curious than when they entered. Visibility isn’t about being looked at — it’s about being understood.

6. How has your journey in Brazil — between musical theater and television — influenced the way you tell stories now in New York?

Brazil taught me to tell stories with heart, even when resources are scarce. I grew up in a culture that uses music, humor, and resilience to survive. That spirit lives in everything I do — even on a New York stage, that rhythm is always with me.

7. You’ve worked alongside iconic actors like Kevin Bacon and Carrie Preston. What did you take away from those Hollywood experiences that you now bring to the stage?

Working with artists like Kevin and Carrie taught me the power of listening — real, present, generous listening. It’s a discipline and a gift. Whether I’m on set or on stage, I bring that same focus and respect for the moment, because it’s where everything happens.

8. Your play explores the cost of being fully yourself in a world that doesn’t always make space. What gives you the strength to keep creating despite the challenges?

Love. The love I have for the boy I was, for the woman I am, and for others still fighting to be seen. And rage, too — the kind that transforms into art, not destruction. I create because I must, and because I believe in the power of being unapologetically alive.

9. In 2025, you launched Madalena Productions and are about to open Cahoots, a space for creativity and community. What do these collective projects mean to you in your artistic journey?

Madalena Productions and Cahoots are about creating the spaces I never had — places where artists, especially queer, immigrant, and marginalized voices, feel held and heard. It’s not just about making art; it’s about making room.

10. What does a typical creative day look like for you, between writing, music, and performance? Do you have any artistic or spiritual rituals?

Every day starts with coffee and silence. Then I move — a walk, a stretch, a hum. Writing and music flow in waves, so I follow what calls me most that day. My rituals are simple: candles, playlists, and smiles of gratitude before I step into the work.

11. Finally, if you could whisper a message to young Darwin dreaming of being on stage, what would you say to her today?

You were never wrong about who you are. Even when the world didn’t see you, you were right. Keep singing, keep writing — your voice will carry you.

Photo credit: Oliver Miguel I Talent: Darwin Del Fabro