Faculty

Profile

Irina Kruzhilina is a New York-based director, scenographer, visual dramaturg, experience designer and educator, creating work at the intersection of visual art, live performance, and civic engagement. She interweaves deeply personal themes of home, history, immigration, and polarization, to paint thought-provoking narratives that she brings to life through mesmerizing, socially relevant creations. Her creative endeavors range from interdisciplinary downtown theatre to large scale parades, from opera to site responsive installations. Her work has been shown at Times Square, Tokyo Disney, BAM, Prague National Theatre, NY Philharmonic, and Barbican Center. Irina has collaborated with acclaimed artists and organizations including Dmitry Krymov, Doug Fitch, Lars Jan, Geoff Sobelle, En Garde Arts, Mabou Mines, and Arlekin Players.  

Irina is the founder of Visual Echo, a New York-based performance organization dedicated to facilitating generative dialogues among people from diverse backgrounds. As the artistic director of Visual Echo Irina has conceived and directed several original productions, including Journey of a Dream, a cross-generational venture developed in collaboration with Peace Child International in commemoration of the UN’s 75th Anniversary, and “Мис”Translation, an interactive installation delving into the artistic potential of verbal and artistic mis-matches.  

Since 2019, Irina has been an integral part of the New School CoPA team. She has developed and taught a wide range of original courses in design, devising, directing and site-specific performance and made a significant contribution in shaping the curriculum for the MFA in Contemporary Theatre and Performance.  

Besides teaching at the New School of Drama Irina has also served as a guest lecturer at educational institutions, including at Yale School of Drama, California Institute of the Arts, Sarah Lawrence College, La Guardia Community College, Beloit College, Shanghai Theatre Academy, and Kulturakademin Trappan in Gotheborg, Sweden. Beyond these, she has led diverse workshops at national and global conferences and festivals including the Sibiu International Theatre Festival, the ITI World Congress, Fujairah Monodrama Festival, Baku International Theatre Conference, TCG National Conferences and the CrossCurrents Gathering.  

Irina holds an MFA in design from California Institute of the Arts, and an MFA in fashion design from the Textile University of Moscow. She has continuously expanded her expertise through diverse training programs in directing, performing and design including the Russian Institute of Theatre Arts, La MaMa Umbria International Symposium for Directors, SITI Company Saratoga International Theater Institute, DAH International Theatre School for Directors, and Odyssey Works.