About Vaibu

Vaibu Mohan is a writer, performer, producer, educator, and arts administrator based in New York City. Hailing from Arizona by way of Canada and Tamil Nadu, India, she brings a unique global perspective to her multifaceted career in the arts. 

Vaibu earned her BM in Musical Theater Performance from Arizona State University and her MFA in Musical Theater Writing from the Tisch School for the Arts at New York University. Her artistic foundation was built through early training in Bharatanatyam and Carnatic music, disciplines she continues to practice and perform today.

As a specialist in musical theater writing, Vaibu works as a lyricist, book writer, and composer, while also creating in opera, dance, screenwriting, and playwriting. Her work has been showcased at prestigious venues including Lincoln Center, Rattlestick Theater, Brooklyn Children's Theater, The American Opera Project, Atlanta Opera, The Phoenix Theater Company, 54 Below, and Greenroom 42. She is currently on commission as a playwright with Live and In Color and as an opera librettist with Atlanta Opera. She was a 2021 Write Out Loud Finalist.

Vaibu is deeply committed to new work development and creating opportunities for historically excluded creators and narratives in American theater. As co-producer and director of the Works In Progress series at 54 Below, she created salon-style showcases where writers could receive real-time feedback from live audiences. She has produced new musicals in concert, readings, and workshops, with particular focus on supporting writers and writing teams who lack institutional or financial backing. A member of the inaugural Theater Producers of Color cohort, Vaibu is proud to be part of the next generation of producers transforming how new work gets made. 

Her performance practice centers authenticity, joy, community connection, and radical inclusion. Whether singing in Carnatic, Indian fusion, acapella, or barbershop ensembles, she remains drawn to the communal joy of group performance. Beyond theater, Vaibu brings her distinctive perspective to comedy, performing with groups such as Drunk Bollywood at renowned New York venues including Caveat, Littlefield, Bell House, and City Winery. Her mission, both onstage and off, is to foster community and create live experiences that center voices telling new and exciting stories.