About Vaibu
Vaibu Mohan (she/her/hers)
Vaibu Mohan is a writer, performer, producer, educator, and arts administrator based in New York City.
Vaibu hails from Arizona by way of Canada and Tamilandu, India. Her heritage deeply influences every aspect of her art making. Her journey began with her mother teaching her Bharatnatyam and her father writing plays to help her learn Tamil.
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.
Vaibu is deeply committed to new work development and creating spaces for creators and stories which have historically been excluded from the American theater.
AS A WRITER
VAIBU wrote a story once that started as a murder mystery and then she didn’t know how to finish it so the characters magically fell in love at the last second. She’s been trying to redeem herself ever since.
Vaibu specializes in musical theater writing as a lyricist, book writer, and composer. She also works in mediums such as opera, dance (original concept and adaptations), screenwriting, and playwriting. Her work has been showcased at Lincoln Center, Rattlestick Theater, Brooklyn Children’s Theater, The American Opera Project, Atlanta Opera, The Phoenix Theater Company, 54 Below, and Greenroom 42. She was a 2021 Write Out Loud Finalist.
Vaibu finds herself drawn to stories which meld the epic with the intimate.
Out Now: Pure Brown Noise EP, Nayika (Song Cycle)
In Development: Sati: Goddess Incarnate, Adi-Antham, Jala Smriti (Water Memory)
AS A PERFORMER
VAIBU’s artistic practice as a performer centers authenticity, joy, love for community, and radical inclusion.
Vaibu’s artistic journey began in Bharatanatyam and Carnatic music, which she still actively practices and performs. She has experience singing in a plethora of different vocal ensembles from Carnatic to Indian fusion to acapella and barbershop and is always drawn to the communal joy that comes from singing in a group.
Her mission when she is onstage and off is to foster community. Community is the most unique feature of live performance and Vaibu finds that the magic of performance comes from the strong community surrounding you.
AS A PRODUCER
VAIBU specializes in the development of new work and creation of shows and live experiences which center voices telling new and exciting stories.
She was the co-producer and director of the Works In Progress series at 54 Below, a salon style showcase of new work for writers to get real time feedback from a live audience. She has produced new musicals in concert, readings, and workshops with specific focus on making space for writers and writing teams who do not have institutional or financial support.
Vaibu was a members of the inaugural Theater Producers of Color cohort and is proud to be a part of the next generation of producers changing the way new work gets made.