About
arts + education + community
Isa S. Chu (she/her) is a Bay Area-based vocalist, actor, and performance coach who realized a while ago that "perfection" is a scam. Now, she wants to empower artists of all ages to show up, take risks, and enjoy the process of making art.
A card-carrying choir nerd since elementary school, Isa spent two decades with the Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir, training, singing, and performing on stages all over the world, from street corner jams to concert halls and stadiums. Her musical DNA is a colorful, chaotic blend of 90s R&B, Cantonese pop, Rodgers and Hammerstein, and the whimsy of Sesame Street.
She has performed in productions around the Bay Area, with her favorites being Avenue Q, Calendar Girls, A Grand Night for Singing, and The Holiday Channel Christmas Movie Wonderthon. She reviews Bay Area theater productions for Theatrius, adjudicates for the Sara Bareilles Awards, and currently serves as President of the San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics’ Circle.
As a teaching artist and coach, Isa is less "drill sergeant" and more "hype-woman." She loves to help performers find their own weird, wonderful artistic voice by prioritizing joy and curiosity over being "correct."
Born in Hong Kong and raised in Oakland, Isa is a natural connector who wants everyone (including herself) to feel just a little braver than they did yesterday. When she isn't on stage or in a classroom, she’s likely down a YouTube rabbit hole watching cake decorating videos, talking to her plants, or lying to herself about her ability to flip a vintage dresser over a single weekend.
