Darwin Del Fabro: Emergence Through Art
Darwin Del Fabro is a Brazilian-born, New York–based actress, singer, writer, and producer whose life and career embody transformation, courage, and creative truth. In late 2024, Darwin underwent gender transition surgery a profound milestone that she describes not as a reinvention, but an emergence. The months that followed were a period of recovery, reflection, and realignment. Now, in 2025, Darwin returns to public life and the stage with renewed presence aligned in voice, body, and purpose.
Photographed by Oliver Miguel
Her new solo play, LILI/DARWIN, premieres at The Tank (NYC) in August 2025. A genre-defying theatrical experience, the piece draws deeply from Darwin’s own journey and her lifelong connection to the story of Lili Elbe, the pioneering Danish painter and transgender woman. Blending personal narrative with historical insight, LILI/DARWIN explores visibility, identity, and the cost and beauty of being fully seen. With live music and original storytelling, it’s a work of healing, rebellion, and creative rebirth.
Through her art and life, Darwin has long explored gender, queerness, and authenticity. Writing LILI/DARWIN was a way to demystify the trans experience by offering a specific, personal story one that invites connection, empathy, and understanding.
Darwin is widely recognized for her breakout role as ‘Gabriel’ in the Blumhouse horror film They/Them, directed by John Logan and streaming on Peacock alongside Kevin Bacon and Carrie Preston. In her native Brazil, she earned acclaim in TV dramas like Ligações Perigosas and Novo Mundo, and captivated audiences in musical theater productions including Shrek the Musical, Fiddler on the Roof, and Era no Tempo do Rei.
Photographed by Oliver Miguel
Her New York stage work includes A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Juneberry Collective), The Feather Doesn’t Fall Far from the Wing (Signature Theatre), and Real (The Tank). As a musician, she’s released several albums — including Revisiting Jobim (Volumes 1 & 2), Revisiting Elis Regina, and Darwin Del Fabro in Rio. She headlined a solo concert at 54 Below in May 2025.
A multifaceted creator, Darwin is also the founder of Madalena Productions, a company developing work across theater, film, and music. This summer, she co-launches Cahoots, a café and cultural space in Manhattan’s Lower East Side — a poetic, welcoming hub for community and creativity.
Darwin’s work on stage, screen, and in song reflects a lifelong desire to translate experience into art. She creates from within, grounded in joy, presence, and the courage to be fully herself. Her evolving body of work reflects not only who she is, but who she has always been.
