We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Isabella Thatcher. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Isabella below.

Isabella, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

I count myself very lucky to be a person who grew up constantly surrounded by the arts. I come from a family of musicians—my mother is an incredible violinist and composer and my father is a wonderful violist and conductor—so the arts were something that I was quite literally born into, and have shaped my life so completely because of it. As freelance musicians, my parents were always traveling across the country to perform in festivals, concert halls, and tours, and would take my siblings and me along with them when we were young. Not only were these trips so special and exciting for me as a kid because I got to experience so many new places I had never been before and meet wonderful new people, but they were also always educational. I got to see what the life of a freelance musician was like, what it meant to have the freedom to pursue your passions and work within your own parameters, and just how much art and music can bring people together. I got to familiarize myself with a myriad of musical styles and genres, meet and work with musicians from across the globe, and acquaint myself with a wide range of composers from across the centuries. For a kid who had just barely begun to read, it was about as exciting and adventurous as anything could get!

I had always known that I wanted to pursue a career in the arts, ever since I was young, but I wasn’t completely sure what that meant for me for a long time. I began studying cello at the age of five, and have continued my work with the instrument well into adulthood, as a teacher, performer and composer. I studied classical voice beginning at the age of nine, and was soon working professionally with the Malibu Friends of Music as a singer and actor. Collaborating with this organization helped me to learn and grow immensely as an artist from my youth into adulthood, and I am grateful to have the opportunity to continue working with them to this day.

I discovered my passion for acting first through dance, with the Malibu Coast Chamber Ballet where, as a child, I performed in a number of ballets inspired by the works of Oscar Wilde, Robert Browning, and Maria Newman, among others. While I loved the movement and dance facet of these performances, I was always the most fascinated and excited by the characters I got to play, their stories, and the different ways I could bring out unique parts of myself in my portrayal of them. By the age of eleven I had performed in my first fully staged theatrical production, and I have not stopped acting since!

For a long time, while I had a wide variety of artistic endeavors that I was pursuing to choose from, I still did not have a definitive answer for which I wanted to continue professionally in the future. I was still studying voice and cello, I was acting consistently, I had already begun writing scripts and working on my first novel, but I was so thrilled by the act of creating that I hadn’t taken the time to think about what I might want to do professionally, though I always knew that I wanted to be involved in the arts in some capacity.

My decision to become an actor finally solidified for me in 2015, when I attended the Oregon Shakespeare Festival Summer Seminar in Ashland, Oregon. Alongside sixty-four other selected applicants, I spent two weeks immersing myself in the world of theatre, working with OSF’s incredible actors, directors, designers and dramaturgs, studying the works of William Shakespeare and seeing every production of OSF’s 2015 season. I learned just how much of a collaborative effort it is to stage a production, and how each and every person contributing is invaluable to the process. It was inspiring to see how closely people had to work together and trust each other to make each incredible production work, and it introduced me to a wonderful sense of community in a capacity of which I had never seen. While I was there, working alongside my peers and these wonderful professionals, I realized just how passionate I was about acting and theatre, and found a wonderful place of belonging within that community. After the two weeks were up, I left Ashland and returned home with the knowledge that, without a doubt, I was going to pursue acting professionally.

I have found that something that a lot of people don’t tell you about the arts is that you don’t actually have to choose to just do one thing. Having a broad skillset is a wonderful asset, and will only help you as you continue in your artistic pursuits. I returned to Ashland in the autumn of 2016 to begin my studies as an actor at the Oregon Center for the Arts at Southern Oregon University, and throughout my time there I found that my vocal and instrumental skills helped me immeasurably in all areas of my work. I discovered a love of acting improvisation that I hadn’t previously realized was there and have continued it well into my professional career, both through teaching and performing; I worked with incredible actors and directors at the Ashland New Plays Festival, collaborating as a cellist and musician; and I combined my passions for acting and vocal music, graduating with a minor in musical theatre—a process that helped me to learn and grow immensely and build upon those skills in a way that has continued to help me throughout my career to this day.

Having a wide range of experience and skills in a variety of artistic fields has only proven to help me in my career as an artist today. I am an actor, and a musician, and a writer. Having this varietal experience has allowed me space to participate in a myriad of projects, and also to create my own work in the way that I want it to be. I am incredibly grateful that I can pursue my passions in multiple areas of the arts, and to know that I am doing what I love, with the support of my family and friends behind me.

Isabella, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I am a freelance actor, writer and musician. I have been working in the industry since I was a child and got my start as a singer with the Malibu Friends of Music. There were many contributing factors that led to my decision to pursue a career in the arts. Growing up surrounded by wonderful musicians, I was constantly inspired by their work and by my own familial legacy, and was always encouraged from a young age to forge my own path and continue that legacy in my own unique way. I am very passionate about entrepreneurialism, and I truly believe that creating your own work is one of the best possible ways to build an illustrious and fulfilling career in the arts. For many years, I have been collaborating with the Malibu Friends of Music as an Artist in Residence in their Malibu Coast Music Festival, a year-round series of salon concerts at the wonderful Montgomery Arts House for Music and Architecture (MAHMA) in Malibu, CA. Not only has working with this wonderful organization helped me to learn and grow immensely as an artist, they have also taught me a wide variety of ways to create and promote one’s own work on an entrepreneurial level. Throughout the pandemic, I was fortunate enough to have been one of the artists involved in “Montgomery Arts House Presents…”, a virtual initiative launched by the Malibu Friends of Music that continued to provide performances in the form of online musical broadcasts, released to the official “Montgomery Arts House Presents…” YouTube channel, in order to keep creating and sharing our work with our patrons even when we could not be performing concerts in person. Resident and guests artists would record pieces from their own homes that were then edited together in the form of a video broadcast concert. This proved to be an immense source of joy and comfort for our regular patrons who could not come to see us in person while the lockdowns were happening, and also expanded our platform to people across the world who had not previously heard of us or interacted with the organization. Though we have returned to in person concerts, “Montgomery Arts House Presents…” has continued, and has become a wonderful way to share the amazing work of these professional artists and musicians, and to connect with people from across the globe who would not otherwise be able to interact with us in person.

Having been inspired by the work that we did with “Montgomery Arts House Presents,” in the summer of 2020, I went on to collaborate as a producer, actor, and story editor on Burn The Witch: The Series, written and directed by my sister, Martha Thatcher, whom I have found to be a truly extraordinary colleague and collaborator. Burn The Witch: The Series (which was not produced through SAG-AFTRA or the AMPTP – we are completely in support of the ongoing SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes!) is an eleven-part series that follows a coven of witches who must band together to solve a sinister mystery when one of their own is killed and others are quickly targeted after. Pre-production began in the summer of 2020, with our final episodes set to release at the end of October 2023. This has been my first time both producing and acting in a project at the same time, which has brought new and exciting challenges that I hadn’t previously considered, has helped me to learn so much about the inner workings of film production, what often works and what often does not, and has provided invaluable knowledge that will undoubtedly help me as I continue to produce and act in my own work, as well as others.
Production of this series was particularly unique as it was filmed during the pandemic in five separate units across the country, with actors also doubling as crew members when they were not on camera, and Martha directing via Zoom and Facetime. It created some unique challenges one would not otherwise face on a typical film production, and provided some wonderful insight and perspective of the world on and behind the camera. When I was not working as a producer or acting on camera, I was acting as a production assistant behind the scenes. Having to juggle so many tasks at once was a little intimidating at first, but it taught me so many valuable lessons that I will carry with me as I continue with my career in the arts.

In Burn The Witch: The Series, in addition to my work as a producer and story editor, I also play the character of Martha Goode, the youngest of the coven members and a powerful necromancer. Martha has been a particularly unique and fun character to play because in many ways she is very much like me and in other ways she is not, and it’s been fun getting to tap into those parts of myself I don’t usually get to see on a regular day. She’s a character that is very near and dear to my heart, and I am so thrilled to be sharing her journey with our audience as we continue to release. Burn The Witch: The Series Volume One (Chapters 1-4) is currently streaming on the official Burn The Witch: The Series YouTube channel, with Volume Two (Chapters 5-7) and Volume Three (Chapters 8-11) releasing in October 2023!

I am also thrilled to announce that, in collaboration with the Malibu Friends of Music, I have opened up my own cello teaching studio, and am currently accepting students! I have studied the cello since the age of five, and have been fortunate enough to have worked with and been taught by world-class musicians throughout my life. I have been teaching privately for seven years, and am so excited to be expanding my studio beginning this autumn! I am accepting students of any age and experience level (including absolute beginner)—all are welcome!

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

That’s such a wonderful question! I think one of the best parts of the arts themselves are how they connect us to our own humanity. I truly believe that creativity is a fundamental part of what makes us human. The arts are what bring us together as a species, and this might sound a little strange, but you can even go as far as to say it stretches beyond that, into the world around us. It connects us with nature and animals as well—this is a bit of a silly example, but I have a dog and a bird who love to howl and sing together, and despite being entirely different species, they have learned a way to joyfully communicate with each other through that medium, where they otherwise would not have been able. We as humans have taught so many creatures to communicate through the use of art and creativity, which I have always found to be equally moving and inspiring.

Humans have always been storytellers, ever since the very, very beginning. There are old legends and tales that have been passed down from generation to generation. We were telling stories and singing songs long before anyone even knew how to write anything down—it’s as much a part of our history as anything else. Art is truly a part of our basest nature, something that every person has a right to pursue in their own unique way, which is why it always breaks my heart to see less priority being given to the arts in schools and in the world at large. Art is what keeps us alive. Throughout the pandemic, everyone was turning on their televisions to watch their favorite shows and movies to escape from the reality they were in, people were reading their favorite books and listening to their favorite music—and I think that sometimes people get so caught up in wanting more that they forget that those are all things that living, breathing human beings have worked hard to create and put out into the world with so much love and dedication. Each piece of art that is brought into this world is something that deserves to be enjoyed and celebrated. Some of the most incredible art has been born from the darkest of times, and it can oftentimes be a way for us to get through hardships and cope with tragedies. I know it certainly has been for me.

I would say that the most rewarding part of being an artist is how human I feel when I am creating. I have never felt more connected to the people around me, or to those who lived in the past, than when I am. When I perform or write, I get to live a thousand different lives and see things from a thousand different perspectives, and each time I come out of it learning something new about the world and about myself. It is the closest thing to magic I can describe, and it’s something that I hope we will never, ever let slip away. Art is a part of who we are, and it always has been.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

For me, it’s hard to imagine one specific goal or mission as an artist because my goal is to always keep striving to be better than I am. There is no such thing as being the best, there is always going to be something more to know and something you inevitably won’t understand, so a willingness and openness to learn and grow and better myself at every turn is very important to me, even in moments where I am satisfied.

I suppose, for me, I would like to inspire people to keep creating in whatever way is meaningful to them. To keep their artistic spirit alive and go on to create in their own unique ways, just as I have been inspired by the artists that have come before me. I grew up watching wonderful musicians and actors perform both live and onscreen, and their work and passion were always great inspirations to me with my own creative pursuits.

I also think the arts are a really wonderful and healthy medium to discuss and process difficult topics, whether that be the current state of the world or something more personal to an individual. Oftentimes, at least to me, the arts have provided a safe environment to confront some of the uglier and more difficult parts of being human, and I love work that challenges my world view and makes me think, that inspires me to see things outside of my own lived experience. The arts can be very influential in inciting change. I would like to inspire people to keep challenging themselves and the world around them, and in doing so, see how they can make themselves and the world around them better. The world is in a constant state of change—people are learning and growing every day without pause. The arts often reflect that change in interesting ways, and I hope to keep learning and growing and seeing things from new perspectives as I continue my career.

I have known and seen artists who have inspired me to no end—who encouraged me to think something different about my world, or myself, or who have helped me to discover new parts of myself I hadn’t previously been familiar with. They have inspired me to create and keep creating, to bring what I can bring to the table, and to accept and embrace the better and worse parts of myself and use them to keep crafting and creating in my own unique way. I am endlessly grateful for that, and I hope that someday I might be that for someone else.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm13843044/
• Instagram: @isabellathatcher
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/isabella-thatcher-334a37234
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdz8R9evUmfs43XiRapFrhw
• Other: Montgomery Arts House Presents: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkn4YhhFIi0c6fdslPZygSw
• Burn The Witch: The Series imdb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt21271410/

Image Credits
Juan Tallo, Matt Dine, Kara Q Lewis, Kim Budd, Martha Thatcher, Elisabeth Grossman, Katie Herling