Who we are: Board Members
Daniel Cai
Daniel Cai
When Daniel (he/him) went to see Crowded Fire’s The Shipment as a wide-eyed international student in college, very little could have prepared him for the magnitude of unapologetic, uncomfortable truth he was able to bear witness to. Though he had performed in plays and musicals all his life, it is no exaggeration to say prior to that, he had no idea what theatre really could, and should, be. Ever since, Daniel has been in pursuit of theatre that is experimental in form, is comfortable with audience discomfort, and rejects simple resolutions.
As an artist, Daniel’s work is largely informed by his numerous hyphenated identities and desire to upend expectations. Somewhere between a first and second generation immigrant, he cares deeply about representation, incomplete narratives, and fear and misunderstanding of the other. Regarding form, he is unreasonably excited by workshop rehearsals, cohesive design, ensemble movement, and artful scene transitions.
Today, Daniel lives a double life in theatre and technology. When not developing art, he develops self-driving cars at Waymo, where he hopes to bring safe, reliable, and equitable transportation to cities lacking robust public transit. Previously, he graduated from Stanford University with two degrees in computer science. There, he found his family away from home with the Stanford Asian American Theatre Project, serving on the Board for two years and as Artistic Director for one. Selected credits include: Caught by Christopher Chen (director), The Good Person of Szechwan by Bertolt Brecht (assistant director), and Durango by Julia Cho (technical director).
