• Four people are in a room with wooden walls. One man is speaking or acting with his hands gesturing, wearing a colorful patterned shirt and teal pants. A young woman stands next to him, smiling, wearing a red top, patterned skirt, and rainbow socks. Two other people are sitting, one man and one woman, listening attentively.

    Into The Beautiful North

    “As Nayeli, Ilse Zacharias is a formidable presence – and not just because the character is ferociously good at karate. Zacharias captures the wide-eyed innocence of a young woman who has never traveled beyond her hometown, and the fierceness of a born warrior. Her evolution is subtle but unmistakable.”

    — Chicago Sun Times, Catey Sullivan

  • Two performers, a man and a woman, on stage with dark background; the man has dreadlocks, wearing a military-style jacket, eyes closed; the woman has makeup and styled hair, wearing a dress with gloves, gazing upward, with stage lighting.

    Anna Karenina

    “Tolstoy, of course, was a master of precise characterization, which Buha really does exploit very well. And Link, to her credit and with great help from the honest Zacharias, avoids the trap of hyperventilation or bathos, into which movies based on Tolstoy often sink.”

    — Chicago Tribune, Chris Jones

  • A woman wearing a pink dress and a tiara, appearing surprised or excited, stands in front of a microphone. A man in a suit behind her has his arms outstretched, also showing excitement, on a stage with decorative curtains.

    La Havana Madrid

    “a beauty pageant winner (Ilse Zacharias) whose moment of glory is interrupted and underscored by violence. Zacharias, in the evening’s most memorable scene, plays Myrna… She torches the boards with a monologue that concluded in raucous applause while she cooly checked her complexion in a compact mirror. Anyone who’s had the pleasure of meeting Ms. Salazar will know the portrayal to be as accurate as they come.”

    — New City Stage, Kevin Greene

  • Three women appear emotional, with two of them comforting a crying young girl, in a cozy, decorated living room.

    The Madres

    "This great conceit is the centerpiece of act two, and it leads to some devastating moments—particularly those involving... Ilse Zacharias, radiant as Belén."

    — Chicago Reader, Tony Adler

  • Two women sitting on the floor in a dark room, visibly emotional, with one holding her pregnant belly and the other appearing distressed.

    The Abuelas

    “There is one more character in the story, her name is Belen - deftly handled by Ilse Zacharias, who also played this role in ‘The Madres’.”

    — Around The Town, Alan Bresloff

  • A woman in a red dress points a red umbrella at a man in a black coat and gray cap on a dimly lit stage.

    Crime and Punishment

    “Zacharias brings an uncanny honesty and modesty to Sonya that avoids any cliché of saintliness, yet suggests an understanding of the human condition that is at the very heart of Dostoyevsky’s story.”

    — WTTW, Hedy Weiss