Israel Jacob Ramírez Hernández, artistically known as TALO, is a Puerto Rican playwright, writer, and multidisciplinary theater artist. Born in Moca and raised in San Sebastián, he comes from a working-class, religious household shaped by patriarchal violence. Surviving multiple attempts on his life by his father, TALO embraced a feminist and anti-patriarchal ethos from a young age. As a queer man, his adolescence was marked by alienation and rejection from family, peers, and teachers.

In 2018, following his father’s death — who had prohibited any exposure to theater — TALO attended his first play. The experience radically changed his path. He went on to study theater at the Universidad del Sagrado Corazón, where he founded the Creative Writing Association, led the student theater group TeatrUSC, and served in student government.

TALO’s work weaves personal history with broader sociopolitical memory, often exploring Caribbean identity, power structures, and collective trauma. His short story collection Prevaricadores and his regular writing on Medium reflect the same voice that drives his dramatic work: ritual, poetic, and defiant. His plays include El Pueblo del Diablo (2025), Iguales (2022), and Jobos (2021).

He currently teaches English and theater in Puerto Rico’s public education system, and is active in the San Juan cultural scene. He continues to develop stories that challenge systems and reclaim silenced narratives.