Career
She is noted for the poetic and heightened language of her texts. "Isabella Russell-Ides persists as one of the most expressive, evocative and routinely ignored playwrights in our North. Texas region’s ‘money and prestige’ theater circles. This cosmic, fantasy adventure was produced by Echo Theatre in 2012.
Clips from the original production can be found on YouTube.
In 2013 WingSpan Theatre produced her newest work to critical applause. The lights come up on the heroine returning to consciousness shortly after her death, looking worse for wear and tear, an octogenarian in a turban and thrift-shop overcoat.
Lydie was vagabond for decades after the economic downfall and death of her oil-baron husband, the former Governor of Oklahoma, Electronic Warfare Marland. See also Electronic Warfare Marland and "The Ends of the Earth".
Russell-Ides is also a published poet, having written Getting Dangerously Close To Myself (Slough Press).
She recorded readings of several poems for the Austin Poets Audio Anthology Project, Volume II, titled Naked Children, produced by media poet Hedwig Gorski"s Perfection Productions in the 1980s. An innovative performance poet, Isabella Russell-Ides was notable presence in the "Third Coast Renaissance" in Austin, Texas.