The History of the Lark

T he Lark was established 14 years ago with one distinct purpose: to discover and develop new voices for the American theater. Founded by a trio of artists—a director, a designer and a writer whose careers had begun in regional theaters—the company initially presented plays in full production at a variety of New York venues including Theatre Row and the Manhattan Class Company before finding a home at the Chelsea Playhouse with a consortium of three other nonprofits. Producing Director John Clinton Eisner was a co-founder and continues to serve as the organization’s leader.

Early on, the Lark produced classic as well as new plays, including Shakespeare, and sent Theater for Young Audiences (TYA) tours to nearby schools.  The Lark’s annual Playwrights’ Week Festival was launched in the spring of 1995 and continues as the Lark’s longest running program. The Literary Wing—the play review committee of 30 local experts that is at the heart of our Open Access Program—was set up during the 1996-97 season. Plays reviewed in the Literary Wing, exclusive of other play submission efforts, have increased from approximately 150 in 1995 to between 500 and 700 annually.

In 1997, Eisner reassessed the Lark’s methods and practices for supporting new plays and made several choices that significantly changed the company’s ethic and ethos, transitioning the organization into the play development center it is today. The company would no longer present classic works or tour Shakespeare in the schools; instead, all resources would be directed exclusively towards supporting the playwright’s process. In addition, production values would be kept simple in order to focus the attention of playwrights and their creative teams on the text. Dramaturgical and staging issues would be explored in our current space, The Lark Studio, a flexible rehearsal and performance venue located south of Columbus Circle, with configurable platforms and furnishings and modular lighting. Here, the Lark began to model an aesthetic of “functional minimalism” and, in this spirit, the company launched its first BareBones® season of new plays, including The Thirteen Hallucinations of Julio Rivera by Stephen R. Culp and Pera Palas by Sinan Ünel.

The Lark presented its first international project in 1997. Dog and His Master, written by visiting artist Liu Jinyun, head of the Beijing People’s Art Theatre, and translated by Luoyong Wang and Michael Johnson-Chase, was the first contemporary play from the People’s Republic of China to be produced in the U.S. through its International Program. The Lark continued to explore new works by international playwrights as well as methods for working and testing stage-worthy translations. Relationships were developed with writers who came to the Lark from Russia and Eastern Europe, Mexico and Latin America, Africa, China and other countries and cultures underrepresented on American stages.

By 2000 we were growing fast, partly as a result of the New York and London transfers of Pera Palas by Sinan Ünel, developed in our first BareBones® season. We began strategic planning for infrastructure expansion, increased fundraising, staff development, new office space and the creation of a Capital Fund. Even through the economic slump following 9/11, the Lark increased its permanent full-time staff from two to five, expanded its part-time staff, and grew its budget from under $300,000 to more than $500,000.

New developments were occurring on the programming side as well. During the summer of 2001, Arthur Kopit and a cadre of esteemed dramatists signed on to inaugurate the Playwrights’ Workshop, a hot house for talented emerging and established playwrights. That fall, we kicked off our first annual South Asian Diaspora Playwrights’ Festival in partnership with New York City’s Indo-American Arts Council and five local, newly-incorporated South Asian Diaspora theaters. We began providing career support for emerging playwrights participating in Lark programs, we revised our website, and we expanded our network of relationships with theaters around the country interested in producing Lark-developed plays.

Nearing its tenth birthday, having solidified its role in the industry by designing successful and flexible new play development methods and programs, the Lark began to think seriously about planning for the future.  This process for long-term planning began in 2003 as part of a consultancy with Arts Action Research, funded by A.R.T/New York.  Initially, the Producing Director authored an “Organizational Profile Document” outlining the Lark’ mission, program, working philosophy and vision for community impact. However, it was not until the 2006-07 fiscal year that we possessed sufficient infrastructure to embark on a meaningful planning process. With a growing and active Board of Trustees, upgraded fiscal controls, a rise in both the number and giving levels of major donors, an expanded executive staff, more experienced support staff, and measurable impact in the field, the time was ripe to look forward and prepare for the coming years.  During 2006-07, the Lark developed a “Three-Year Planning Document” and engaged the Board in a planning retreat to discuss long-term strategic priorities.

This planning process has yielded many results including receipt of our largest five-figure contribution for general operating support.  In addition to successes related to infrastructure we have continued to return to our mission to deepen our capacity for meeting the needs of writers in the play development process and expanding a national and global repertoire of new voices. One outcome this inauguration this year of the Playwrights of New York (“PONY”) Fellowship, an annual award to a playwright comprising a year of housing in New York City, financial support, and an artistic community at the Lark. As we approach our fifteenth anniversary, we are carefully considering long-term strategies for strengthening our financial base, expanding our outreach for and support of playwrights locally and globally, and growing our role as a Public Trust for innovation and inclusiveness in the theater.

To find out how you can become more involved with the Lark please e-mail: info@larktheatre.org.