Lark Play Development Center

This video is part of CUNY TV's Nueva York series

U.S. / México
Playwright Exchange Program
presented in partnership with

THE WORD EXCHANGE is a 10-day residency and theatrical dialogue between
Mexican playwrights, U.S. playwrights, and the Lark community. Through the translation of new Mexican plays, the development of these plays with established U.S. artists, and New York cultural exploration, the program establishes ongoing channels of communication and collaboration between artists in the U.S. and México. Coordinated by Artistic Advisor, Andrea Thome.

November 4 - 14, 2011
Lark’s 6th Annual
U.S./MÉXICO PLAYWRIGHT EXCHANGE
CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS

Luis Ayllón and Maria Alexandria Beech introduce The Camels

Armando Riesco and Andres Munar in Decomposition by Jose Alfonso Cárcamo

Cutberto López and Mando Alvarado discuss Yamaha 300

photos by Cutberto Garcia

Play Library:
FOR A COMPLETE LISTING OF THE U.S./MÉXICO PLAYWRIGHT EXCHANGE TRANSLATED PLAYS, CLICK HERE

How to Get Involved:
Check out FONCA's website!
click here

Years Past :

2010 Exchange

2009 Exchange

2008 Exchange

2007 Exchange

2006 Exchange

Press:
"On Memory
and Imagination"
by Andrea Thome

"New Myths for
Mexican Drama"
by Caridad Svich

Historical Highlights

2000 : Lark develops a translation, by Kirsten Nigro, of Sabina Berman’s play Happy New Century, Doktor Freud.

2002/03 : Lark commissions playwright Caridad Svich to create a translation of Silvia Peláez’s play Fever at 107 Degrees. (supported by the US-México Fund for Culture)

2006 : Playwrights Chantal Bilodeau and Rajiv Joseph travel to Mexico City for the translation and presentation of their works in Spanish (hosted by Centro Cultural Helénico) as part of Semana dramatúrgica.

Lark hosts the first group of Mexican playwrights in New York for a 10-day residency.

2008 : Javier Malpica’s Our Dad is in Atlantis, translation by Jorge Cortiñas, receives a co-production by Queens Theatre in the Park and Working Theater and another production at Phoenix Theatre. Our Dad is in Atlantis is published in American Theatre magazine.

John Eisner is invited to give seminars as a part of DramaFest in México City and Guadalajara.

2009 : Jose Alfonso Cárcamo 's Decomposition , translated by Mariana Carreño King has a Lark BareBones® production in spring 2009 and is part of the City Parks Foundation Summer season.

Lark launches reciprocal program in México City sending U.S. writers Samuel D. Hunter and Henry Guzmán to work on Spanish translations of their plays.

On the program:

"This is one of the premiere programs of its kind in the country. The Lark should be applauded for its commitment to bringing all of us an artistic night to remember. I was blown away by the quality of writing and collaboration that took place and look forward to the coming years of this exchange. It gives me hope! And sometimes that's hard to find." -Edward James Olmos, Actor/Director

One of my biggest worries as an artist is the ability to look at the world thru a globalized perspective, without losing the cultural context to which I belong. As I delved into the Lark program I realized that I could investigate and discuss my concerns as a playwright by sharing my work with another culture." –Irela de Villers, playwright

"At a time when research and development funding is shrinking at major theatres across America, the Lark's U.S./México Playwright Exchange is an especially invaluable resource for the showcasing of vital new voices. These new plays in translation challenge and expand our perceptions of theatrical style and content, and provide an opportunity for cultural exchange with México at a most crucial time.” - Henry Godinez, Resident Artistic Associate – Goodman Theater

"This program is necessity for art. México is not only a very important commercial and political partner for the United States, it is a cultural relative, our Mother and brother, our grandparent. In order to understand ourselves, we have to understand our neighbors, since it is paramount to notice the beauty that grows and flourishes near us! The U.S. was transformed in our counterparts' eyes, and México was transformed in ours, both as artists, as audience, and as human beings." –Maria Alexandria Beech, translating playwright

"Too few North Americans, even in the theater, are familiar with the plays and playwrights of México, or are aware of México’s vibrant theatrical past and exciting contemporary scene. Our countries are so close and so interconnected, yet there are large gaps in our understanding of our neighbors. Translating each other’s creative work--imagining ourselves in new contexts, and putting a human face on situations new to us--can help us begin to fill in those gaps."
-John Clinton Eisner, Producing Director
– Lark Play Development Center

"In the end, it's always about the work, and the success of the program is that five translations were drafted and tested. Also, a spirit of good will and good faith permeated the work, which bodes well for the future."
–Caridad Svich, translating playwright

This program is a collaboration between the Lark and

Fondo Nacional para la Cultura y las Artes
(Mexico’s National Fund for Culture and Arts) with support from

This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the
New York City Department of Cultural Affairs.

Additionally, Lark's programming is generously supported by Alliance of Resident Theatres/New York and The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Altria, American Theatre Wing, Axe-Houghton Foundation, Doris Duke Charitable Foundation (administered by Theatre Communications Group), The Dorothy Strelsin Foundation, The Dramatists Guild Fund, The John Golden Fund, FONCA (Mexico Fund for Arts and Culture), The Greenwall Foundation, Jerome Foundation, Lucille Lortel Foundation, The Shubert Foundation, Time Warner, and with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, a State arts agency.