Photos: Joanna Pickering Stars In LARA'S JOURNEY At The Chain Theater

Joanna Pickering's new one-act play, Lara's Journey, had its debut performance in The Spark Theater Festival on March 6th, at the venue of the Chain Theater, in New York City, to a sold out evening. See photos from the show.

In this first-look development production of Lara's Journey, Pickering delighted her audiences by performing in her own work, providing a special one-off evening for her sold-out show. Both the performance and work received rave reviews and the show immediately secured its next production dates. Casting for the role of Lara commences next week and new dates are set to be announced on the back of this success.

Lara's Journey is a powerful one-woman play touching upon themes of immigration, isolation, and displacement in the aftermath of losing a home. It follows the story of a young woman displaced in the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. When Lara is rescued into a new home by the kindness of strangers, she resolves to salvage her future, but unexpected challenges arise.

The play was directed by critically acclaimed director Karen Carpenter (The New Yorker, The New York Times), who brought Lara's Journey to the stage for this special evening. Carpenter's work includes many premieres, including the worldwide smash hit by Delia and Nora Ephron, Love, Loss, and What I Wore. The play's musical score was provided by Ukrainian rock star Daria of No Apologies with her song Bad News.

The presentation was followed by a 20-minute audience talk-back with the playwright and director. The panel included special guests, Ukrainian actors and activists, Anya Koziar and Svitlana Kosolapova. They shared how the play resonated deeply with their own experiences and spoke for all refugees and immigrants, praising its universality.

In the audience supporting were Emmy Award-winning actress and SAG LA Local President Jodi Long, playwright Lyle Kessler, actress Margaret Ladd, Tony-nominated producer Eric Krebs, cabaret star Lorna Dallas-Ford, and many members of New York's Actors Gym and the Actors Studio. Audience feedback confirmed the work as vitally important, explosively brilliant, powerful, and deeply moving. 

Artistic Director of the Spark Festival, Paul Adams, remarked, “It was a spellbinding experience for a sold-out audience that immersed themselves in a heartbreaking and heartfelt journey of a young displaced Ukrainian woman. The play was beautifully acted by Joanna Pickering and deftly directed by Karen Carpenter.”

After this successful preview of Lara’s Journey at Spark Festival, official casting details for the role of Lara will be announced next week for upcoming dates in April. This is thanks to popular demand and tremendous audience support. 

Pickering said that she was thankful to the festival and for the audience support and response. "It makes all the hard work worthwhile, and gives hope for the message of the play, which is about others who are most vulnerable right now."

The Spark Festival is produced by Emerging Artists Theater, an award-winning theater company known not only as an incubator for the newest voices, but also for more established playwrights to showcase their brand-new works in their earliest stages. During a 30-year history, Emerging Artists has premiered over 2,000 new works and garnered a Drama Desk Nomination, and received the American Theater Wing Grant for Consistent Commitment to Excellence in Theater.

Production and photography by Elizabeth Ramsay at Spark Festival, Ocean Harris at Kpgstudios.