John Clinton Eisner

En Garde Arts Launches Joan D. Firestone Fund for Mid-Career Theatre Artists

Longtime En Garde Arts Chairperson and board member Joan D. Firestone is being honored with the creation of a fund in her name. En Garde Arts has raised $100,000 through a group of generous donors. This is a five year endeavor and every year one theatre artist will receive an $18,000 award and will have full freedom with how to use the funds.

The Lark Announces Closure

After many long months of responding to pandemic-related crises and seeking paths to sustainability, The Lark has commenced an orderly wind-down and initiated discussions with peer institutions to re-home existing Lark programs and fellowships.

Reservations Now Open for A DOZEN DREAMS

Reservations are now open for A Dozen Dreams, an immersive theatrical installation based on the pandemic-inspired dreams of 12 leading American playwrights. Produced by En Garde Arts and presented by Arts Brookfield, A Dozen Dreams premieres at Brookfield Place on Thursday, May 13 for a limited engagement through Sunday, May 30.

Erika Dickerson-Despenza Awarded 2021 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize for CULLUD WATTAH

The 2021 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize has been awarded to U.S. playwright Erika Dickerson-Despenza for her play about the Flint, Michigan water crisis, cullud wattah. Awarded annually since 1977, The Susan Smith Blackburn Prize is the largest and oldest international prize honoring Women+ playwrights.

En Garde Arts Presents A DOZEN DREAMS

At the start of the global pandemic, En Garde Arts invited twelve women playwrights to share their pandemic dreams. Now, these dreams will be brought to powerful life with A Dozen Dreams, an immersive installation of sets, lights, video, and sound.

May Adrales Named The Lark's Artistic Director

The Lark, an international play development laboratory dedicated to amplifying the voices of playwrights, is thrilled to announce May Adrales (Vietgone, Luce) as its new Artistic Director.

John Clinton Eisner Retires As Founding Artistic Director Of The Lark

The Lark, an international play development laboratory dedicated to amplifying the voices of playwrights, announces that founder John Clinton Eisner is retiring after 27 years as Artistic Director, with the intent to hand over leadership to a new generation of theatrical talents.

The Lark Co-Founder John Clinton Eisner to Step Down as Artistic Director

John Clinton Eisner co-founded The Lark in 1994 as a community of theater professionals dedicated to the playwright’s vision. He has grown The Lark into an award winning “think tank for the theater,” with local, national and global reach. 

Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment Study Reveals Small Theatres in NYC Generate $1.3B

The Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment today announces the first-ever study of its kind, 'ALL NEW YORK'S A STAGE: NYC Small Theater Industry Cultural and Economic Impact Study.' This groundbreaking report calls attention to the vibrance of the small theater community, and offers an in-depth portrait of the size, makeup, location, overall cultural importance and economic impact of the sector; as well as the challenges the industry is facing.

Leah Nanako Winkler Named 2017-19 Jerome New York Fellow At The Lark

The Lark announces that Leah Nanako Winkler, author of Kentucky, Two Mile Hollow, and Death for Sydney Black, will be the 2017-19 recipient of the Jerome New York Fellowship. The fellowship, designed to support an early career writer of extraordinary ability, promise, and vision, provides stipends of $25,000 in the first year and $15,000 in the second, in addition to an Opportunity Fund of $5,000 to be used for purposes of additional creative expenses such as travel, research, and workshops. The fellowship is designed to be a life-sustaining platform of support, allowing the fellow to focus on their craft, and to generate and develop a significant body of work.

Jerry O'Connell, star of the Broadway play, SEMINAR, announces a special charity event through Givenik.com, donating 5% of proceeds from all ticket sales for the March 21st performance to Lark Play Development Center. Watch his YouTube video promotion here!