The Lark, a longtime home to theatre writers and new works for nearly three decades, is shutting down. An October 5 statement says that the closure was determined by a unanimous vote from the organization’s board of directors, and that the group intends to transfer its current programming and fellowship initiatives to similar institutions.

The Lark says the closure follows several hardships faced in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, adding “there is no sustainable and viable path forward.”

Earlier this year, May Adrales was named new artistic director of the organization, succeeding John Clinton Eisner, who co-founded The Lark in 1994 as a counterpoint to commercially driven theatre. Eisner had made his intention to retire known to the board in early 2020, with the announcement being made public about a year into the pandemic shutdown.

Among the myriad writers to develop works at the Lark are David Henry Hwang (a board member himself), Kristoffer Diaz, Katori Hall, Rajiv Joseph, Arthur Kopit, Koffi Kwahule, Javier Malpica, Theresa Rebeck, Saviana Stanescu, Sinan Unel, Tracey Scott Wilson, and Karen Zacarías.