Stage auteur May Adrales has been selected as The Lark’s new artistic director, with the announcement arriving less than a week after John Clinton Eisner shared his retirement from the Off-Broadway company. Adrales returns to The Lark after nearly a decade at Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, which she joined as a board member in 2012 and became associate artistic director of in 2017.
Prior to Milwaukee Rep, Adrales served as The Lark’s director of artistic programs from 2008 to 2010 and then continued served on its artistic board until 2014. During her tenure, she created several programs that remain as a toolbox of play development, including Monthly Meeting of the Minds, Winter Writers’ Retreat, and Playground. From 2006 to 2009, she was an artistic associate at The Public Theater.
“May Adrales is like family coming home,” said The Lark Executive Director Stacy Waring. “As two women of color, we can not only bring awareness to the challenges our communities face, but as benefactors of The Lark’s mission we understand the value of its promise.”
In her career as a director, Adrales has helmed numerous world premieres and productions of works, including Qui Nguyen’s Vietgone. She’s also worked with Katori Hall, David Henry Hwang, Lauren Yee, and Rajiv Joseph on bringing their plays to the stage.
“My vision for The Lark is to wholly empower artists and encourage their fullest potential by providing artistic, financial and career building support,” Adrales said. “My hope is that the work created under the wing of The Lark reveals the widest range of human experience and works towards an equitable, compassionate, and imaginative world.”
In addition to her work on stage, Adrales has taught and directed at Yale School of Drama (where she received an MFA in directing), Brown University, Juilliard, NYU, Fordham, and more. She is the recipient of the TCG Alan Schneider Directing Award, League of Professional Women Josephine Abady Award, Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation’s inaugural Denham Fellowship, and the recipient of a TCG New Generations grant. Adrales also serves on the board of Theater Communications Group.
