What Defines the LK Play Lab?
Founded in 1994, the LK Play Lab serves as a transformative space for playwrights seeking to push boundaries and explore new theatrical territories. Our mission centers on providing writers and their creative partners with essential resources to develop their craft within an atmosphere that balances rigor with support.
We empower playwrights to chart their own creative journeys, defining personal artistic goals while pursuing distinctive visions. Our commitment extends globally—we champion fresh perspectives and diverse voices from communities near and far, building innovative pathways that connect new theatrical works with audiences through an evolving network of collaborative partnerships.
At our core, we believe in revitalizing theater's timeless function as a communal gathering space—a forum where audiences engage in meaningful discourse, explore challenging ideas, and participate in collective storytelling. Through this work, we strengthen our shared capacity to envision possible futures.
Current Spotlight: México/U.S. Playwright Exchange
"Media coverage typically presents narrow, one-dimensional portrayals of Mexico and Mexican culture. Through these four plays, audiences encounter Mexico's contemporary realities refracted through diverse, multifaceted perspectives."
México/U.S. Playwright Exchange Program Director
About the Exchange Program
The Word Exchange brings together Mexican and American playwrights for an intensive 10-day residency focused on cross-cultural theatrical dialogue within the Play Lab community. This program creates ongoing channels for communication and collaboration between artists working across the U.S.-Mexico border.
Through professional translation of contemporary Mexican plays, developmental workshops with established American theater artists, and cultural immersion in New York's vibrant arts scene, participants forge lasting creative connections. Coordinated by Artistic Advisor Andrea Thome.
Featured Presentations
Saturday, April 13 at 4:00 PM
Mara or The Night Without Dreams
(Mara o de la Noche sin Sueño)
Written by: Antonio Zúñiga Chaparro
Translated by: Tatiana Suarez-Pico
Based on actual events, this powerful drama follows Brenda Paz, a young Salvadoran immigrant who rises through the violent ranks of the Mara Salvatrucha gang in the United States. Her story becomes one of crime, conflicted loyalties, and a devastating love triangle that culminates in betrayal and bloodshed.
Saturday, April 13 at 7:00 PM
The Dinosaurs' Extinction
(La Extinción de los Dinosaurios)
Written by: Luis Ayhllón
Translated by: Jorge Ignacio Cortiñas
A dying man facing terminal cancer and the forced sale of his home receives an unexpected proposal from an old frenemy: rob a jewelry store together. To execute this unlikely heist, the aging pair recruit a young bodybuilder who moonlights in adult films.
Sunday, April 14 at 4:00 PM
22 Dreams...Far from the Sea
(Sueños 22)
Written by: Aída Andrade Varas
Translated by: Virginia Grise
Matthew sits imprisoned for a crime he didn't commit, grappling with questions of guilt and innocence while haunted by dreams of the ocean and a woman named Ana. When narratives belong to fate rather than individuals, whom can we trust?
Sunday, April 14 at 7:00 PM
A Work of Art in Black
(Obra Negra)
Written by: Flavio González Mello
Translated by: Carmen Rivera
Following an unidentified catastrophic event, a group finds themselves trapped within an "intelligent building." Was it an earthquake? A fire? A terrorist attack? Or has the building itself gained consciousness and chosen self-destruction?
Monday, April 15 at 7:30 PM
Celebration Event
Location: (New York, NY 10019)
Join us for an evening celebrating this international exchange! Experience excerpts from these exciting new works, meet the participating writers, and help us commemorate this cross-cultural collaboration with refreshments and conversation. Reception follows at 9:15 PM at the LK Play Lab's .
Event Information
All readings take place at:
The LK Play Lab
(Between 8th and 9th Avenues)
New York, NY
