MISSION

Cherry Lane Alternative’s mission is to support playwrights and small theater companies whose programs uplift emerging writers, enhancing our culture’s literary landscape and consequently, the future of American drama.

ABOUT US

Cherry Lane Alternative is a creative development and producing nonprofit dedicated to new theatrical work. We create artist-centered spaces where new work can take shape, where artists can take risks, learn in front of an audience, and let the work evolve as it becomes what it is meant to be.

Founded in 1997 by Angelina Fiordellisi, Cherry Lane Alternative was established alongside her revival of the historic Cherry Lane Theatre. Over the decades, CLA became a vital engine for American theatre, launching and supporting a generation of playwrights whose work has shaped the landscape of American drama.

Today, Cherry Lane Alternative moves forward as an independent organization, no longer operating from its longtime home at Cherry Lane Theatre. This transition marks a renewed chapter in its mission, continuing its legacy of investing in the future of American drama.

At the center of this work is the Mentor Project, our Obie Award-winning flagship program pairing emerging playwrights with established artists in a process rooted in craft, mentorship, and long-term growth. Cherry Lane Alternative is returning to producing with the same conviction that has always driven us: that the most important plays haven’t been written yet, and the artists who will write them need a creative home.