As the sun sets behind Mount Tamalpais’ familiar silhouette, the Lark Theater begins to project the night’s film onto a tall silver screen. Cars pull into the parking lot and line up in rows, with many attendees choosing to sit in the trunks with friends. Over the course of the summer, the Lark started hosting drive-ins at Bon Air Center and now solely uses the overflow parking lot at the Village Mall in Corte Madera to screen all drive-in events. 

Ellie Mednick, the executive director of the Lark, speaks to the difficulties and successes that have come with the necessity of finding a new way to screen movies while making a profit for the Lark. Meghan Roy, a Redwood junior, explains the responsibilities of being employed to work at the drive-in, which include helping park cars and setting up the screen prior to the start of the movie. Delia Molineaux, a junior at Tamiscal High School, says she went to the drive-in with friends as a replacement for staying at home to watch a movie. She found that being able to view the movie while social distancing was enjoyable. 

Due to its small size, the Lark Theater has opted to remain closed until further coronavirus restrictions are lifted. They aim to ensure that reopening will draw large enough crowds to their normal programming, which is often geared towards more independent and arthouse films. For now, the Lark has screenings scheduled through October, which you can book tickets for online here.