About
The term “clear space” refers to a focus on the process, knowledge, and humanity of arts performance: the idea that we find ourselves in what appears on the stage.
Our Mission: To inspire audiences, artists, and students by providing high-quality performances and educational experiences.
Our Vision: To be a leader in the vibrant performing arts community of Southern Delaware.
The Clear Space Theatre Company, a 501(c)3 cultural organization, founded in 2004, is located at 20 Baltimore Avenue, Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971. The Clear Space Theatre Company is comprised of a remarkable team of full-time, part-time, and volunteer administrators, artists, and educators.
Clear Space Theatre does not and shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its activities or operations.
The Three Facets of Clear Space are: The Acting Company (a professional acting company producing dozens of performances each season); The Arts Institute (an educational program offering classes to more than 500 students of all ages); On Tour (community presentations in southern Delaware using professional actors and outstanding students, offered in cooperation with local civic groups).
Clear Space’s Current Operating Budget is supported 70% by earned income (ticket sales, tuition, and performance contracts) and 30% by contributed income (including individual donors, local businesses, and grants).
Governance and Management of Clear Space Theatre Company is conducted within the guidelines of a regularly updated Strategic Plan implemented by professional staff, a volunteer board of directors, several independent contractors and a devoted and growing volunteer corps.
Organizational Goals
- Offer performing arts classes at all age and experience levels.
- Offer public performances of established and new works throughout southern Delaware using area artists supplemented with professional guest artists.
- Make classes and performances accessible to under-served audiences.
- Build upon current partnerships with educational and community organizations.
- Expand a full-time administrative structure to support artistic products of the highest quality.
- Sustain and expand a governing body that provides oversight for artistic growth and fiscal stability.
PERFORMANCE
The Acting Company provides approximately 150 professional theatre performances each year. The company’s performances are developed by a paid team of theatrical artisans, emphasizing exceptional acting, elaborate costumes, and creative lighting. The talented casts, often utilizing students of the Arts Institute, performed for more than 15,000 theatre-goers in 2015 at the Company’s home at Baltimore Avenue or through ongoing partnerships at Milton Theatre, the Schwartz Center for the Arts in Dover and the Freeman Stage in Fenwick Island.
A typical season includes:
- Summer Repertory a rotation of three popular Broadway shows, specifically targeting the summer tourists of Rehoboth Beach.
- TWO Spring Musicals, plus a smaller musical in the Fall
- TWO Plays – Spring and Fall, plus a one-person play in June
- A reader’s theatre presentation each March in cooperation with a local community non-profit
- A season musical for the holiday season
See the full season calendar »
EDUCATION
The Clear Space Arts Institute is unique in Southern Delaware. This training model creates a community of performers who use their study of performance to enhance self-confidence and knowledge of the performing arts and as a foundation for degreed and professional experience. Over 100 class meetings each year are designed to move more than 500 students, of all ages and ability levels, through a logical progression of learning, aligned with the National Standards for Arts Education and Delaware State Arts Standards. The Arts Institute is committed to the growth of students of all economic backgrounds and responds to scholarship requests with more than $6,000 awarded in scholarships annually. Performances of each aspect of the Arts Institute are presented at the end of each period of study.
The following are programs of the Arts Institute:
- Broadway Bound Program – For students in grades K-8 with classes in dance, voice, and acting taught by professional arts educators in weekly after-school sessions. Since 2008, the Broadway Bound program has “graduated” students into local high school programs and/or Adult Classes.
- Musical Theatre Summer Intensive – A five-week program for students in grades 1-12 who are interested in a concentrated study of musical theatre. The Summer Intensive has operated at capacity since its inception in 2005.
- Acting Summer Intensive – A one-week program for students in grades 1-8 that focuses specifically on dramatic studies such as improvisation, voice, physicality and ensemble exercises.
- Spotlight on Young Performers – A ten-week program for students in grades 5-12 who are interested in a concentrated study of musical theatre.
- Acting Classes – Full semester Adult Classes are taught by Arts Institute faculty.