Record growth in Attendance, Subscriptions, and Donations Leads to Major Expansions for Clear Space Theatre Company
Clear Space Theatre Company celebrated a landmark year of growth and momentum during its 2026 Annual Meeting on Monday, May 11, 2026, highlighting record-breaking attendance, subscription sales, donor engagement, educational expansion, and major plans for the future of the organization and the arts community in Southern Delaware.
Held on May 14, the Annual Meeting welcomed supporters, donors, artists, educators, and community stakeholders for a presentation from CSTC’s current leadership, Managing Director Joe Gfaller and Interim Creative Director Candice Jewell, plus a first opportunity for the community to meet Incoming Artistic Director Wes Drummond. Afterwards, attendees enjoyed a reception in celebration of the most successful year in the theatre’s history.
The organization reported a 32.3% increase in total revenue, growing from $1,670,208 in 2024 to $2,209,432 in 2025. This growth was fueled largely by surging audience demand, expanded programming, and increased community investment in live theatre.
In 2025 alone, nearly 30,000 audience members attended Clear Space productions and events, up 5,000 attendees since the previous year and up nearly 12,000 since 2023, underscoring the organization’s growing regional and national reach as a cultural destination in Delaware. Subscription sales increased by 41.3%, signaling rising audience loyalty and confidence in the company’s artistic programming.
That momentum has accelerated even further in 2026, with subscriptions already up an additional 78.4% and total mainstage attendance increasing by 41.4% to date compared to the previous year.
Recent and current productions of Dear Evan Hansen and 42nd Street became some of the highest-performing shows in organizational history, contributing to record ticket sales and expanded performance offerings. In 2025, Clear Space presented 167 mainstage performances — one of the most active production years the company has ever undertaken. In 2026, the company has expanded further, to over 190 performances in the current season.
Community support also reached historic levels. To date over the first four months of 2026, 577 donors have contributed to the organization, including 277 first-time donors this year alone. Overall donor participation increased by 31.4%, reflecting expanding philanthropic engagement and broader community investment in the arts.
The organization also celebrated significant growth in its educational programming through the Clear Space Arts Institute. Enrollment reached 436 students in 2025, representing a 21.8% increase in participation. Additionally, $13,886 in scholarships was awarded to students, helping reduce financial barriers to arts education and ensuring broader access to performing arts opportunities.
Clear Space also shared progress on new programs funded by the largest operating grant award in the organization’s history: $350,000 from the Longwood Foundation spanning January 2026 through June 2028. The grant, which will be matched through philanthropic support and new program revenue, will fund major expansion initiatives including new offerings within beloved education programs such as Broadway Legends and Broadway Bound, the launch of off-site summer camps, touring summer children’s theatre productions, and the commissioning of new plays for 2027 and 2028. Starting in 2027, the grant will make a new satellite black box theater possible, enabling CSTC to produce on two stages simultaneously, helping to prepare the company for the programming schedule in its new performing arts center at 11 Christian Street, which is projected for completion in the next five years.
Beyond artistic programming, Clear Space has continued investing heavily in the overall patron experience. Recent upgrades include new all-weather patio furniture for outdoor lobby spaces, a new box office location with sidewalk access, ticket scanning technology improvements, enhanced concessions in partnership with Bin 66, enhanced audio-visual technology for productions, expanded cabaret offerings, and additional performances of mainstage productions.
The Annual Meeting also reflected the organization’s continued institutional growth through leadership and staffing expansion. New members joining the Board of Directors include Chris Berg, Kim Mason, Arch Pelley, and Andy Staton. Departing board members Al Willis and John Cullen were recognized for their service and contributions to the organization. New staff additions include Candice Jewell, Justin Jewell, Jason Matthews, Gabrielle Glanville, Ashley Williams, and Wes Drummond — further strengthening the theatre’s administrative, educational, and artistic capacity as programming and operations continue to expand.
Looking toward the future, Clear Space shared updates regarding its planned performing arts center developed through a public-private partnership with the City of Rehoboth Beach. A geotechnical study is currently underway as early development work progresses.
Leading fundraising efforts for the future facility is Richard J. Perry Jr., Chair of the Capital Campaign Committee, which is currently in formation. Rehoboth Beach City Commissioner Susan Stewart spoke at the Annual Meeting of the theater and the city’s shared effort to advance community engagement, municipal collaboration, and long-term investment in arts infrastructure for the region through this major redevelopment project.
As Clear Space Theatre Company continues to grow, the organization remains committed to expanding access to the arts, deepening community engagement, and strengthening its role as a cultural cornerstone for Delaware and the surrounding region.
Wes Drummond to Join Clear Space Theatre Company as Its Third Artistic Director
Accomplished theatre leader and stage director selected after national search; Drummond will relocate to Rehoboth Beach to join CSTC in Summer 2026
Clear Space Theatre Company (CSTC) announces that its Board of Directors has selected Wes Drummond, recently of Duluth Playhouse, as the organization’s next Artistic Director following a comprehensive national search. Drummond will join Managing Director Joe Gfaller in leadership of the growing company as it prepares for architect selection and construction plans for its future performing arts center.
Clear Space Search Committee Chair Laura Howard stated, “I am immensely proud of the thoughtful, rigorous work of the search committee, whose members gave generously of their time and insight throughout this process, and grateful for the collaboration that guided the Board of Directors to this decision. We are confident Wes will be a leader who will inspire artists and audiences alike and will help steward the company’s future with creativity, integrity, and purpose."
Drummond will be the third Artistic Director in the company’s 22 year history, succeeding founding artistic director Doug Yetter, and David Button, who served in the role until September 2025.
Drummond served in leadership roles at Duluth Playhouse in Duluth, Minnesota from 2021 to 2026, including four years as Executive Director followed by one year as Executive Producing Artistic Director, guiding the organization through a period of significant transformation and stability in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Under his leadership, the Playhouse rebuilt operations, expanded audiences, strengthened financial footing, and reinforced its role as a vital cultural institution in the Twin Ports.
“I’m honored to join Clear Space Theatre Company as Artistic Director, and beyond excited for what we’re about to create together,” Drummond shared. “Clear Space has established itself as a vital and vibrant part of the cultural life of coastal Delaware, and I feel incredibly fortunate to step into this next chapter alongside such a passionate and dedicated team. Rehoboth Beach is a place defined by creativity and community, and I look forward to listening, learning, and building meaningful relationships across the region in the months ahead. My vision is to help Clear Space continue to grow as a bold, forward-thinking cultural force that champions fearless storytelling, amplifies a wide range of voices, and embraces fresh and innovative ways of connecting with audiences. Theatre has the power to reflect who we are and who we can become, and I can’t wait to collaborate with the staff, board, and community to shape a future filled with imagination, shared joy, and possibility.”
As a director, Drummond has worked extensively in New York City, Chicago, and at regional theatres across the country, directing both musical theatre and plays with a focus on storytelling that bridges classical works with contemporary perspectives. He earned his MFA in Directing from Penn State University, where he studied under Tony-nominated director Susan H. Schulman, and is an Associate Member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society. He has collaborated with leading figures in the industry, including Tony Award-winning director Matthew Warchus and Tony-nominated director Michael Greif.
During his tenure in Duluth, Drummond distinguished himself through dynamic artistic leadership, shaping a body of work that energized audiences and deepened the theatre’s connection to its community. His work emphasized bold, forward-thinking storytelling with a strong sense of theatricality, pairing inventive interpretation with a commitment to innovation. Drummond’s leadership on Duluth Playhouse’s Theatre For All initiative ensured broader access and inclusion onstage and in the audience.
Clear Space Managing Director Joe Gfaller added, “This is an exciting moment of growth for Clear Space as we welcome Wes to join our remarkable team. I am confident that he will be an excellent partner as we work with our entire staff, board, and committed team of volunteers to ensure that Clear Space can achieve its full potential in pursuit of our mission to unite and enrich our community through every production on stage and every arts-based learning program we offer throughout our community.”
Search Committee representatives at Clear Space Theatre Company noted Drummond’s commitment to artistic excellence and his ability to build meaningful relationships across the community, pointing to his work in Duluth, including service on the Duluth Public Arts Commission and the board of Visit Duluth, where he championed the visibility of the arts and emphasized their vital role in the cultural and economic life of downtown.
Drummond will assume his new role with Clear Space remotely to start, with an expected full-time arrival date in Rehoboth Beach in early June. Candice Jewell remains Interim Creative Director until Drummond begins full time, after which time Jewell will assume the role of Associate Artistic Director, helping to support Clear Space’s further artistic expansion as the company prepares to open a satellite black box performance space in early 2027. The first opportunity for community members to meet Drummond in person will be at Clear Space’s Annual Meeting on Monday, May 11 at 5pm. He will also participate in person in Clear Space’s annual fundraiser for the Arts Institute, the Tony Party, on Sunday, June 7 from 4-7pm at The Cambria.
42nd Street Opens to an Almost Sold-Out Run
Clear Space continues its 2026 with the toe-tapping timeless musical 42nd Street
Clear Space Theatre Company’s 2026 season continues strong with the iconic backstage musical, 42nd Street. Audiences have 15 chances to catch this high-energy, toe-tapping production, showing now through March 29, 2026. Some performances are almost completely sold out.
42nd Street is a quintessential backstage musical set during the Great Depression and centers around Peggy Sawyer, a small town girl just a step-ball-change away from stardom. From the moment she hops off the train from Allentown and arrives on the Great White Way, she is launched into the spotlight. From nobody to chorus girl to star, her road to the spotlight is every girl’s dream – even if it is paved with more kicks than a Rockettes’ rehearsal. With Johnny Mercer classics like “Lullaby of Broadway” and “We’re in the Money,” 42nd Street takes you to a place where dreams were made, gossip was gold, and even the most unlikely of heroines can steal the show.
Directed and choreographed by Clear Space’s very own Company Manager and Interim Creative Director Candice Jewell (A Christmas Carol, Hairspray, and Rock of Ages at Clear Space), and under the music direction of David Libby, this show brings the glamour and bright lights of Broadway right to Rehoboth Beach. It will leave audiences tapping their toes and humming along to timeless tunes.
The themes presented in 42nd Street of ambition, collaboration, and resilience when “the show must go on” fuse beautifully into the theme of Clear Space’s 2026 season, "The Roles We Play, The Community We Create.” In this musical, we see how individual roles - both on and off stage - come together to form a community. Everyone has a role that matters, people grow into the roles they are given, and when the show doesn’t go quite according to plan, the company will pull together to make the production succeed.
All performances are held on the mainstage at Clear Space Theatre Company, at 20 Baltimore Avenue in Rehoboth Beach. Tickets for this production are available online at clearspacetheatre.org, by phone at (302) 227-2270, or in person at the box office at 20 Baltimore Avenue in Rehoboth Beach between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. The remainder of the 2026 season is now on sale, so, given Clear Space’s consistent track record of sold out productions, audiences are encouraged to secure tickets to other 2026 productions when booking 42nd Street tickets.
Clear Space Launches First Spring Repertory
with Dear Evan Hansen (Opening May 1) and The Legend of Georgia McBride (Opening May 4)
As part of its on-going program expansions, Clear Space Theatre Company features two productions this May: Dear Evan Hansen, the Tony Award winning musical with a powerful message, and The Legend of Georgia McBride, a daring comedy by Tony Award winning playwright Matthew Lopez. Starting May 1, with the opening of Dear Evan Hansen, there will be performances every day of the week through Memorial Day weekend, with Dear Evan Hansen running most Thursdays through Sundays and The Legend of Georgia McBride running Mondays through Wednesdays. This new spring repertory supplements Clear Space’s existing three musical summer repertory, which opens June 23 and continues through Labor Day weekend.
Tony Award winner for best musical, Dear Evan Hansen makes its regional premiere with this production. Written by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (The Greatest Showman, La La Land, Smash), the musical evokes the ecstasy and the agony that comes with finally being seen. In the story, an unexpected lie spirals out of control, leaving Evan - a high schooler with anxiety who is desperate to belong - at a crossroads. Can he learn to speak up, reach out, and still hold on to himself? Or is believing you can be who you want to be better than just being who you actually are? For a generation of audiences, this musical has become more than just great theater, but a lifeline, a mirror, and a reminder that no matter the circumstances, none of us are alone.
Clear Space continues its Clear Space Gives Back program during Dear Evan Hansen with a special fundraising performance in support of Children’s Beach House, an area non-profit that seeks to help all children reach their highest potential, on Saturday, May 9 at 2pm. 50% of single-ticket purchases to this performance will be donated back to Children’s Beach House. A light reception will follow the show, giving patrons the opportunity to learn more about their organization.
The Legend of Georgia McBride opens Monday, May 4, and is a hilarious and heartfelt story of transformation and self-discovery. When Casey, an Elvis impersonator at a small-town run-down Florida bar, finds himself out of work, out of luck, and with a baby on the way, he’s forced to trade in his blue suede shoes for wigs, heels, and a whole lot of padding. Tony Award winner Matthew Lopez (The Inheritance, Some Like It Hot, Red White and Royal Blue) crafts a daring comedy about finding your voice - even if it comes with a whole new wardrobe - and a new chosen family ready to embrace the fact that a drag queen can be both fabulous and straight.
Dear Evan Hansen marks Clear Space Managing Director’s first production as a stage director at Clear Space, after previously directing dozens of regional and world premieres in Boston, Atlanta, and St. Louis. Joe is joined by music director David Libby (42nd Street at Clear Space) and choreographer Mark Lenard (Oklahoma! and My Fair Lady at Clear Space). The Legend of Georgia McBride is directed by acclaimed Rehoboth Beach comedian, director, and author Fay Jacobs in her Clear Space debut. The two productions feature returns from several popular past Clear Space performers, including Larry Munsey, Christina Sophia, Rick Nazzaro, Eryk Bluto, Sarah Rose, Nancy Curry, and Joseph DiBiase, as well as debuts from Hunter McCauley, Johnny Doty, Mia Goodman, Cameren Evans, Jordan Kilgore, and Eric Peterson. Travis George (Live at Lincoln Center, Alvin Ailey Dance Theatre, Chester Theatre) designs the repertory set, Brendan Smith designs lights, D. Justin Jewell designs sound, Tennessee Dixon designs projections, and Mary Beth Powell and Christopher Decker design costumes.
Both productions center identity, belonging, and transformation. Across both productions, audiences are invited to engage with similar core questions from entirely different angles: who we are, who we pretend to be, and how we ultimately find authenticity. The pairing creates an experience for audiences who see both that is as entertaining as it is meaningful.
All performances are held on the mainstage at Clear Space Theatre Company, at 20 Baltimore Avenue in Rehoboth Beach. Tickets are available online at clearspacetheatre.org, by phone at (302) 227-2270, or in person at the box office between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. All productions in Clear Space’s 2026 season are currently on sale. Given Clear Space’s consistent track record of sold out productions, audiences are encouraged to secure tickets to other 2026 productions when booking tickets to Dear Evan Hansen and/or The Legend of Georgia McBride.
$350,000 Grant from the Longwood Foundation Becomes Basis for Matching Challenge
Funding Supports a Two-and-a-Half-Year Program Expansion Initiative for Live Performances and Education Initiatives
Clear Space Theatre Company has received a $350,000 grant from the Longwood Foundation to support a two-and-a-half-year initiative designed to expand access to professional theatre and arts-based learning in coastal Delaware.The grant is the largest single operating grant received from a private foundation in Clear Space’s 22 year history. Through matching philanthropic support at events like Do More 24 (March 5-6, 2026) and additional earned revenue generated through expanded programs, Clear Space intends to match this grant award between January 2026 and June 2028.
The funded project, titled Scaling Potential, Building the Future, will address capacity limitations at Clear Space’s current facility through short-term leases of additional performance and classroom space, hiring additional staff to support expanded programming, and commissions of new work for future seasons. Scaling Potential, Building the Future enables Clear Space to expand its programming model and infrastructure to better align with the new performing arts center it plans to build at 11 Christian Street in downtown Rehoboth Beach in the years to come. Demand for both performances and Arts Institute programs has grown significantly in recent years, often exceeding what the theatre can accommodate, leading to both the long term construction project and this near term expansion.
Plans include launching a flexible seating “black box” performance venue for 3-4 productions each year starting in 2027. While the black box theater will host smaller, innovative, and newer productions, mainstage productions will receive expanded runs of major shows on the mainstage. Through this approach, Clear Space will increase the number of available seats in its season by a significant margin, allowing more residents and visitors to experience live professional theatre.
To help support programming in the black box theater in 2027, through this funding Clear Space will begin to commission new plays with themes resonant to the community in Coastal Delaware. Workshops of these new plays may begin as early as the summer of 2026.
This funding will also support expanding Clear Space’s Arts Institute, which provides arts-based learning for children, teens, and retired adults. Additional classes, summer camps, and new satellite locations for expanded programs are planned, with a commitment to improving both geographic accessibility as well as access for low- and middle-income families through scholarships.
“This support from the Longwood Foundation will truly catalyze live theater and arts-based learning in Coastal Delaware,” shared Clear Space Managing Director Joe Gfaller. “As our region grows, it is critical that our arts infrastructure grows along with our community. Expanding our programming model to offer productions of different scale throughout the year will not only prepare us for our new building but also ensure that we can continue to provide an excellent balance of offerings on stage for everyone who calls our region home. We are deeply grateful to the Longwood Foundation for this transformational gift.”
All funds raised during Clear Space’s Do More 24 campaign will help to support matching the Longwood Foundation’s grant award. Gifts to Clear Space can be made on https://www.domore24delaware.org/fundraisers/clear-space-theatre-company.
Noises Off Opens 2026 Season at Clear Space Performances Run January 23 - February 15
Cast Includes an Exciting Mix of New and Returning Artists
Clear Space Theatre Company’s 2026 season kicks off with the quintessential British farce, Noises Off. Audiences have 15 chances to catch this comedic classic, showing Thursdays through Sundays January 23 through February 15, 2026. Some performances are already sold out.
Noises Off is a play-within-a-play about a team of hapless actors attempting to mount the (very fictional) farce Nothing On. Chaos ensures as missed cues, romantic mishaps, and an increasingly aggressive plate of sardines seem to stand in their way. The comedy takes audiences backstage to on-stage, to back again. As things spiral out of control, audiences learn that the age-old-trope “the show must go on” is true – even when everything goes wrong in the most spectacular fashion.
Directed by Donald Garverick (Reefer Madness at Clear Space; The Office! A Musical Parody and 90210! The Musical off-Broadway), Noises Off features a dynamic cast of nine actors who play both the on stage roles in the play-within-a-play Nothing On as well as the actors backstage bringing the play to life.
Performers returning to Clear Space for this production include Devon Spencer Lynch (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and Once Upon a Mattress), Rick Nazzarro (My Fair Lady and Reefer Madness), Ernie Ritchie (Hairspray and Little Shop of Horrors), Christina Rodden (POTUS and Reefer Madness), and Elizabeth Roe (On Golden Pond and Sordid Lives). Artists making their debut in the cast include Tyler DiNinno (Savannah Theatre and Pennington Players), Sydney Freihofer (Friends: The Musical Parody off-Broadway and Short North Stage), Peter Herrick (Philadelphia’s Walnut Street Theatre and NBC’s The Blacklist), and Julia Smouse (DC’s Folger Theatre and Carnegie Hall). Understudying the principal cast are Matty Brown (debut artist), Mary Gresock (The Cemetery Club and Sister Act), Alan Krisfalusi (Young Frankenstein and Damn Yankees), and Caitlin Wood (teaching artist, CSTC Broadway Bound). The production’s director Don Garverick shared, “As a long-time fan of Michael Frayn’s Noises Off, getting the chance to direct this farcical masterpiece at Clear Space Theatre Company is a dream come true. Noises Off takes you behind the scenes of the fictional British comedy, Nothing On, where the backstage antics are crazier than those onstage. This hilarious farce is a loving valentine to the zany people who make live theatre happen, both onstage and off. Prepare for an evening of wild hijinks, shenanigans, mistaken identities, slamming doors, and a whole lot of misplaced sardines!”
The production features a unique revolving set, designed by Mark Lenard, whose previous designs at Clear Space have included A Christmas Carol, Reefer Madness, POTUS, Jersey Boys, The Prom, and Rock of Ages. Mary Beth Powell makes her debut at Clear Space as the production’s costume designer. Lighting design is by resident designer Brendan Smith. Sound design is by production manager Justin Jewell. Aleta Thompson designs the production’s props. The production’s stage manager is Rece Pope and assistant stage manager/assistant director is Emily Swett.“We hope audiences fall in love with this joyful and zany comedy,” shared Clear Space Managing Director Joe Gfaller. “Noises Off has remained a classic for over 40 years for good reason. It gives a remarkable glimpse behind the curtain of bringing a play to life - and between all the laughter, audiences discover some of the wild wonder that lives at the heart of being a theater-maker. We hope audiences find a perfect kick off to our 2026 season!”
All performances are held on the mainstage at Clear Space Theatre Company, at 20 Baltimore Avenue in Rehoboth Beach. Tickets for this production are available online at clearspacetheatre.org, by phone at (302) 227-2270, or in person at the box office at 20 Baltimore Avenue in Rehoboth Beach between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. The remainder of the 2026 season is now on sale, so, given Clear Space’s consistent track record of sold out productions, audiences are encouraged to secure tickets to other 2026 productions when booking Noises Off tickets.