Clear Space opens season with new seats, lounge area

Clear Space Theatre Company in Rehoboth Beach opened its 2023 season Jan. 20, and in addition to a great show, patrons were treated to a number of renovations.

In the theater space, work included purchasing new chairs, installing new carpet, painting the ceiling and adding drapes around the stage. The entrance got a new bar, a new chandelier and paint. Patrons didn’t get a look at the offices, but they also got new paint and new carpet.

Founded in 2004, Clear Space moved into the old Epworth United Methodist Church on Baltimore Avenue in 2010. Clear Space renewed its lease on the space for another five years in 2020. The renovation is designed to carry Clear Space through the current lease, said Executive Director Wesley Paulson. 

“After 10 years in this space, it was time for a new look,” he said. 

Paulson said the project was supported by gifts in memory of Clear Space’s longtime music director Melanie Bradley, who died in July 2022. The chairs were also purchased with a new theater in mind, he said, referencing the theater’s desire to build a standalone facility.

Stephanie Whitcomb, Clear Space director of development and outreach, said they lost a few seats because the replacements are wider, but, she added, the new ones are much more comfortable.

“We think people will agree,” she said.

Whitcomb was quick to thank the supporters. This would not have been possible without those contributions, she said.

For more information on Clear Space Theatre Company, 20 Baltimore Ave., go to clearspacetheatre.org, call 302-227-2270 or email info@clearspacetheatre.org.