Clear Space recruits out-of-town actors for summer lineup

Clear Space Theatre Company in Rehoboth Beach will kick off its rotating summer productions of "Grease," "Rent" and "Seussical" June 25. The shows will feature 13 visiting actors from all across the East Coast. Clear Space’s Summer Rep season kicks off at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, June 25, with an opening-night gala performance of "Grease." "Rent" will open Monday, June 29, followed by "Seussical" Wednesday, July 1.The three shows will run in rotation throughout the summer through Saturday, Sept. 5. All shows start at 7:30 p.m.

Usually, the company brings in a small handful of visiting actors as needed for specific roles, but this year, newly appointed Artistic Director David Button knew he needed to pursue more than usual.

“The nature of our summer shows demanded more diversity than our current stock of actors had to offer,” Button said. “For example, both 'Rent' and 'Grease' need a host of young actors with specific vocal types that we didn’t necessarily have available to us locally.”

After holding the theatre’s annual January auditions for locals, Button traveled to New York City to see how he could supplement the talent he already had.

In February, he attended Straw Hat Auditions, a three-day event in New York City that hosts adult, non-equity performers as they audition for summer productions of more than 30 theatres across the U.S. In those three days, Button listened to more than 700 auditions and came home excited about the future of Clear Space.

“One of Clear Space’s mottos is ‘Artistic Endeavors of Integrity and Risk,’” Button said. “From its inception, the company has always aspired to be one that pulls together both the artistic and professional communities here and beyond to create art and tell stories. For the last two or three seasons, we have relied almost solely on local talent, but this season seemed like the perfect opportunity to embrace that motto and branch out even more than before.”

This summer’s visiting actors will include Darius Delk from Florida, Meghan Deeley from New Jersey, Annelise Pajewski from Pennsylvania, Devon Frieder from Massachusetts, Andrew Russell and Jonny Cortes from Connecticut, Michael McCann from Vermont, and Kendyl Ito, Mikaela Holmes, Mili Diaz, Monique Scott, Alec Nevin and Andrew Cuccaro from New York.

Each visiting performer will appear in all three summer productions, taking on a mix of ensemble parts, supporting roles, and/or lead characters such as Danny and Sandy in "Grease," the leading males in "Rent," and Jojo and Cat in the Hat in "Seussical."  Several of them will also assist with choreography and Clear Space’s children camps throughout the summer.

The visiting artists will join forces with several local and veteran Clear Space performers including Susann Studz, Maddie Barton, Julia Bloom, Evan Harnett, Hannah Weilminster, Meghan Hayward, Rose Slavin, Dan Carney, Matt Lewis, Ashley O’Donnell, Erin Williams, Mary O’Neill and Peyton Lynch.

The theatre is at 20 Baltimore Ave. in Rehoboth Beach. For a full show schedule and to purchase tickets, go to www.ClearSpaceTheatre.org or call 302-227-2270.