November 17, 2023 • 22 mins
Get ready to transport yourself to the vibrant performing arts scene of Southern Delaware with our special guests, David Button, the Artistic Director and Stephanie Hudson-Whitcomb, the Director of Development and Outreach at Clear Space Theatre Company. They'll take you behind the scenes of their inspiring journey and the intriguing story behind the theater's unique name, pulling back the curtain on some of their exciting shows lined up for the 2023 season. 'God's Bell', 'Young Frankenstein' and the holiday musical 'Estella Scrooge' are just a few that will pique your curiosity.
We delve into why Clear Space is not just a theatre company, but a community builder, uniting people from all backgrounds through their love for art. You'll hear about their innovative community outreach programs, their commitment to arts education through the Arts Institute, and how these initiatives are shaping the next generation of performers by fostering self-esteem and public speaking skills. We also explore the universal power of the arts in creating shared experiences and fostering connections, regardless of our differences. So, join us for a captivating conversation that serves as a testament to the transformative power of the arts.
The Delaware Division of the Arts, a branch of the Delaware Department of State, is committed to supporting the arts and cultivating creativity to enhance the quality of life in Delaware. Together with its advisory body, the Delaware State Arts Council, the Division administers grants and programs that support arts programming, educate the public, increase awareness of the arts, and integrate the arts into all facets of Delaware life. Learn more at Arts.Delaware.Gov.
Delaware State of the Arts is a weekly podcast that presents interviews with arts organizations and leaders who contribute to the cultural vibrancy of communities throughout Delaware. Delaware State of the Arts is provided as a service of the Division of the Arts, in partnership with NEWSRADIO 1450 WILM and 1410 WDOV.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Andy Truscott (00:02):
For Delaware State of the Arts.
I'm Andy Truscott.
The Clear Space Theater Companywas founded in 2004.
The organization strives to bea leader in the vibrant
performing arts community ofSouthern Delaware.
There is always a show going onat Clear Space and always an
educational opportunity forthose who are looking for it,
but we'll let some of ClearSpace's biggest advocates tell
(00:25):
you more about it.
David Button (00:26):
My name is David Button and I'm the artistic
director here at Clear Space.
Stephanie Hudson-Whitcomb (00:30):
My name is Stephanie
Hudson-Whitcomb and I am thedirector of development and
outreach at Clear Space Theater.
Andy Truscott (00:35):
And how long have you both been involved at Clear
Space Theater Company?
I have?
David Button (00:39):
actually been involved since 2006.
That's about 18 years indifferent capacities, starting
out as a performer, going to ateaching artist, eventually
going to a full-time position in2008.
And I am, of course, allocatedto the artistic director now,
after a couple of differentpositions over 18 years.
Stephanie Hudson-Whitcomb (00:57):
I began with the company in 2018
as the director of developmentand outreach, and I'm also a
parent of students who haveparticipated are participating
in our Arts Institute here atClear Space.
Andy Truscott (01:11):
So let's just start by setting the stage for
Clear Space Theater Company.
Where did you get your name andhow does that describe what
your organization stands for?
David Button (01:20):
So if you go back to the beginning of Clear Space.
Kenzke Shesh and Doug Yetterare the two co-founders.
They created the name ClearSpace to sort of say we weren't
dealing in a giant sets oroverproduction in some ways, so
that you find yourself in themoment with the character, with
the language, with the music, sothat it's a clear space for
(01:44):
clear thought on some level.
So Clear Space, as it maintainsits name, has sort of elevated
some of those spectacleproperties, if you will.
However, we continue to followthe model of.
We want you to find yourself inthe space, hearing the words
and understanding that it's notabout all of those spectacle
(02:06):
items but ultimately aboutconnecting with the audience,
connecting with the language ofthe author or composer, it seems
like there's always a showgoing on at the Clear Space
Theater Company.
Andy Truscott (02:18):
What does the rest of your 2023 season look
like and what's going on rightnow?
Stephanie Hudson-Whitcomb (02:23):
Well, you're right, there's pretty
much always a show or somethinghappening at the theater.
We have Young Frankenstein thatopens October 13th and takes us
up to Halloween weekend InNovember.
Our spotlight on YoungPerformers, which is our
educational program for studentsfrom 4th through 12th grade.
They work for about 10 weekslearning how to put together a
(02:47):
full musical and a fully-stagemusical, and they perform
November 10th, 11th and 12th.
And then our final show of theseason is our holiday musical
and this year we're doingEstella Scrooge.
That opens on Black Friday,november 24th, and goes through
December 10th.
David Button (03:03):
And Estella Scrooge.
What's really exciting about itis that it is the Scrooge story
but it updates it to now andit's sort of his great, great
great granddaughter experiencingthe essentially the same thing
that he experienced with hislife changing ghost story and
ultimately pulls in a lot ofother Dickensian sort of
elements and characters andthemes.
Stephanie Hudson-Whitcomb (03:24):
It's very heartwarming, but yet
there's so many funny parts ofit as well.
Andy Truscott (03:28):
That sounds fantastic.
Could you tell me a little bitmore about the entirely
student-run production that youmentioned earlier?
David Button (03:36):
Sure.
So the students are ultimatelylearning about the production
aspects.
They're still an adultchoreographer, director and
musical director, but they'resort of guided through
essentially how it is to be anactor in the space.
We developed that program, Ibelieve, in 2012 or 2013.
We sort of had a space or a gapin our programming where we had
(03:59):
Broadway Bound, which is firstthrough eighth grade, and of
course, our main stageproductions, which we generally
use mostly adults for, and wesort of lost that sort of age
range between ninth and twelfthgrade.
So in an effort to include thosestudents and make sure that
they continued their educationbecause most of them, of course,
are going to go off to collegeand do this we created a program
(04:19):
that was fully, a fullyproduced show, so that they
could understand or have anotherexperience in doing a
production.
In this production specifically, we're also engaging a visual
artist, and so our students willbe learning how the visual arts
work in collaboration with theperforming arts.
In addition to this being sortof a fluid piece where typically
(04:41):
you'd only see 10 people, inGod's Bell we have 32 kids who
are going to be telling thestory in a sort of fluid, each
kid in a different scene.
A different amalgamation ofstudents in each scene and song.
Andy Truscott (04:55):
I should have asked this earlier, but where is
Clear Space Theatre Companylocated and who can be involved?
Stephanie Hudson-Whitcomb (05:02):
So Clear Space is located at 20
Baltimore Avenue in downtownRehoboth Beach, where the beach
block, and our website iswwwclearspacetheatre.
That's an RE at the end dot org.
So that's where you can find usand really we have educational
programs from children as youngas three all the way through
(05:23):
adult, and our programmingthroughout the year is for all
ages.
So our main stage shows tend togo a little bit older.
You might not bring your threeyear old to our show, but we're
really geared to our population,which is all ages.
David Button (05:41):
We have everything from our Broadway babies
programming, which is onSaturday morning, so that's our
three year old, through aboutsix year old.
And we have our signatureprogramming, which is Broadway
bound, which is students firstthrough eighth grade going
through music, dance and actingonce a week.
And then we shift to ourspotlight program, which is our
(06:02):
sort of fourth through 12thgrade audition only program and
that's sort of a little moreexclusive to students who
audition for it.
And then of course we have themain stage program, which all
adults are involved in and somestudents as well, and we also do
a legends of Broadway class,which is our over 50 class,
where we sort of do a little bitof a reading of a musical and
(06:23):
sort of do a stage reading of amusical, so that they are also
continue to get education and beinvolved.
Stephanie Hudson-Whitcomb (06:29):
And we just completed five weeks of
summer camp.
Our summer camp is dividedthrough grades, primarily, and
it's grades first through 12thgrade and then we have a acting
only camp and that is for allgrades.
But we have people who come onvacation down here for the week
and plan it around summer campso that their child can
(06:50):
participate.
We sell out all of our campsand kids come back over and over
again.
Andy Truscott (06:55):
It sounds like they came back for good reason.
That sounds really fun.
Stephanie Hudson-Whitcom (06:59):
That's our goal.
David Button (07:00):
It's always.
What's really fun about thesummer camps is that they
ultimately get to produce a showat the end of it.
So we're using the usually oneof the licensing companies
junior programs, some of thosescripts that are a little
shorter.
So our kids get a shortenedversion of something that they
get to perform for theirfamilies at the end of the week,
which is a big draw as well.
Stephanie Hudson-Whitcomb (07:19):
We also invite the campers to come
and see one of the productionsin the evening, and the actors
who are in our main stage summershows also help as counselors
and teachers choreographersduring camp, and that's really
exciting for the kids to beworking with these actors they
see on stage.
Andy Truscott (07:40):
What is the range of experience that you have at
your theater?
I know you teach students andyou also have more experienced
actors, but can anybody getinvolved or do you have to
audition?
What does that look?
David Button (07:51):
like Well, there is a general audition at the
beginning of every year, andit's a fallacy that you have to
be a professional to be on ourstage.
We actually look for people ofall different ranges of ability.
You can be coming into it forthe first time We've had that
many times and we also havethose who are studying musical
theater in college, who comeinto summer, and then we have
(08:12):
some artists who have retiredhere, who just want to continue
the work, or people who haveretired and never done anything
but always wanted to, and nowthey're on our main stage.
So ultimately, the experiencelevel is all over the place, and
I think that that's what makesit so exciting and vibrant.
The company is more vibrant inthe shows because they are able
to sort of lean on each other,and learn from each other.
Andy Truscott (08:36):
You just announced your 2024 season.
Tell us more about that.
David Button (08:41):
The 2024 season has a lot of fun surprises.
So if you're a listener who'scome to Clear Space, you know we
produce 13 shows a year indifferent capacities.
So ultimately this year, togive you a little bit of an idea
of what we're doing, we'reopening our season with Agatha
Christie's the Mousetrap.
We collaborate as part of ourClear Space Kids Back
programming with the SouthernDelaware Alliance for Racial
(09:05):
Justice and we're producing ARaisin in the Sun with them.
We are producing our kids,which is our spotlight program,
are producing both Descendantsand Shrek the Musical.
This year at different parts ofthe season we're producing the
Bodyguard the Musical featuringan amazing artist, ashley
Williams, who has worked with usseveral times now.
Our summer is going to includeJersey Boys and the Prom.
(09:29):
We have another musical that'sa little bit of a surprise.
We haven't announced yet.
We're waiting for licensing sowe won't announce that one quite
yet.
But then in the fall we have aVenus in Fur, which is an
amazing thing.
We also have the Remate, whichis our spotlight on artists
program featuring Elaine Thayand Meg Kelly for local equity
(09:51):
actors.
We are also producing SweeneyTodd in the fall and White
Christmas for the holiday season.
Andy Truscott (09:58):
It sounds like, between the rest of your 2023
season and your 2024 season,that you have a really wide
range of productions going on.
So how do you make thosedecisions and decide what shows
to put on?
David Button (10:11):
So I have actually boiled it down to sort of a
formula, if you will, where eachslot in the season is specific
to a certain kind of show.
So I always love to open ourseason with sort of a murder
mystery or something that wasmade popular by TV or film,
something that grabs theaudience right away.
It's in the winter, we want alittle bit of mystery around it.
(10:35):
We always collaborate withanother local nonprofit for our
second slot, which is a oneweekend readers theater.
We jump into the spring, whichoffers I'd like to offer a
classic musical, maybe a goldenage musical, but not always, but
something that's sort ofclassic, that offers something
that's a little bit more gearedtoward a musical theater of
(10:55):
bygone days.
We'll call it Our spotlightprogram, of course.
I'd like to pick somethingthat's specific to what the kids
will want to do so Descendantsand Shrek they're going to sort
of go a little crazy for, Ithink and also something that
parents can bring their kids to.
So it's sort of a dual goalthere of producing something
that our children or ourstudents will want to produce,
(11:17):
in addition to producingsomething for parents that want
to bring their kids to thetheater but don't want that long
evening kind of thing.
In the May slot I like to dosomething that people don't know
or that they don't really knowthis version of so like the
bodyguard, for instance.
People won't know that it was amusical, but it is all Whitney
Houston music, every single song, all of the songs from the
(11:38):
soundtrack that you loved whenyou saw the movie are in the
musical, and it's remarkablytrue to the movie.
And then there's an artistspotlight in June.
In the summer I like to pickthree big, splashing musicals
that are geared toward differentaudiences.
So with Jersey Boys, the Promand our other question musical,
(12:02):
which we'll announce later, wewant something that everyone can
come see.
That's a little bit more like ablockbuster musical.
We want something that pushesthe limits a little bit, maybe
with the Prom making youquestion sort of maybe what you
felt about certain things, butalso offering a big, splashy
music and fun version ofsomething.
And then you know againsomething the whole family maybe
can come see.
(12:22):
In the fall, our play, our firstplay, ultimately, is something
a little bit more contemporary.
Hopefully Sometimes we leaninto a little bit more classic,
but generally contemporary andagain pushes some limits.
So Venus and Fur sort of hasI'll call it a 50 Shades of Grey
element, if you will, somethingthat will push those boundaries
(12:42):
.
Then we go into sort of ourHalloween season and we have to
see which festival here inRehoboth.
So we like to do somethingthat's complementary of that.
And then for the holiday seasonit's just about.
You know, there's all thesedifferent versions of Scrooge
which we do constantly.
But this year we want to dosomething big and splashy, so we
chose White Christmas and it'salways something around the
holiday theme, something thathas the holiday joy in it.
(13:05):
So that's sort of how I pickedthe season and then generally I
just try to pick things that Iknow people want to see, in
addition to things that maybedidn't know they wanted to see.
But the ones they see them hereat a little folk a feeling of
I'm glad I saw that.
Andy Truscott (13:20):
Talk to me about how Clear Space interacts with
the larger community and viceversa.
Stephanie Hudson-Whitcomb (13:26):
So, as David mentioned, we have a
program called Clear Space GivesBack and one of the big ways
that we do it is our FebruaryReaders Theatre production where
each year we partner withanother local nonprofit where it
gives the opportunity for theiraudience or their patrons and
supporters to come to ClearSpace and see a production that
(13:48):
it relates to that nonprofit insome way, and then it also is an
opportunity for them to speakto our audience, so our patrons,
who are already here, get tolearn about another nonprofit.
So it's really great forsharing information to different
audiences and it helps us bothgrow our supporters and it's a
way.
Also, the big thing is is thatall the proceeds are split with
(14:13):
the other nonprofit and with ourarts institute, so it is a
fundraiser for the partner aswell.
We also take our children.
They have a.
We have a young company in thesummer that perform these
Saturday morning plays that arereally geared to young audiences
.
They're like half an hour andit's like your first theater
experience type of play.
(14:34):
Well, we take them and we go todifferent locations.
We've gone to the Lewis library, we went to K-Penel Open High
Schools to their summer programsand we perform for different
audiences in a way of takingtheater to them, when not
everybody can always come totheater.
So a lot of times it'schildren's first experience with
(14:54):
live performance.
David Button (14:55):
It's essentially making it accessible for
audiences that wouldn't be ableto come directly to the theater.
We've even gone to the OakOrchard Boys and Girls Club in
different locations thatultimately don't have the
capacity to travel here.
So it gives them an opportunityand an accessibility to the
arts.
Stephanie Hudson-Whitcomb (15:12):
We also have a scholarship program
where that any student whowishes to attend a program is
not prohibited for any financialreasons.
That has been helpful for ourstudents of all ages.
We've been able to facilitatestudents to come to summer camp
to do Broadway, background,spotlight and even legends class
.
Andy Truscott (15:33):
That just sounds so wonderful.
Switching gears here a littlebit.
Clear Space Theater Company waschosen to participate in the
Division of the Arts' Equity andInnovation Incubator program.
What did you learn from yourexperience?
Stephanie Hudson-Whitcomb (15:49):
The Incubator program was actually a
very it was like a six-monthproject where we got to hear
from experts in fields relatedto diversity, equity, inclusion,
to social media, to working intheaters, working with how to
meet your community needs.
We knew we were lacking indiversity primarily our audience
(16:12):
and it helped us realize wherewe need to go to help bring the
theater to other people and thenalso give us the method of how
to go out and find out whatthese communities want from us,
like what do they need, what dothey want and how can we provide
that.
So we've got a plan.
(16:32):
So we're in the process ofgetting the people we need
involved so that we can go outand reach communities, like some
communities that are reallyclose by but they just don't
come to the theater and find outwhy they don't come.
What they would like to seewhat kind of programs we have,
do they work for them is do wehave to create a new program?
So we're in this discoveryphase right now.
(16:54):
We've already started workingwith social media to get our
message out to other communities, and this grant helped us pay
for that, and then it alsohelped us with educating
ourselves internally.
We were able to find thesegreat training videos that talk
about the use of pronouns, aboutconflict resolutions, like
(17:16):
whether calling in or callingout somebody if there's a
conflict.
We've put into place a deputyprogram, which is a way for
actors on stage to be able tohave a safe space and a safe
person to go to with anyproblems and to be able to
report anything without feelingthat there's going to be any
retaliation or anything, and sothat we can address issues
(17:38):
before they become large issues.
And we've had staff training.
We've become focused onbecoming diverse and really
showing who is out there onstage and our goal is to have it
on staff and our volunteerseverywhere to really represent
our community.
Andy Truscott (17:56):
Now it's time for some big questions.
What does success look like tothe Clear Space Theatre Company
as it relates to the arts inSouthern Delaware or in all of
Delaware?
David Button (18:08):
Ultimately, I think success is reaching out to
audiences that don't always getto come to the theater,
audiences that want somethingfrom the theater, audiences that
are focused on not just comingto the theater and having a
wonderful experience and beingsort of delighted, but those
audiences that want to think.
Success, ultimately, is aboutseeing yourself on stage.
(18:33):
As we say constantly in thearts world, the art imitates
life.
I think success for Clear Spaceis reaching audiences and
educating audiences abouttheater and helping them walk
away with something, not just afun song that's stuck in their
head, but maybe a question thatgets started at a local
(18:55):
restaurant or going out for adrink and it sparks something a
little bit more in them, sparksa question, makes them think
about something a little bitmore deeply or feel something
more deeply.
Stephanie Hudson-Whitcomb (19:07):
So my short answer is success is
creating a positive experienceand therefore a positive memory
in anybody who interacts with us.
My quantitative response wouldbe that people who participate
and come to Clear Space whetherthey are a patron, a volunteer,
an actor on stage, a musician inthe band loft, a teacher in our
(19:30):
program that they feelsupported, they feel enriched by
what they have done and anoverall positive experience so
that qualitatively we haverepeat people and we grow the
company and reach more people tohave that.
Go back to my short answer apositive experience, creating a
positive memory.
David Button (19:51):
I think another success for us is our Arts
Institute knowing that ourstudents are walking out of here
not just with knowledge insinging or acting or dance, but
that they are getting work inself-esteem, working as an
ensemble, public speaking.
We know that the arts reachthese access points for kids,
(20:13):
that we are sort of opening upthose areas of need in children.
Children need to feel likethey're in a safe space and once
they feel like they're in asafe space, ultimately things
like speaking in front of people, working with other people
easily and being able to expresshow they feel becomes more
(20:36):
abundant and more regular asopposed to the child who is
introverted, and it gives themconfidence to walk out into the
world, a different person, aperson that is more who they are
, as opposed to someone whothey've locked inside or is a
little afraid of.
Andy Truscott (20:52):
My final question for you what do the arts with a
capital A mean to a communitylike Delaware?
David Button (21:01):
I think ultimately in Delaware because we are such
a small state and we are soconnected that the arts
ultimately connect not only thearts organizations and the kind
of arts whether it's visual arts, media arts, performing arts it
connects us all not only acerebral level but an emotional
level.
I think that art connects notjust arts organizations but kind
(21:25):
of pulls all organizationstogether in this sort of bond of
creating something forDelawareans.
That is sort of driven by aneed to connect, a need for
outlet, a need to see more thanwhat's just in our lives every
day.
The arts, whether it be visualor performing or media etc.
(21:49):
Tug at us in a way that bringsa different kind of life inside
of us and I think that the waythe arts sort of evoke this sort
of meaningfulness, it connectsnot only the arts organizations
but connects people to the artsin general.
Stephanie Hudson-Whitcomb (22:08):
Arts.
It takes people from alldifferent backgrounds
experiences and gives them ashared experience where, no
matter what your politicalbeliefs or your religion or your
skin color, we can allparticipate in a shared
experience and sit in a roomtogether or participate in a
class together and all have ourlives enriched.
For Delaware State of the Arts.
I'm Andy Truscott.
The Clear Space Theater Companywas founded in 2004.
The organization strives to bea leader in the vibrant
performing arts community ofSouthern Delaware.
There is always a show going onat Clear Space and always an
educational opportunity forthose who are looking for it,
but we'll let some of ClearSpace's biggest advocates tell
(00:25):
you more about it.
David Button (00:26):
My name is David Button and I'm the artistic
director here at Clear Space.
Stephanie Hudson-Whitcomb (00:30):
My name is Stephanie
Hudson-Whitcomb and I am thedirector of development and
outreach at Clear Space Theater.
Andy Truscott (00:35):
And how long have you both been involved at Clear
Space Theater Company?
I have?
David Button (00:39):
actually been involved since 2006.
That's about 18 years indifferent capacities, starting
out as a performer, going to ateaching artist, eventually
going to a full-time position in2008.
And I am, of course, allocatedto the artistic director now,
after a couple of differentpositions over 18 years.
Stephanie Hudson-Whitcomb (00:57):
I began with the company in 2018
as the director of developmentand outreach, and I'm also a
parent of students who haveparticipated are participating
in our Arts Institute here atClear Space.
Andy Truscott (01:11):
So let's just start by setting the stage for
Clear Space Theater Company.
Where did you get your name andhow does that describe what
your organization stands for?
David Button (01:20):
So if you go back to the beginning of Clear Space.
Kenzke Shesh and Doug Yetterare the two co-founders.
They created the name ClearSpace to sort of say we weren't
dealing in a giant sets oroverproduction in some ways, so
that you find yourself in themoment with the character, with
the language, with the music, sothat it's a clear space for
(01:44):
clear thought on some level.
So Clear Space, as it maintainsits name, has sort of elevated
some of those spectacleproperties, if you will.
However, we continue to followthe model of.
We want you to find yourself inthe space, hearing the words
and understanding that it's notabout all of those spectacle
(02:06):
items but ultimately aboutconnecting with the audience,
connecting with the language ofthe author or composer, it seems
like there's always a showgoing on at the Clear Space
Theater Company.
Andy Truscott (02:18):
What does the rest of your 2023 season look
like and what's going on rightnow?
Stephanie Hudson-Whitcomb (02:23):
Well, you're right, there's pretty
much always a show or somethinghappening at the theater.
We have Young Frankenstein thatopens October 13th and takes us
up to Halloween weekend InNovember.
Our spotlight on YoungPerformers, which is our
educational program for studentsfrom 4th through 12th grade.
They work for about 10 weekslearning how to put together a
(02:47):
full musical and a fully-stagemusical, and they perform
November 10th, 11th and 12th.
And then our final show of theseason is our holiday musical
and this year we're doingEstella Scrooge.
That opens on Black Friday,november 24th, and goes through
December 10th.
David Button (03:03):
And Estella Scrooge.
What's really exciting about itis that it is the Scrooge story
but it updates it to now andit's sort of his great, great
great granddaughter experiencingthe essentially the same thing
that he experienced with hislife changing ghost story and
ultimately pulls in a lot ofother Dickensian sort of
elements and characters andthemes.
Stephanie Hudson-Whitcomb (03:24):
It's very heartwarming, but yet
there's so many funny parts ofit as well.
Andy Truscott (03:28):
That sounds fantastic.
Could you tell me a little bitmore about the entirely
student-run production that youmentioned earlier?
David Button (03:36):
Sure.
So the students are ultimatelylearning about the production
aspects.
They're still an adultchoreographer, director and
musical director, but they'resort of guided through
essentially how it is to be anactor in the space.
We developed that program, Ibelieve, in 2012 or 2013.
We sort of had a space or a gapin our programming where we had
(03:59):
Broadway Bound, which is firstthrough eighth grade, and of
course, our main stageproductions, which we generally
use mostly adults for, and wesort of lost that sort of age
range between ninth and twelfthgrade.
So in an effort to include thosestudents and make sure that
they continued their educationbecause most of them, of course,
are going to go off to collegeand do this we created a program
(04:19):
that was fully, a fullyproduced show, so that they
could understand or have anotherexperience in doing a
production.
In this production specifically, we're also engaging a visual
artist, and so our students willbe learning how the visual arts
work in collaboration with theperforming arts.
In addition to this being sortof a fluid piece where typically
(04:41):
you'd only see 10 people, inGod's Bell we have 32 kids who
are going to be telling thestory in a sort of fluid, each
kid in a different scene.
A different amalgamation ofstudents in each scene and song.
Andy Truscott (04:55):
I should have asked this earlier, but where is
Clear Space Theatre Companylocated and who can be involved?
Stephanie Hudson-Whitcomb (05:02):
So Clear Space is located at 20
Baltimore Avenue in downtownRehoboth Beach, where the beach
block, and our website iswwwclearspacetheatre.
That's an RE at the end dot org.
So that's where you can find usand really we have educational
programs from children as youngas three all the way through
(05:23):
adult, and our programmingthroughout the year is for all
ages.
So our main stage shows tend togo a little bit older.
You might not bring your threeyear old to our show, but we're
really geared to our population,which is all ages.
David Button (05:41):
We have everything from our Broadway babies
programming, which is onSaturday morning, so that's our
three year old, through aboutsix year old.
And we have our signatureprogramming, which is Broadway
bound, which is students firstthrough eighth grade going
through music, dance and actingonce a week.
And then we shift to ourspotlight program, which is our
(06:02):
sort of fourth through 12thgrade audition only program and
that's sort of a little moreexclusive to students who
audition for it.
And then of course we have themain stage program, which all
adults are involved in and somestudents as well, and we also do
a legends of Broadway class,which is our over 50 class,
where we sort of do a little bitof a reading of a musical and
(06:23):
sort of do a stage reading of amusical, so that they are also
continue to get education and beinvolved.
Stephanie Hudson-Whitcomb (06:29):
And we just completed five weeks of
summer camp.
Our summer camp is dividedthrough grades, primarily, and
it's grades first through 12thgrade and then we have a acting
only camp and that is for allgrades.
But we have people who come onvacation down here for the week
and plan it around summer campso that their child can
(06:50):
participate.
We sell out all of our campsand kids come back over and over
again.
Andy Truscott (06:55):
It sounds like they came back for good reason.
That sounds really fun.
Stephanie Hudson-Whitcom (06:59):
That's our goal.
David Button (07:00):
It's always.
What's really fun about thesummer camps is that they
ultimately get to produce a showat the end of it.
So we're using the usually oneof the licensing companies
junior programs, some of thosescripts that are a little
shorter.
So our kids get a shortenedversion of something that they
get to perform for theirfamilies at the end of the week,
which is a big draw as well.
Stephanie Hudson-Whitcomb (07:19):
We also invite the campers to come
and see one of the productionsin the evening, and the actors
who are in our main stage summershows also help as counselors
and teachers choreographersduring camp, and that's really
exciting for the kids to beworking with these actors they
see on stage.
Andy Truscott (07:40):
What is the range of experience that you have at
your theater?
I know you teach students andyou also have more experienced
actors, but can anybody getinvolved or do you have to
audition?
What does that look?
David Button (07:51):
like Well, there is a general audition at the
beginning of every year, andit's a fallacy that you have to
be a professional to be on ourstage.
We actually look for people ofall different ranges of ability.
You can be coming into it forthe first time We've had that
many times and we also havethose who are studying musical
theater in college, who comeinto summer, and then we have
(08:12):
some artists who have retiredhere, who just want to continue
the work, or people who haveretired and never done anything
but always wanted to, and nowthey're on our main stage.
So ultimately, the experiencelevel is all over the place, and
I think that that's what makesit so exciting and vibrant.
The company is more vibrant inthe shows because they are able
to sort of lean on each other,and learn from each other.
Andy Truscott (08:36):
You just announced your 2024 season.
Tell us more about that.
David Button (08:41):
The 2024 season has a lot of fun surprises.
So if you're a listener who'scome to Clear Space, you know we
produce 13 shows a year indifferent capacities.
So ultimately this year, togive you a little bit of an idea
of what we're doing, we'reopening our season with Agatha
Christie's the Mousetrap.
We collaborate as part of ourClear Space Kids Back
programming with the SouthernDelaware Alliance for Racial
(09:05):
Justice and we're producing ARaisin in the Sun with them.
We are producing our kids,which is our spotlight program,
are producing both Descendantsand Shrek the Musical.
This year at different parts ofthe season we're producing the
Bodyguard the Musical featuringan amazing artist, ashley
Williams, who has worked with usseveral times now.
Our summer is going to includeJersey Boys and the Prom.
(09:29):
We have another musical that'sa little bit of a surprise.
We haven't announced yet.
We're waiting for licensing sowe won't announce that one quite
yet.
But then in the fall we have aVenus in Fur, which is an
amazing thing.
We also have the Remate, whichis our spotlight on artists
program featuring Elaine Thayand Meg Kelly for local equity
(09:51):
actors.
We are also producing SweeneyTodd in the fall and White
Christmas for the holiday season.
Andy Truscott (09:58):
It sounds like, between the rest of your 2023
season and your 2024 season,that you have a really wide
range of productions going on.
So how do you make thosedecisions and decide what shows
to put on?
David Button (10:11):
So I have actually boiled it down to sort of a
formula, if you will, where eachslot in the season is specific
to a certain kind of show.
So I always love to open ourseason with sort of a murder
mystery or something that wasmade popular by TV or film,
something that grabs theaudience right away.
It's in the winter, we want alittle bit of mystery around it.
(10:35):
We always collaborate withanother local nonprofit for our
second slot, which is a oneweekend readers theater.
We jump into the spring, whichoffers I'd like to offer a
classic musical, maybe a goldenage musical, but not always, but
something that's sort ofclassic, that offers something
that's a little bit more gearedtoward a musical theater of
(10:55):
bygone days.
We'll call it Our spotlightprogram, of course.
I'd like to pick somethingthat's specific to what the kids
will want to do so Descendantsand Shrek they're going to sort
of go a little crazy for, Ithink and also something that
parents can bring their kids to.
So it's sort of a dual goalthere of producing something
that our children or ourstudents will want to produce,
(11:17):
in addition to producingsomething for parents that want
to bring their kids to thetheater but don't want that long
evening kind of thing.
In the May slot I like to dosomething that people don't know
or that they don't really knowthis version of so like the
bodyguard, for instance.
People won't know that it was amusical, but it is all Whitney
Houston music, every single song, all of the songs from the
(11:38):
soundtrack that you loved whenyou saw the movie are in the
musical, and it's remarkablytrue to the movie.
And then there's an artistspotlight in June.
In the summer I like to pickthree big, splashing musicals
that are geared toward differentaudiences.
So with Jersey Boys, the Promand our other question musical,
(12:02):
which we'll announce later, wewant something that everyone can
come see.
That's a little bit more like ablockbuster musical.
We want something that pushesthe limits a little bit, maybe
with the Prom making youquestion sort of maybe what you
felt about certain things, butalso offering a big, splashy
music and fun version ofsomething.
And then you know againsomething the whole family maybe
can come see.
(12:22):
In the fall, our play, our firstplay, ultimately, is something
a little bit more contemporary.
Hopefully Sometimes we leaninto a little bit more classic,
but generally contemporary andagain pushes some limits.
So Venus and Fur sort of hasI'll call it a 50 Shades of Grey
element, if you will, somethingthat will push those boundaries
(12:42):
.
Then we go into sort of ourHalloween season and we have to
see which festival here inRehoboth.
So we like to do somethingthat's complementary of that.
And then for the holiday seasonit's just about.
You know, there's all thesedifferent versions of Scrooge
which we do constantly.
But this year we want to dosomething big and splashy, so we
chose White Christmas and it'salways something around the
holiday theme, something thathas the holiday joy in it.
(13:05):
So that's sort of how I pickedthe season and then generally I
just try to pick things that Iknow people want to see, in
addition to things that maybedidn't know they wanted to see.
But the ones they see them hereat a little folk a feeling of
I'm glad I saw that.
Andy Truscott (13:20):
Talk to me about how Clear Space interacts with
the larger community and viceversa.
Stephanie Hudson-Whitcomb (13:26):
So, as David mentioned, we have a
program called Clear Space GivesBack and one of the big ways
that we do it is our FebruaryReaders Theatre production where
each year we partner withanother local nonprofit where it
gives the opportunity for theiraudience or their patrons and
supporters to come to ClearSpace and see a production that
(13:48):
it relates to that nonprofit insome way, and then it also is an
opportunity for them to speakto our audience, so our patrons,
who are already here, get tolearn about another nonprofit.
So it's really great forsharing information to different
audiences and it helps us bothgrow our supporters and it's a
way.
Also, the big thing is is thatall the proceeds are split with
(14:13):
the other nonprofit and with ourarts institute, so it is a
fundraiser for the partner aswell.
We also take our children.
They have a.
We have a young company in thesummer that perform these
Saturday morning plays that arereally geared to young audiences
.
They're like half an hour andit's like your first theater
experience type of play.
(14:34):
Well, we take them and we go todifferent locations.
We've gone to the Lewis library, we went to K-Penel Open High
Schools to their summer programsand we perform for different
audiences in a way of takingtheater to them, when not
everybody can always come totheater.
So a lot of times it'schildren's first experience with
(14:54):
live performance.
David Button (14:55):
It's essentially making it accessible for
audiences that wouldn't be ableto come directly to the theater.
We've even gone to the OakOrchard Boys and Girls Club in
different locations thatultimately don't have the
capacity to travel here.
So it gives them an opportunityand an accessibility to the
arts.
Stephanie Hudson-Whitcomb (15:12):
We also have a scholarship program
where that any student whowishes to attend a program is
not prohibited for any financialreasons.
That has been helpful for ourstudents of all ages.
We've been able to facilitatestudents to come to summer camp
to do Broadway, background,spotlight and even legends class
.
Andy Truscott (15:33):
That just sounds so wonderful.
Switching gears here a littlebit.
Clear Space Theater Company waschosen to participate in the
Division of the Arts' Equity andInnovation Incubator program.
What did you learn from yourexperience?
Stephanie Hudson-Whitcomb (15:49):
The Incubator program was actually a
very it was like a six-monthproject where we got to hear
from experts in fields relatedto diversity, equity, inclusion,
to social media, to working intheaters, working with how to
meet your community needs.
We knew we were lacking indiversity primarily our audience
(16:12):
and it helped us realize wherewe need to go to help bring the
theater to other people and thenalso give us the method of how
to go out and find out whatthese communities want from us,
like what do they need, what dothey want and how can we provide
that.
So we've got a plan.
(16:32):
So we're in the process ofgetting the people we need
involved so that we can go outand reach communities, like some
communities that are reallyclose by but they just don't
come to the theater and find outwhy they don't come.
What they would like to seewhat kind of programs we have,
do they work for them is do wehave to create a new program?
So we're in this discoveryphase right now.
(16:54):
We've already started workingwith social media to get our
message out to other communities, and this grant helped us pay
for that, and then it alsohelped us with educating
ourselves internally.
We were able to find thesegreat training videos that talk
about the use of pronouns, aboutconflict resolutions, like
(17:16):
whether calling in or callingout somebody if there's a
conflict.
We've put into place a deputyprogram, which is a way for
actors on stage to be able tohave a safe space and a safe
person to go to with anyproblems and to be able to
report anything without feelingthat there's going to be any
retaliation or anything, and sothat we can address issues
(17:38):
before they become large issues.
And we've had staff training.
We've become focused onbecoming diverse and really
showing who is out there onstage and our goal is to have it
on staff and our volunteerseverywhere to really represent
our community.
Andy Truscott (17:56):
Now it's time for some big questions.
What does success look like tothe Clear Space Theatre Company
as it relates to the arts inSouthern Delaware or in all of
Delaware?
David Button (18:08):
Ultimately, I think success is reaching out to
audiences that don't always getto come to the theater,
audiences that want somethingfrom the theater, audiences that
are focused on not just comingto the theater and having a
wonderful experience and beingsort of delighted, but those
audiences that want to think.
Success, ultimately, is aboutseeing yourself on stage.
(18:33):
As we say constantly in thearts world, the art imitates
life.
I think success for Clear Spaceis reaching audiences and
educating audiences abouttheater and helping them walk
away with something, not just afun song that's stuck in their
head, but maybe a question thatgets started at a local
(18:55):
restaurant or going out for adrink and it sparks something a
little bit more in them, sparksa question, makes them think
about something a little bitmore deeply or feel something
more deeply.
Stephanie Hudson-Whitcomb (19:07):
So my short answer is success is
creating a positive experienceand therefore a positive memory
in anybody who interacts with us.
My quantitative response wouldbe that people who participate
and come to Clear Space whetherthey are a patron, a volunteer,
an actor on stage, a musician inthe band loft, a teacher in our
(19:30):
program that they feelsupported, they feel enriched by
what they have done and anoverall positive experience so
that qualitatively we haverepeat people and we grow the
company and reach more people tohave that.
Go back to my short answer apositive experience, creating a
positive memory.
David Button (19:51):
I think another success for us is our Arts
Institute knowing that ourstudents are walking out of here
not just with knowledge insinging or acting or dance, but
that they are getting work inself-esteem, working as an
ensemble, public speaking.
We know that the arts reachthese access points for kids,
(20:13):
that we are sort of opening upthose areas of need in children.
Children need to feel likethey're in a safe space and once
they feel like they're in asafe space, ultimately things
like speaking in front of people, working with other people
easily and being able to expresshow they feel becomes more
(20:36):
abundant and more regular asopposed to the child who is
introverted, and it gives themconfidence to walk out into the
world, a different person, aperson that is more who they are
, as opposed to someone whothey've locked inside or is a
little afraid of.
Andy Truscott (20:52):
My final question for you what do the arts with a
capital A mean to a communitylike Delaware?
David Button (21:01):
I think ultimately in Delaware because we are such
a small state and we are soconnected that the arts
ultimately connect not only thearts organizations and the kind
of arts whether it's visual arts, media arts, performing arts it
connects us all not only acerebral level but an emotional
level.
I think that art connects notjust arts organizations but kind
(21:25):
of pulls all organizationstogether in this sort of bond of
creating something forDelawareans.
That is sort of driven by aneed to connect, a need for
outlet, a need to see more thanwhat's just in our lives every
day.
The arts, whether it be visualor performing or media etc.
(21:49):
Tug at us in a way that bringsa different kind of life inside
of us and I think that the waythe arts sort of evoke this sort
of meaningfulness, it connectsnot only the arts organizations
but connects people to the artsin general.
Stephanie Hudson-Whitcomb (22:08):
Arts.
It takes people from alldifferent backgrounds
experiences and gives them ashared experience where, no
matter what your politicalbeliefs or your religion or your
skin color, we can allparticipate in a shared
experience and sit in a roomtogether or participate in a
class together and all have ourlives enriched.
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