Each year around this time, Clear Space Theatre Company mounts its production of “Scrooge!”  It’s a jolly, musical interpretation of Charles Dickens’ classic “A Christmas Carol” that has been helping southern Delaware get into the Christmas spirit for years.

From the Production Designer’s point of view, putting together a show that has been produced many times before can be at once comforting and daunting; comforting in the knowledge that it has been done before, daunting in the fear that this year’s offering will be compared to the many successful iterations that have come before.

This year, I approached the show with fresh eyes and a mind to the economy of space - as we have next to none.  As the director, Ken was interested in keeping all of the production on the permanent stage. Last year, we used three different additions - two of them being permanent fixtures of Scrooge and Marley’s Accounting House and Scrooge’s bedroom.  So, we immediately lost 320 square feet of playing space while having to find backstage space for extra furniture and props.

How did we do it?  Good question.  I’ll direct you back to the notion of economy of space.  We had to look closely at all previous elements of the production to determine which pieces really helped to tell the story.  At the same time, we needed to ensure the overall impact of the production was not lost.  The natural solution was through the use of projections.  We’ve been experimenting with the idea of projected scenery over the last few productions, and “Scrooge!”  seemed a good fit for the application.  This year, some scenes and scenic elements will be delivered by projection, which allows for both quick and seamless changes and zero need for storage.

We’ve also employed the use of backdrops in a way that is new to this production.  We use a full backdrop for some scenes and partial drops for others. When the drops are not in use, our cyclorama (the large white wall at the back of the stage) becomes a projection screen. 

And that’s how we get a lot out of a little.

So many people approach me while out in the community to ask about Clear Space.  People who are unfamiliar with the organization want to know more about it.  In those cases, I recommend that they stop by the theatre or visit the website.  More and more often, however, the questions come from long-time supporters.  I think we are fortunate and unique in that so many people get “hooked” and have been attending shows to see the growth and development of the company for several years.  The company is moving into its seventh season - wow!  Where did the time go?

This blog, the brainchild of our Public Relations Director, Michael Matthias, is designed to give an inside perspective of the Clear Space Theatre Company.  So, this information reveals something more than, “How is Clear Space doing?” – “Thanks for asking… very well, thanks.”  The goal here is to get at the day-to-day struggles and accomplishments that make live performance and arts education a vital part of the beach community landscape.

The most common question, and I get this a lot, is “Your summer schedule was grueling.  How did it go?  How is the Company doing?”  Here is the truth… the summer was exhausting and exhilarating.  For me, overseeing the company, developing long-term strategies, teaching summer camps and performing in 2 of 3 shows, it was more on the exhausting side.  I made a commitment to have all of those experiences because I wanted to understand our first summer season from all angles.  That experience gave me a clear picture of what needs to change and how I can support the staff in assessing and implementing those changes.  Not only did the summer teach me many lessons about how Clear Space operates as a “downtown” entity, but it also presented huge lessons about the need to transition from a founder-based company (Ken and Doug’s Clear Space) to a strong organization that is serving the community and is sustainable for years to come.

Since returning to work, after a well-deserved break in early September, I’ve been focusing on a shift in management and responsibility.  We have always operated in a way that gathered the staff around the table to solve problems.  This new approach takes that concept a bit further so that the responsibility of the success of the company is equally distributed among the different divisions of the organization, from the initial stages of planning to full implementation.  I feel relieved and more able to focus on a scope of work that is both attainable and rewarding.  Simultaneously, Clear Space is moving in a direction that carves out a solid future.

Thanks for asking…  very well, thanks.